Mark Scanlon (on last night's episode LOI Central) says that the third tier won't be part of the League of Ireland, but will be run instead by Fran Gavin and the Competitions department within the FAI. Added that there would be an announcement this month. Didn't add much else of note.
That makes it sound increasingly like a development league, rather than one designed to ultimately prepare clubs for First Division status.
He confirmed there would soon be promotion to the First Division, subject to licensing, but it didn't sound like this would necessarily happen in the first full season in 2027. Perhaps I'm reading too much into it. (Obviously there'll be no promotion after the stub season next year)
At the very least, you'd hope there'd be a playoff with the bottom First Division team.
I can see where you're coming from but not necessarily.Originally Posted by culloty82
In England, the National League isn't part of the football league, and the bridge between those tiers made sense as that was the difference between professional football and semi-professional.
Although these days that's no longer the case.
The third tier will likely be designed as more of an amateur league than a semi-professional one. Now there likely will be some money changing hands, but not at the level of the First Division and for sustainability of clubs I imagine that's the way the FAI likes it.
So maybe it makes sense for a different body to look after it, even if it does link to the 1st division in terms of promotion/relegation.
Different scale obviously but the football league and EPL are also run by different entities so I wouldnt see it as disheatening for those looking for a way in. It will still facilitate that and imo it prudent to take it slowly and not jump in. Its likely in the future that a 2nd and 3rd tier will be directly part of the same setup, its more likely that the PD could end up run by a seperaate orgaisation if anything.
How far off are current Junior and Intermediate teams from each other?
Is there any noticeable difference im standard, or is it just Geography that separates the tiers?
There's a limited sample set of results (essentially just the first round of the FAI Cup when most amateur clubs are in pre-season, and this year relatively few of the LSL's top division made it that far) but my guess is the top handful of junior teams would be at a similar level to the best intermediate teams, but beyond the very best junior teams in places like Limerick and the south east, the standard would drop off quite quickly.
Basically, the distinction doesn't make sense any more, if it ever did
Mayo FC confirmed, according to the Connacht Telegraph:
https://www.con-telegraph.ie/2025/12...ue-of-ireland/
That's not really what it says though
I think the Championship is its own organisation too, hence the daft "League One" for the old Division Three
No, the Championship is very much part of the EFL, which in turn is separate to the Premier League above and the National League below, but with pro/rel between them all (and beyond). Scanlon mentioned that the Irish third-tier would be conducted on a similar basis.
He also very much left the door open to a separation between the LOI and the FAI in the future, which seems like an inevitability at this point.
Hmm - you're right. So League One is just their way of ignoring the Premier and calling the Championship their top flight, and the second tier is League One like the Championship used to be the First Division?
All very silly - and that's before you get to the National League!
I'm not sure what the advantage of the LoI third tier being so separate would be?
So if its not part of the LOI, how does that work in terms of relegation and promotion ? Presume that pathway has to exist, or else what's the point
It didn’t sound like there would any immediately and then anyone wanting to come up whenever it was in place would need to be able to get a first division license.
See above. It'll be just the same as being promoted to the Premier League or the Football League in England. You resign from one league and join the other.
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