This year's FAI Cup winners will qualify for the Europa League.
https://www.thesun.ie/sport/14725166/shamrock-rovers-fai-cup-europa-league/
It does actually make it a whole lot more lucrative. Gives you a decent chance of a relatively glamorous tie with the parachute of the ECLQ2 when/if you lose.
After Drogs success last year, fans of all clubs will definitely think it could be them heading to the Europa league in 2026.
Europa League will be a big prize.
Shamrock Rovers and St Pat's will be starting a round earlier than Drogheda in the Conference League qualifiers. The higher cup reward seems to have a low profile. Understandable cup winners are being rewarded to protect or try and enhance the status of the traditional cups. At the same time the majority of supporters naturally rate league runners up higher than lower league cup winners.
"By the start of the licence season, the membership and/or the contractual relationship (if any) must have lasted for at least three consecutive seasons. Furthermore, the licence applicant’s men’s football first team must have participated in the official national competitions for men’s football first teams for at least three consecutive seasons (hereinafter: three-year rule)."
I take from this that the 2025 FAI Cup is Kerry's first opportunity to qualify for Europe! A supporter can dream!!! Billy Dennehy, Kerry's CEO, played in the Europa League group stage for Shamrock Rovers. He started against Spurs home and away.
https://foot.ie/forums/117-Kerry-FC
A Championship: 4 years - 8 first teams - 0 financially ruined. First Division '14: 7 first teams.
Opportunity lost for new clubs/regions to join the LoI family.
Why was the 3 year rule introduced Legendz? Was that cos of wot happened with S Fingal?Originally Posted by legendz
Gary Cronin is he the right man to manage Longford Town?
UEFA talk about financial stability. Waterford lost out to Pat's a few years back on the 3 year rule. I don't think Sporting Fingal influenced the UEFA decision but maybe they did!
Fri 19 Apr 2019:
"The Football Association of Ireland can confirm it has received notification from UEFA’s Licensing Department that Waterford FC’s exception request has been rejected on the non-fulfilment of the three-year rule as defined in the UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations," it read.
"UEFA has informed the FAI that, following the Club Financial Control Body-Investigatory Chamber decision in this case, Waterford FC may not apply for a UEFA licence for the UEFA Club Competitions for the season 2019/20."
https://foot.ie/forums/117-Kerry-FC
A Championship: 4 years - 8 first teams - 0 financially ruined. First Division '14: 7 first teams.
Opportunity lost for new clubs/regions to join the LoI family.
1st Round Draw complete. It is the last 16 of the FAI Intermediate Cup (excluding UCD's LSL team who were replaced by Baldoyle United, the side they beat in the last 32) and last 8 of the FAI Junior Cup, so 12 ties with the winners qualifying for the 2nd round joining the 20 League of Ireland clubs.
St. Mochta's (LSL Dublin) v Douglas Hall (MSL Cork)
St. Michael's (TDSL Tipp) v Usher Celtic (LSL Dublin)
Leicester Celtic (LSL Dublin) v Fanad United (Donegal League)
Ringmahon Rangers (MSL Cork) v UCC (MSL Cork)
Tolka Rovers (LSL Dublin) v Janesboro (Limerick League)
Fairview Rangers (Limerick League) v Baldoyle United (LSL Dublin)
Crumlin United (LSL Dublin) v Lucan United (LSL Dublin)
Midleton (MSL Cork) v Killester Donneycarney (LSL Dublin)
Salthill Devon (Galway League) v Liffey Wanderers (LSL Dublin)
North End United (Wexford League) v Castlebar Celtic (Mayo League)
Wayside Celtic (LSL Dublin) v River Valley Rangers (LSL Dublin)
College Corinthians (MSL Cork) v Bangor Celtic (LSL Dublin)
I phoned the speaking clock to hear a voice speak, it said - "At the tone you will be very much alone"
Is this the first time Salthill have qualified since leaving the League?
No, they lost to Malahide on penalties in 2022.
The big country clubs (in the main) couldn't have asked for better draws.
Here they come! It’s the charge of the “Thanks” Brigade!
There is wee bit more, Waterford owner Lee Power renamed the club under the guise of big rebranding,return to past tradition etc but he also formed a new holding company to tun the club, that cut debt obligations from the newly defunct company. Waterford FC became a new debt free club and so were not the 3 years in existance needed and mentioned. As Waterford fan and former officer John Delaney was sat on UEFA council and at WFC it was believed he would clear the way for the club to play, with his cronies in NYON. He blotted his copybook and was out before he could pull his strings. It does mean that the old WFC/United, are not the same club as WFC, one closed and another opened in the main to avoid paying bills blatantly and not through receivership to give creditors a chance. Not even a phoenix club. The legacies and tophies from the 60s truly are with the old club an not the current version.
Different holding company/business entity, same club. The issue was with the legal holding company that had to have been in existence for three years. That's where we fell down on.
As for the League, FAI Cup, League Cup, First Division, Munster Senior Cup, U-21 etc. honours from 1930 to 2016, we still have them and they are still credited to Waterford FC by the FAI. That's good enough for us.
That would be the FAI run by John Delaney until 2019 3 years beyond when the new club was formed. Yup credit where its due, a proud tradition passed on by decent folk!
There's clearly continuity between the former and current versions of Waterford.
There are plenty of clubs all arouhd Europe in a similar situation, and the convention is that if there is clear continuity in tersm of stadium, players, name, colours, fams etc etc then it's the same club - even if operating within a different legal shell. The CRO does not determine who owns the history/trophies in Irish football.
Anyone see anything about the St Michael's vs Usher Celtic game? It’s down as a 3-0 St Michael's win on FAI Connect, down as "Cancelled" when you google it and down as "Awarded win" on LiveScore but I don’t see any confirmation or announcement from the FAI on it
Paaatrick's Agletic
Yeah its very LSC, if clubs dont or cant fulfill fixtures is there an argument that they dont get a berth subsequently?
A walkover I'd say. I don't think the FAI would have wanted to draw attention to it.
The amateur teams don't care much about the competition unless it's a glamour tie, obviously.
I get that it looks bad but as a matter of fairness and transparency to the other sides in the competition they should really acknowledge it rather than sweeping it under the carpet.
Anyways, we now have the sides for the second round confirmed after today’s first round results.
Bangor Celtic (Dublin)
Castlebar Celtic (Mayo)
Crumlin United (Dublin)
Fairview Rangers (Limerick)
Killester Donnycarny (Dublin)
Leicester Celtic (Dublin)
Salthill Devon (Galway)
St Michael's (Tipperary)
St Mochta's (Dublin)
Tolka Rovers (Dublin)
Wayside Celtic (Dublin)
UCC (Cork)
Are the teams that will join the 20 LOI sides in the second round. Draw will take place on the 5th of June and fixtures to take place 18/19/20 July
Last edited by 2 Year Contract; 18/05/2025 at 3:04 PM.
Paaatrick's Agletic
As far as a group of LSL sides go that's not bad - most of those are nice to visit, obviously bar Leicester. Tolka Rovers & Killester are particularly pleasant.
What happened to the Donegal cliubs this year (e.g. Cockhill)? Usuually at least one makes it through.
Fanad United were the only Donegal club in the first round this year and were beaten 2-1 by Leicester Celtic today
Paaatrick's Agletic
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