First Division Run-In

[legendz]

I dunno, there's a bit of faff in the current set-up. Why should 50% of the teams in the first divison be in with a chance of promotion? Or ninth-placed in the Premier get a bye to the final? Why not PD9 v FD4 and FD2 v FD3 over two legs, winners into the playoff (one fewer game than currently). OK, a first division team misses out on a playoff spot, but the Premier team faces the extra jeopardy of two banana skins and the full attention of the schadenfreude crowd, which makes it fun for neutrals too!.

That is an option. FD4 v FD5 in a quarter final in addition to your suggestion is an option as well. Only requires the First Division finishing a week before the Premier Division.

The current playoff including 2nd to 5th has succeeded in giving more FD clubs a lifeline. That was a big reason for going with it.

[Buckett]

I would doubt that there will be any tinkering until the new tier is in place with promotion to the FD.
I like the idea of PD9 joining the playoffs at the semi-final stage though.

[Eminence Grise]

That is an option. FD4 v FD5 in a quarter final in addition to your suggestion is an option as well. Only requires the First Division finishing a week before the Premier Division.

True, but it's an extra two games and elongates the playoffs.

The current playoff including 2nd to 5th has succeeded in giving more FD clubs a lifeline. That was a big reason for going with it.

I take that point. Out of curiousity, how many clubs who finished fifth have won the playoff? Not being a smart-alec asking: if the answer is as few as one, it offers some support, if not total vindication, for the bar being set at fifth.

[2 Year Contract]

True, but it's an extra two games and elongates the playoffs.



I take that point. Out of curiousity, how many clubs who finished fifth have won the playoff? Not being a smart-alec asking: if the answer is as few as one, it offers some support, if not total vindication, for the bar being set at fifth.

Since 5th place became a playoff spot in 2020, the results are;

2020 Longford (4th place) beat Shels to gain promotion
2021 UCD (3rd place) beat Waterford to gain promotion
2022 Waterford (2nd place) lost to UCD to stay down
2023 Waterford (2nd place) beat Cork to gain promotion
2024 Bray (5th place) lost to Drogheda to stay down

[Nesta99]

I think clubs having something to play for for longer has to be a help to boost gates. The worst season ever in my LoI experience was the (Premier Division) split season where teams in the bottom half that were safe had nothing to play for and crowds bombed. Once an automatic promotion spot is out of reach, no relegation, clubs have so little to play for they should only have players on half season contracts and trim all costs asap. Give a sniff of play-off going in to the last round keeps more clubs and fans invested!? It should do but dont know if the figures were ever looked in to to justify that presumption. So its less about success in the actual play-offs themselves, imo, doing well is a bonus. Its a gimmick but maybe it works. As much as I was against a 10 team PD it is relentless in every game counting, even if the 4th meeting, often far from dull for every side with hardly mid-table safety. Relegation from the 1st Division makes few games dead rubbers in due course too.

[MoydowMonty]

I know full well why 5th place is a play off spot for the reasons given above, but I'm still against it. 5th in a 10 team league means you're not very good, and I don't believe that should earn you a shot at the playoff lottery.

What I'd like to see is a system where if 2nd place finishes a certain amount of points ahead of 3rd (lets say 10 points for arguments sake) then 2nd place just gets a bye to the next round and 5th place are out. Could maybe even do the same with 3rd ahead of 4th, as I don't believe 4th means you're good enough for a playoff either.

Also the final against the 9th premier team should go back to being 2 legs. It was way better craic and it's a much better measure of who the better team truly is