Should the FAI restore a League Cup competition?

[nr637]

12,297 at Windsor Park for the Northern Ireland League Cup Final.https://www.nifootballleague.com/new...up-final/Maybe A chance for smaller clubs to get some silverware, create good days out for fans, create game time for squad players at clubs. The format could look at the possiblity of excluding the 4 European clubs, so fixture congestion is less of an issue. Opportunity for the new third tier clubs to compete against higher league opposition. If the FAI were to secure a sponsor on board who will market the competition using the current LOI growth. Maybe RTE could be offered a Cup coverage deal to draw in some more media outlets

[Buckett]

I would love to see this return. I've heard that it's actually the clubs themselves voting against it

[Buller]

No definitely not for Premier sides anyway. We've enough matches per year as it is and getting rid of it has been great; less meaningless, low crowd matches.

[sessylU]

I'd like to see it return, but I can't really think of a compelling argument for it to return other than "it's good and I like it."

[pineapple stu]

No definitely not for Premier sides anyway. We've enough matches per year as it is and getting rid of it has been great; less meaningless, low crowd matches.

This.

I'd actually have preferred it it had come back in place of the shambolic LSC. But there's definitely no room for both.

[Roones26]

Fundamentally there is little distinction between the League Cup and FAI Cup

The issue is the number of games against the same sides - Rovers playing Bohs 5 or 6 times in one year is not a good look for the league and there is essentially no space for it in the current calendar.

Cross border is a much better argument than the League Cup

[EalingGreen]

12,297 at Windsor Park for the Northern Ireland League Cup Final.https://www.nifootballleague.com/new...up-final/Maybe

They had 14,539 the previous season between Cliftonville and Glentoran, a figure which might even have been a bit higher had the capacity not been reduced for segregation/security reasons.

However, NIFL's circumstances are somewhat different from those of the LOI. With 12 teams in the Prem, IL teams actually play 38 league games a season - 33 before the split and 5 post-split. This means that each team plays the other 11 a guaranteed three times a season, and five of them a fourth time.

And thinking about it, our teams do seem to play a good few more games than their LOI counterparts, top-flight at least, which is surprising considering most of our teams are p-t. For as well as two extra league games, there up to 5 League Cup games for the Finalists, these latter being played midweek, up until the Final (Sunday game).

While the Irish Cup is the same again - up to five games for the Finalists, though these games are weekends.

Then add in the County Antrim Shield, dating from 1888/89(!), where 7 or 8 of the Prem sides play up to another four midweek games:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025%E..._Antrim_Shield

One modification from this season for the League Cup is that the winners now get a shot at the 4th European place, since the winners of the competition are now guaranteed a place in the European play-off final at the end of the campaign. I assume this must be to make the League Cup more attractive:
https://www.nifootballleague.com/new...betmclean-cup/

While they've also increased the League Cup Prize Money, with the winners receiving £20k and the Runners-Up £10k.

As against all that, the four IL teams who qualify don't tend to play so many games in Europe as their LOI counterparts(!), but even there, it's usually only one or two LOI teams who get through to the Group stage, meaning it doesn't apply to the majority of LOI clubs.

[EalingGreen]

Cross border is a much better argument than the League Cup

In principle, perhaps. But in practice I suspect that barring maybe the four f-t teams (Linfield/Glentoran/Coleraine/Larne), there's no great appetite for that amongst IL clubs, for a variety of reasons.

[sbgawa]

The 4 teams who qualify for Europe are the four best teams (probably) so you cant really have a cup compeittion without them (who would want to sponsor a compeitiion with the best teams taken out and what would be the prestige of winning it...............How about the compeition is run off in the summer when there arent as many league matches but only by the 16 other teams who play dowwn to a final where they are joined by the winners of a route involving the othr 4 cliubs.It means that everyone is still in the same comp but for the European teams its 2 ganes to a final and while that might seem unfair it means that the bottom 6 of th PD or the FD are guatanteed a place in the final when often finals are between 2 teams from the top 4......in summary id like it back i was at the last final in Oriel , it s a good day out (and we were robbed by the ref btw )

[Longfordian]

I'll always have fond memories of winning it at home in 2004, but it's hard to make an argument for it outside of sentiment.

[legendz]

The provincial cups seem to be filling the void in Munster and Leinster. I'd prefer provincial league cups for LoI clubs only. The MSC and LSC are being entertained for whatever reason.

[brendy_éire]

No definitely not for Premier sides anyway. We've enough matches per year as it is and getting rid of it has been great; less meaningless, low crowd matches.

Don't agree with that.
We used to have the LC, cup replays, plus other competitions (e.g. Texaco/Setanta Cup). Why can't teams, with bigger, professional squads, cope with a handful of extra games?

The LC used to have a pre-season group stage. It was always Derry, Harps, Sligo and Fanad in the northwest. I loved it. Never did get to Traigh-a-Loch away, mind.
It could be updated with the new teams coming into the league this year.
Certainly more interesting than, say, us playing Sligo in Dungannon.

[yurt]

If it were to come back I think it'd make a lot of sense to play out the first couple of rounds in January, it'd essentially raise the profile of a couple of games that'd otherwise be friendlies and if 75% of clubs are eliminated before the season starts it'd reduce the headache of fixture congestion for the vast majority.

[pineapple stu]

That's effectively what the LSC is (and the MSC too I think)

Obviously can't have both of them. Would have no complaints getting rid of the LSC of course, which is a glorified underage competition at this stage, with frequent withdrawals too

[Nesta99]

Dundalk still holders? so maybe we vote against to always have a senior trophy in the cabinet.

[legendz]

Listening to Mark Scanlon at the end of last year, there seems to be no talk of the League Cup returning. With 36 games in the Premier and First Division, would be hard to fit in. I think both would have to expand to 12 over 33 games to even consider it. The LSC and MSC are it for the foreseeable.

I'm in the minority who would like to see a European playoff. The top 5 playoff in the First Division has achieved it's intention of being a lifeline. The top 5 in the Premier guaranteed at least a European playoff for the last European spot would add a bit of spice but the bit of spice isn't welcome!

[yurt]

I don't hate the euro playoff idea but I personally don't think it'd add to a 10 team league which is busy enough as it is. Race for top 3/4 and the bottom 2 mean there isn't too much scope for mediocrity and dead rubbers.

In a 12 team league (which I don't want) I could see it being more realistic

[EalingGreen]

I don't hate the euro playoff idea but I personally don't think it'd add to a 10 team league which is busy enough as it is. Race for top 3/4 and the bottom 2 mean there isn't too much scope for mediocrity and dead rubbers.

In a 12 team league (which I don't want) I could see it being more realistic

Why don't you want a 12 team league? (Genuine question). Is it the "too much mediocrity and dead rubbers" argument? A need to have only f-t professional clubs in the top flight?

Looking from the outside, I really don't see why a country with ROI's population/resources/history can't sustain more than 19 Senior Clubs (i.e. excluding DCFC).

While with only 20 clubs in two divisions, and a fairly truncated FAI Cup, I'd have thought there should be room in the calendar for a League Cup, were that thought to be desirable.

[legendz]

I don't hate the euro playoff idea but I personally don't think it'd add to a 10 team league which is busy enough as it is. Race for top 3/4 and the bottom 2 mean there isn't too much scope for mediocrity and dead rubbers.

Carlsberg don't do European playoffs but if they did - it might involve 4th placed Bohs taking on 5th placed St. Pat's in the Aviva Stadium to start the season!

[2 Year Contract]

Carlsberg don't do European playoffs but if they did - it might involve 4th placed Bohs taking on 5th placed St. Pat's in the Aviva Stadium to start the season!

A European playoff would be at the end of the season, not the start of it.