QuoteHow can someone who has a signature "Join the NLSA to have a voice in Irish football." come out with such an outrageous comment.Originally Posted by NY Hoop
What about St james Gate, who have really good facilities and are now plying their trade in the LSL
Always look on the bright side of life
How can someone who has a signature "Join the NLSA to have a voice in Irish football." come out with such an outrageous comment.
But where does the actual play-off come into this? My understanding is that the junior team will have to right to "challenge" the bottom First Division team, meaning that a play-off will have to be played. Which means nothing will be decided until the start of December.
You're right - duly noted.
The purpose of the NLSA is to represent fans of all 22 eircom League clubs. Calling for one to be kicked out - like them or loathe them - makes you no better than the FAI...
financial irregularities that would make the italians blush. no-one complained when they asked to be removed.
I'd imagine that MulligarTown and Athletic would have to amalgamate to get a chance to join. Rangers and Celtic amalgamating is more likely to happen.
Portlaoise have a good set up and Tullamore have a nifty ground. I still think that, in the long term a Mayo County and Kerry County club could be created - something similar to the Kildare County set up.
What about a Wexford County team too - huge footie set up there and loads of clubs.
Tipperary is another county worth checking out but all the above are for the future and would require investment from a number of sources.
Especially when their benefactors got involved with Rovers...
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The more I think about this folks the more possibilities and, ok, problems present themselves.
Aren't Harps really a Donegal County team in all but name??? Wouldn't a Letterkenny club not affect attendances for both themselves and Harps if the former got elected into the EL as well as damage the sponsorship options?
How about a bit of blue sky thinking. Let's take Tipperay for example, How about if a Tipperary County team playing games in Clonmel, Cooke Park and Peake Villa's ground in Thurles? Register the three of them as home grounds. Peake are doing great work in improving their set up while Clonmel and St. Michael's already have fine grounds.
Ditto a Mayo County team playing in either of the Castlebar grounds, Ballina, Ballyglass and Manulla - all amazing grounds.
Offaly County could play in Tullamore while Kerry County could alternate between Tralee and Killarney.
Laoise County could base themselves in Portlaoise while Wexford County could use their best grounds in Wexford, New Ross and Enniscorthy.
When Athlone were in the premier Division in the 90s we played Northend United from Wexford in the Leinster Cup and had a devil of a job beating them. I was amazed at the fine players they had and can't understand why a few of them weren't snapped up by say, Waterford, Bray or Kilkenny. (Kildare County didn't exist then). No disrespect to Cork City but didn't Kevin Doyle start his football in Wexford and wasn't there another chap from Wexford with Celtic a few years ago?
Meath County could play in either Patkvilla's ground in Navan and/or Trim Celtic and/or the MDL ground on the Trim Road.
There's nothing really new about a club playing in different grounds. Have Lille in France two grounds in their city and are playing European ties in Paris - the latter a 250 mile round trip??
This is where the FA! could work with Government funding to help the locals with developing senior sides in their areas.
It would also cement the relationship between local Junior football (people, clubs, fans) and Eircom League.
If you take the rugby example, the four provinces are effectively clubs now and Munster play in Cork and Limerick, Leinster in Donnybrook and the RDS. Unfortunately, this has hammered the AIL leagues but my plan would INVOLVE the local clubs and local leagues. You could tie in the FAI Regional Academies with all these and it would, in time, do away with players from the provinces having to travel to sign up with top Dublin schoolboy clubs - they could now play EL with the own area side instead.
This would be a long term plan of course. I just don't think there are enough big towns with either the local resources (sponsorship, fan base etc) to join the EL. Therefore a county or area system is the best option.
Some towns will never be big enough to support an EL club. Remember Newcastlewest? Since they left the EL, they now have a huge set up and have loads of teams.
My home town, Beeslow, have a good set up with colour TV floodlighting, stand and loads of other facilities but we would never be able to finance an EL side. We could, however, operate in a Roscommon County set up with games here, the Ros Leagues new ground on the Athlone road and in Castlerea Celtic's fine ground.
There are many other cases like us. Even if you could join the two Mullingar clubs (highly unlikely) I still think that town, by itself, would not support an EL club. Athlone Town mightn't be happy but a Westmeath County club, using both Birr Town and both Mullingar grounds might work.
Future EL plans must be long term and involve the thriving Junior and Intermediate associations and clubs.
That's why the current "new" EL set up must be bedded down and sorted out before bringing in new members.
You mean there's actually something in Manulla other than the god-forsaken train junction?
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
I think Sir Hamish should be incharge of the decision making when it comes down to the wire on who should be allowed challenge to enter the league ! Theres no way anyone in the FAI could come up with anything as good as that.
watch out sligoman....you have competition
Schumi - honest to God, they have a sensational set up there. They have two superb pitches, a stand with loads of seats, massive in-ground parking, training pitches, floodlighting and a great club house with all the mod cons.
Actually, their club badge incorporates the railways line along with Manulla's history in it. It's a very clever and well thought-out crest.
Manulla is about 6 miles from Castlebar and also close to Bal and Claremorris etc so has a good catchment area too.
BTW, I heard on RTE radio some bloke mentioning that another Cork side would be good for the EL.Cork City might have City as their name but I know loads of folks who travel from Mallow, Bandon and elsewhere in the county to support them. Forming another club in Cork would be suicide just like having two Donegal county clubs.
Why fix something when it isn't broken????
I'm dead keen on this aspect of the future of the EL and have talked with loads of people at all levels of the game throughout the country over many years and I made my above suggestions because thus far there is a yawning gap between the EL and other levels of the game in Ireland. The relationship is not frosty or anything - both levels just seem to have little to communicate about at the moment thus my reasons for the county solutions where applicable.
There are talented people at Junior levels who would put many of the officials in EL to shame in terms of ability, vision, drive and financial clout. Why not bring them on board and have them work together for the common good of football in the island.
In time, if my plan were to come to fruition, we could then go a step further and have an All Ireland Premier League with a First division - divided into areas or zones - of thriving, well organised clubs.
Look at the success of the Conference in England - you have the Primary Division with, just beneath that, a thriving North and South section and attendances in all three divisions are growing every year even of they're not massive in every club's case but they're nearly all financially sound and many fans are involved in running them.
This thread is the type that really excites and motivates me about football in Ireland, TBH.
Last edited by hamish; 30/01/2006 at 3:05 PM.
Is this far from the train junction? I've only ever been there in the dark and there's nothing visible at all. You may as well be on the moon!
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
There is only room for one senior team in Donegal. The businessmen behind the idea of a League team in Letterkenny are well aware of that. Their preferred route would reportedly be to shift Harps to Letterkenny, but Harps believe that their future is better served building a spanking new stadium in a two-bob village in the middle of nowhere, rather than teaming-up with rich investors to build one only 13miles away in one of Europe's fastest growing towns. Hmmm - tough choice...
The Letterkenny Business guys, however, were also reported as willing to progress regardless of any Harp's interest, and apparently are in talks with Fanad united (very successful Intermediate team) re moving them to Letterkenny. Maybe this Letterkenny Rovers news is part of the whole thing.
But back to my opening point. There is only room for one senior team in Donegal. If a club from a fast-growing town like Letterkenny did enter the league with the backing of wealthy businessmen, then time would see one of them and Harps disappearing. And whilst Harps are my second team - I suspect it would be them....
Indeed, just once he remembers where he came from when he was doing it up!
Celebrating 130 Years of Athlone Town Football Club - Pride of the Midlands Since 1887
You're absolutely spot on Steve. I remember Swilly Rovers AND Fanad making EL applications over the years. How far is Fanad from Letterkenny??Isn't Trialoch (probably didn't spell their ground name right but it's something like that) right beside the sea??
This type of topic fascinates me though. Would there be resistance in Fanad to "moving" the club to Letterkenny??? Could you not have a situation like Kildare County who play in Newbridge Town's ground and the latter still function succesfully as well??
What about Buncrana and Inishowen too? How would they fit in to the picture?? Do Derry City draw many fans fro the Inishowen area??
Any information you have about all that would be fascinating.
Now, I'm really on a roll. LOL I love this kind of topic, y'know, finding out the ins and outs of a club and it's hinterland, relationship with same and so and so on.
For example, do Derry City get many fans from the county? - I know the county is regarded as a Gah area but there appears to be plenty of local football clubs too.
Back to Donegal, my spell in schools footie thought me how fcuking big Donegal is. Those involved with Carndonagh CS used to tell me that it took them 1 and half hours to reach the Sligo border - the county is so long., How does that affect Harps support?? Where does the bulk of Harps support come from?
Thanks Terry but I'm really only repeating ideas from chatting to loads of good football people like yourself and Tommy Shields.
To give credit to Galway United they have made huge efforts to build up a fan base throughout the county. When Fergus O'Neill from Glen Celtic (Glenmaddy) played for United my mate Billy Brogan from that club used to organise busloads of people to Terryland games and was very proud of the fact that one of his club was playing EL with the county EL club. He then even started to come to St. Mel's to see Athlone v Galway games.
Do you see where I'm coming from? Once a talented bloke from Junior level like Billy has a connection he starts to support his local EL club. Billy is also a very successful businessman (Brogans Bakeries) too.
Ditto Sligo Rovers. I know that Chris Rutherford and Willy McStay used to make great efforts to get the folks from Tubbercurry United and other Junior clubs to associate themselves with Rovers. Isn't that true sligoman?
We did like wise with Athlone and got loads of players from Westmeath, Roscommon (Shane Curran, Harry Costelloe etc, Offaly (Steven Grant etc), East Galway (David Moran, Dessie Hope etc), North Tipperary (Donal Golden etc) and so on. Jimmy Greene always made anyone interested very welcome with the club. (I mean, they made me welcome - that's how nice they are LOL
This is a fcuking brilliant thread - keep the ideas coming. Besides it'll keep me away from Tottyland
I'll never forget my never ending Athlone Town love affair atfconline - sending you a PM tonight - will you be there??
BTW - I'm cleaning out the back room (the ceiling collapsed last night
Funnily enough, I do believe in the concept of two teams from the city of Cork - bring back either Hibs or the Alberts - best named Cork teams EVER!
Seriously, there appear to be plans underway on the part of Mick Wallace to build a footballing empire in Wexford - I think that there is meant to be an amazing football development somewhere possibly between Enniscorthy and Gorey on the rise. Wexford has always been a hotbed of football; North-End and Ross Celtic used to have really fine teams at different times, and the youths teams have done very well lately. I suspect that Wallace will be joining the league with a team probably within 5 years.
Otherwise, Pike Rovers would be an addition, though I wouldn't like them at the expense of Limerick, Sir Hamish's Manulla Wonders sound promising, as the sport has taken off there in a major way. There is becoming a need for a Mullingar team, as that town becomes a commuter blimp. I think a team in Tipperary wouldn't be a bad thing either (what was the cause of death for Thurles Town 1977-1982?).
That question was less stupid, though you asked it in a profoundly stupid way.
Help me, Arthur Murphy, you're my only hope!
Schumi, I honestly don't know. All I know about Manulla is that, coming from Claremorris, you turn right at the blue sign that says "Manulla FC", head into a tint village where you turn right again and head up a winding lane to that superb ground. There's another road to the ground too on the Claremorris-Castlebar road but it's on a bend and a bit dangerous.
Like Athlone Town, the people involved with Manulla re the friendliest people you could meet and when you consider that Manulla is basically a town land it speaks volumes for the people involved with the club that they've developed such a tremendous set up
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