QuoteFúck franchise football. I would never in a million years support a team like that. And most of the Bohs, Shels, Pats & R*vers fans would be the same.Originally Posted by Snoop Drog
So there goes the "pooling together the existing support" idea.
Lessons to be learned from A-League?
A League was launched here in Oz last year (this is the first season) and I believe that el can learn a lot from it.
One team per market: Yep, it’s a big one that could mean the end of a number of clubs (including mine). Sydney, for example, had a number of clubs in the old national league. Basically a new club, separate from all the existing clubs, was created and the existing clubs effectively relegated to the state league. The league was careful not to link the new entity, Sydney FC, with any of the old clubs (hence “United” or “City” wasn’t added to the club name; new ground- The fantastic Aussie Stadium). Each of the old clubs got attendances of a few thousand at best. Sydney FC has had average attendances of about 17,000 and a record home crowd of 27,000 (unofficially a lot more as the turnstiles were opened to let the thousands outside who arrived late in for free).
The result of setting up a “neutral” club was that most of the fans of the old clubs moved to Sydney FC- And these were fans who not only had emotive link to their old clubs but a cultural link too as many of the old sides where linked to various ethnic groups (Greek, Italian, Croat). But they saw that in order for football to develop in Oz, they had to support the new entity.
For me the real success is the “greater football community” becoming involved. People who had never been to a football match before but watched English Premiership on TV came to see the new league, familes (100’s on them) whos kids played “soccer” on Sundays were attracted to the game, people like me who had no link to the old league but missed football back home (there are many Irish and British fans at Sydney FC games) came to see what the new league is like. The season is almost over and attendances have stayed steady at 16,000-17,000 (this week will be a bumper week vs league leaders Adelaide- 20,000 perhaps??)
I see this as a model for football in Dublin. One club, non affiliated with any existing el club, pooling together the existing support and more.
Entry to the league wasn’t just based on geographical location (although all major centres are included) but on financial backing, stadium and local opportunities. Hence areas like the Central Coast of NSW have a club (with average attendances over 7,500).
A salary cap- keeping a level playing field until the league is established (although every team is allowed one “marquee player” outside the cap. Kevin Muscat and Dwight Yorke play in the league as marquee players.Laugh at Muscat and Yorke if you want but there is no player of their experience playing in el. Imagine Yorke played for your club…)
I’m not saying A-League is perfect (only 8 clubs so far, a question over is it can keep quality players it develops without Europe buying them up, early days yet) but it is a brilliant start. A league similar to el has been converted into something that appears a lot more viable and likely to succeed.
Fúck franchise football. I would never in a million years support a team like that. And most of the Bohs, Shels, Pats & R*vers fans would be the same.
So there goes the "pooling together the existing support" idea.
I would have said the same Carlin. But if your club was effectively dumped out of the league and you were offered a professionaly run league as an alternative maybe you would think different. I do.
I'm sick to death of people who don't support any of the dublin clubs telling us what should happen to our clubs.
54,321 sold - wws will never die - ***
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I don't support a Dublin club but I do support Irish football. That gives me the right to have an opinion on the subject.
whs - maybe we should merge Drogheda and Dundalk into one big super club?
Kom Igen, FCK...
Nope, I am not on about merging clubs (we would just swallow up our Northern neighbours after all). But if someone came up with a proposal for a Louth club that was better and more viable than the existing setup then why not go with that (even if it meant that DUFC or Craptown were no longer in a national league)?
I'm well aware that this suggestion may mean the end of DUFC (who I have supported for over 25 years) but I think el is dying a slow death and only has the support of a relatively small group of diehard fans. Significant changes have to be made to attract the general sporting public to our game.
Last edited by Snoop Drog; 01/02/2006 at 12:58 AM.
Snoop Drog - didn't the Danes do something similar a decade or so ago??
I'm not sure Sirhamish, I don't know much about the SAS league (except that Brondby seem to be the dominant team there).
One big problem in OZ is that the Standard is absolutly Crap
Can't see it suceeding in the long Run, when you compare it to the world class athletes they have in all other Sports, especially Rugby League & AFL.
I rate it as been better stadard than el (much better in fact. And more consistent with only one team not performing on the pitch this year). Ok, it's not world standard- most of the players from the old setup play in A-League and they don't become better players overnight. And I agree it is early days re: popularity.
But the Aussie Football Fed have created the basis of a credible football league were none existed before. They have tapped into a dormant market of football fans who have bought into the new league in great numbers. The sporting public has pledged their support and will expect more from the league over coming seasons and if A League can build on this with better players and standard then AFL and Rugby will be threatened.
I have to laugh at all these suggestions to 'tinker' with the 4 big Dublin clubs, I for one will freely admit that if anything was to happen to Rovers, ie merge or be replaced in the league by a franchise Dublin club, i'd simply never support either the merged entity or the franchise team, knowing the people i attend games with i'm pretty sure they'd walk away from supporting the league too! FFS i'd rather watch that shower in D.7 than watch any mickey mouse team 'made up for the good of the league or to appease the sides outside Dublin'
Losing the current fan bases of any of the 4 clubs is hardly a good start for a shiny new team representing the capital!
No to Mergers!
No to Franchise football!
Koh
Thomas Davis have said they will be the last man standing, they were WRONG!!
SRFC will NEVER die!!
Who needs another genius scheme to give football a glittering future?
We in Ireland are already blessed with makey-uppy soccer. It's called the (English) Premiership and, in case you hadn't noticed, it has mass 'support', as well as a head-lock on the political, cultural and sporting establishment. If you have a problem with real football, warts and all, why not join the hundreds of thousands who weekly enjoy a higher class of game on shiny plasma? That way you won't have to get your hands dirty following grimy little clubs like Drogs and Bohs.
Well said. If my club folds to create a new club with some others in Dublin then I will finally be set free from this hold that the Eircom League has over me and I won't be back!
Why bother developing the strongest league we can? Because it protects our game against rival codes/ leagues and ensures that the game will survive in the future.
Sydney clubs fans swore never to support 'franchise' football either but when the new club emerged, most of them realised it was for the best as their own league was dying a slow death.
I believe Irish football, which I am passionate about, is dying a slow death. Most users of this site would follow their team to the end of the earth (ie Sligo
The Oz example is, on the face of it, 'franchising'. Supporters of Sydney Olympic, Wollongong Wolves, Marconi (the 'old' league teams) can still support their teams but they no longer play in the top league.
The FAI are considering somewhat similar criteria to determine the members of the new league. I am saying, go the whole hog and start from scratch and if someone proposes a new team to represent the whole of Dublin (or Louth for tha matter) and if that proposal is more viable and more substantial than any other proposal, then it should be considered very closely.
Why bother developing the strongest league we can? Because it protects our game against rival codes/ leagues and ensures that the game will survive in the future.
Sydney clubs fans swore never to support 'franchise' football either but when the new club emerged, most of them realised it was for the best as their own league was dying a slow death.
I believe Irish football, which I am passionate about, is dying a slow death. Most users of this site would follow their team to the end of the earth (ie Sligo
The Oz example is, on the face of it, 'franchising'. Supporters of Sydney Olympic, Wollongong Wolves, Marconi (the 'old' league teams) can still support their teams but they no longer play in the top league.
The FAI are considering somewhat similar criteria to determine the members of the new league. I am saying, go the whole hog and start from scratch and if someone proposes a new team to represent the whole of Dublin (or Louth for tha matter) and if that proposal is more viable and more substantial than any other proposal, then it should be considered very closely.
All this is based on how many seasons of franchise football in Australia?
The issues with irish football are much more fundamental. We are trying to co-exist with minute by minute coverage on TV of football across the water. Australia is a country that is used to attending sporting events, be it Aussie Rules, Rugby league and Union, Cricket etc. We are trying to compete with a TV influenced audience.
Bottom line is winding up the Big 4 to create one super club wont work. The Build it and they'll come mentality doesnt exist. Shels allegedly have a super stadium in Drumcondra but get **** poor crowds for all the 'success' they have had recently. The Deportivo game gives an ideal example of the mentality of the Irish 'sporting' public. The EL needs investment from the FAI in finance, marketing and strategic planning, and we also need the governments support on infrastructure. There is a whole package there that needs to be Marketed, and it has never really been marketed properly, so how do we know it its doomed?
An example is the Bohs Kids go Free initiative that began in 2002 when we played Shels, Pats and UCD. It average about 450 paying adults [per game] bringing kids in for free as a result of a promotion in the schools. That idea has been killed by the clubs marketing 'guru' director due to poor management of the idea.
You are advocating giving up on something that was never really marketed properly on the basis of ONE season in Australia. It may continue to be a success down under but its a different country with a different mentality to sports in general. Until clubs are run professionally, with proper back up from our national association then no amount of changes or re-launches or overhauls will change that.
I already stated that it was early days and season one of A-League, however, I am not convinced that an Irish "Super League" is out of the question.
btid- You say "Until clubs are run professionally, with proper back up from our national association then no amount of changes or re-launches or overhauls will change that."
I say- "if someone proposes a new team to represent the whole of Dublin (or Louth for tha matter) and if that proposal is more viable and more substantial than any other proposal, then it should be considered very closely."
I don't think these two comments are poles apart
If someone comes to the table with a proposal to run the league more professionaly and this proposal involves new clubs in Dublin, Louth, Belfast or whereever then I believe it is worth considering. I agree this may appear a bit "build it and they will come" and I don't believe that a new league should be based on one season of moderately successful A-league.
I know it's a bit rich coming onto an el forum and basically suggesting tearing the whole league down but can you see the Irish league being around in 20 or 30 years time if we stick to the current format?
Isn't this the idea behind Dublin City FCWhat you're essentially advocating is that the remaining 5 Dublin clubs are demoted to non-league so we can all throw our support behind Seery's franchise. I hope you realise how silly that sounds!
I'm also surprised that you would willingly throw your support behind a hypothetical new Louth Galaxy FC that put Drogheda out of business? Do you think many of your fellow Drogs would go along with this?
SIGNATURESCOPE
jerry, not really- CHF are an existing club and would alienate much of the football fraternity.
I don't want to put The Drogs out of business and I would hope that they would form the basis of a "super League" team for the area. But if there was a proposal that was percieved as being better for the game then I think it is worth pursuing.
No, I doubt many Drogs would share my view. Maybe put it down to being away from the el "scene" for too long (6 years or so) and my brother would fu[kin kill me for suggesting that the FAI Cup Winners drop down a league, but I do question the long-term viability of the current setup. No matter how much tinkering and tweaking the FAIlures do.
A league featuring Dublin, Belfast, Cork (ie the 3 biggest markets) and 7 or 9 others. Is such a suggestion really so left field? (if it is, then my apologies, I've read the situation all wrong)
Nobody would go along with it - either from drogheda or craptown - stupid suggestion
DAN CONNOR HATES CITY, HE HATES LANGERS
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