FAI proposals for future of Eircom League...

**Jerry The Saint** · 26/05/2006, 2:02 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Code:

Derry City	1
Bohemians	2
Cork City	3
Shelbourne	4
Drogheda United	5
Longford Town	6
St Patrick's Athletic	6
UCD	8
Shamrock Rovers	9
Dublin City	10
Waterford United	11
Bray Wanderers	12
Sligo Rovers	13
Finn Harps	14
Galway United	15
Dundalk	16
Limerick FC	16
Cobh Ramblers	18
Kildare County	19
Athlone Town	20
Monaghan United	21
Kilkenny City	22

I take it this is the estimated ranking on football performance. Does anyone else find it odd that Derry (5th, 8th, 9th, 7th, 2nd over the past 5 seasons) come out first and Shelbourne (2nd/1st

, 2nd, 1st, 1st, 3rd) are only the fourth best team under this system!

Crazy idea to include the league cup which was an U-21 competition for many teams over this period. Even including the FAI cup is silly - you get penalised for getting a tough draw in the early rounds

And this is the scientific part of the team ranking. I call shenannigans.

**crc** · 26/05/2006, 2:05 PM

I don't like it. Promotion and Relegation should only be decided on performances on the pitch this season. Most of the off the pitch criteria is far too subjective, and sneakily concocted so the FAI can pick and choose who they want - it absolutely stinks.

By all means they should set (and enforce) minimum standards for stadium capacity, spectator / media facilities, wage caps, and increase the prize-money, but all this stuff about market size and sustainability will bring the whole league in to disrepute.

Furthermore, the proposed name is an absolute joke. Do the FAI think that they'll trick some barstoolers into stroling down to Richmond Park to see Liverpool v Spurs? We should be confident in what we are offering; even 'Carnegie League' would be better than the f*cking 'Premiership'!

**pineapple stu** · 26/05/2006, 2:05 PM

Shels have done very badly in the Cup in recent years; Derry have an FAI final, a LC win and a couple of semis.

**NY Hoop** · 26/05/2006, 2:08 PM

Dont think anyone agrees with clubs being demoted cos of field activities but its up to the clubs. IMO they will vote for this cos of the financial carrot.

And chippie its not fair that we were lumbered with incompetents as owners but what's done is done. Also examinership is better than liquidation ask the creditors.

Overall its a good proposal IMO and there's always going to be sticking points.

KOH

**Jerry The Saint** · 26/05/2006, 2:09 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Shels have done very badly in the Cup in recent years; Derry have an FAI final, a LC win and a couple of semis.

If only they had known. Ollie could live to regret selling the Tolka lease to win leagues when he should have just concentrated on those mid-week league cup games.

**Schumi** · 26/05/2006, 2:13 PM

The document on the FAI website says "At the end of the 2007 regular season, there will be one automatic promotion (Division 1 winners) and one club automatically relegated (last place in Premiership)." The word automatic inplies that only on-field perfromances (i.e. position in the league) will determine promotion. It's reasonable to assume that clubs relegated for off-field reasons will have strounger teams than teams already in the First Division and will be quickly promoted leaving us with the same teams in the 'Premiership' within a year or two. The play-off system will add to this.

If (for example) UCD and CHF are relegated for off-field reasons, logic would dictate that (as with most relegated teams) they would be challanging at the top of the division. If they were to get promoted, the 'Premiership' would be nearly identical to this year's. So what's the point of picking teams for next year's league?

**Mr A** · 26/05/2006, 2:44 PM

They'd only get back up if they had then met licenscing criteria- but that doesn't include the beauty contest stuff- so it's a once off punishment rather than eternal damnation.

**DmanDmythDledge** · 26/05/2006, 2:46 PM

Originally Posted by Schumi

So what's the point of picking teams for next year's league?

To make it look like they are doing something that will "improve" the league.

**Poor Student** · 26/05/2006, 3:01 PM

It's hard to get into this argument after 11 pages but on the matter of UCD being a university club and therefore unable to be taken seriously, well that's only a matter of opinion and one reinforced by fellow eL fans constantly. Universidad de Chile and Universidad de Catolica are among the biggest and most successful sides in Chile and have been heavily connected to their universities over the years and I think Catolica continue to do so. Then there's Craiova in Romania, another successful university club. I don't think they're associated with the university anymore but they were during their most successful period. There is no reason why a university club with a university name cannot be taken and supported seriously. UCD suffer more from the general problem of the eL not being taken seriously and not being well supported than ourselves being a university club. We came late to the game and have no left over traditional support from the league's stronger times. We've had to build a fanbase up from zilch in the league's darkest period. We've been established for 20 years now and the fanbase is finally begining to grow and I think we're taking the right path by getting youngsters in at a young age and familiarising them with their local team as a real club like anyone else.

I believe the salary cap is a good idea. However this reminds me of the Nice Treaty, Ireland was portrayed as bad to accesion states and against their joining the EU because we rejected the terms of the treaty/couldn't be bothered to vote on it. I believe there is the odd good idea in principle, setting higher standards, salary cap etc. But the means of achieving this are not good, and just because I am against this it does not mean I am against progression.

**Dodge** · 26/05/2006, 3:04 PM

*shudder*

I think I might be off to the LSL. Might win a cup there anyway....

**wws** · 26/05/2006, 3:16 PM

some of the other proposals leaked today:

".....the term 'barstoolers' will be retired to be replaced with 'cash rich, time poor potentio-premiership crossover cutsomers' (CRTPPPCC's)

Pat Scully will only be allowed use the phrase "don't worry about (team x) they'll be right up there at the end of the season" ON EL WEEKLY if he has cross checked his team with John Delaney CEO and janitor of FAI-JD

a JD and Coke will now be a John Delaney and Coke at all affliated stadia

said stadia due in 2034

--------------------------------

Could you imagine Niall Quinns report card?!?!?

ah they were all so good in the end it was difficult to choose....he'll probably pick them out of a giant hamper live on the lat late show

**Poor Student** · 26/05/2006, 3:23 PM

By the way, does anyone not think that any system that could save this season's Waterford team is a farce?

**Mr_T** · 26/05/2006, 3:27 PM

Originally Posted by wws

some of the other proposals leaked today:

".....the term 'barstoolers' will be retired to be replaced with 'cash rich, time poor potentio-premiership crossover cutsomers' (CRTPPPCC's)

Pat Scully will only be allowed use the phrase "don't worry about (team x) they'll be right up there at the end of the season" ON EL WEEKLY if he has cross checked his team with John Delaney CEO and janitor of FAI-JD

a JD and Coke will now be a John Delaney and Coke at all affliated stadia

said stadia due in 2034

--------------------------------

Could you imagine Niall Quinns report card?!?!?

ah they were all so good in the end it was difficult to choose....he'll probably pick them out of a giant hamper live on the lat late show

LOL Post of the Month!

you for finn park tomorrow night wws?

**Ash** · 26/05/2006, 3:28 PM

Sorry if this has been asked and answered before, too many pages
to trawl through, but why is Niall Quinn one of the people deciding
the criteria to shape the League of Ireland???

Surely if he was that bothered he'd invest more into football here
than buying Sunderland

**Iorfa** · 26/05/2006, 3:33 PM

Originally Posted by Poor Student

By the way, does anyone not think that any system that could save this season's Waterford team is a farce?

Absolutely.

**WeAreRovers** · 26/05/2006, 3:50 PM

Originally Posted by Poor Student

By the way, does anyone not think that any system that could save this season's Waterford team is a farce?

I've been asking that question for months, well a variation of it and mostly to myself while drunk, but the point remains that Waterford are abysmal and are pretty much guaranteed a place in the P*********p next year.

They could go the rest of the season without picking up an extra point (and I don't fancy their chances against Douglas Hall either) and yet still deny Rovers, Limerick or Galway etc a place in the shiny new Smart Telecom How's Your Father Niall Quinn's Disco Pants Elite Premier League. Bizarre.

KOH

**Buller** · 26/05/2006, 4:03 PM

I fully support nearly all of the changes the FAI want to make like even more money, wage caps, incentives for clubs to try and gain promotion from the first division as they can only lead to a more professional league....
However I don't know what they were on when they came up with "Premiership". that word is a complete mockery of our league and in my oppinion barstoolers will just laugh at it...

**monutdfc** · 26/05/2006, 4:05 PM

Originally Posted by Mr_T

LOL Post of the Month!

second that!

**Dodge** · 26/05/2006, 4:25 PM

Originally Posted by WeAreRovers

They could go the rest of the season without picking up an extra point (and I don't fancy their chances against Douglas Hall either) and yet still deny Rovers, Limerick or Galway etc a place in the shiny new Smart Telecom How's Your Father Niall Quinn's Disco Pants Elite Premier League. Bizarre.

As long as only clubs that are/have been sponsored by Smart Telecom are allowed in, I'm in favour of this.

**BohDiddley** · 26/05/2006, 4:55 PM

Originally Posted by Ash

Sorry if this has been asked and answered before, too many pages
to trawl through, but why is Niall Quinn one of the people deciding
the criteria to shape the League of Ireland???

Surely if he was that bothered he'd invest more into football here
than buying Sunderland

It was asked, by yours truly, but I don't think there's been any answer. I really wonder about how much thought goes into these decisions.