The system as it works now is just a joke, I don't think anyone here would argue with that. Our Champions League entrant routinely gets trounced by mediocre opposition in the early qualifying stages and the league is getting further and further away from being competitive in Europe every year. I watched Shamrock Rovers this year and they simply ran out of steam after about twenty or twenty five minutes, it was embarrassing to watch. The reason I say that it would be better to have one big club is that at least they'd have a shot at hanging on to the best domestic players, ie. Celtic or Rangers up in Scotland.
Shamrock Rovers didn't run out of steam after 20 minutes. You were watching the wrong match because it didn't happen.
As someone who doesn't live in Ireland, I can't speak much about the quality of the league, but what I do know is that it has worked very well for the national team in terms of giving youngsters a chance who were written off or never were rated by English clubs. It's very difficult for me to comprehend missing out on the likes of Doyle, Long, Coleman and Ward, which could have happened if the LoI didn't exist. These players could very well have slipped through the cracks and then where would we be? All of these players have big parts to play in this campaign and the next.
What Colbert suggests (an Irish team in the English league) would put all of our eggs in one basket. Would the Dublin teams be able to sell tickets if there was a Dublin team in the English league? Probably not. Would the League of Ireland be able to exist without teams from Dublin? Probably not.
While the current league has its flaws, I don't think eradicating it is the sensible solution. Perhaps consolidating teams, especially in Dublin, and then using those bigger entities to gather capital for youth development would be the best route.
One option that might be worth exploring is less teams and no promotion/relegation, a la MLS. I'm not advocating a franchise system per se, but more stability in terms of expected revenue for teams could do more good for the league in the long term.
The 2007-08 table doesn't make great reading for Derby County fans.Originally Posted by Colbert Report
Anyway, you can't just abolish the national league? Are you being serious?
Don't you think there's a possibility that staying in Ireland until a later age could have aided Doyle's development?
I'd argue with pretty much everything you said there.
The idea of having one Dublin club competing in the English league system is preposterous. Sure every dope knows that we should be aiming to get a club into La Liga!
Last edited by DannyInvincible; 16/08/2011 at 3:51 PM.
Yeah, that 3-0 (on aggregate) "trouncing" by that "mediocre" side that only managed the Final 16 of last year's Champions League was embarrassing.
My Guarantee
Am looking for old Irish matches on VHS, PM me if you have some and I'll upload them here
While I agree with your points on the LOI being utter trash I don't like your solution for a number of reasons. For one I very much doubt its within UEFA ruling having teams from one country competing in another countries league. The only examples I can think of where it happens is San Marino and a few welsh clubs and neither of those are proper countries to begin with.
To be fair, CR is talking rubbish with that 'one club, in the English league' idea.
I notice he put up this idea on here, rather than the LOI forum, or dedicated MB where'd he be shot down completely within minutes....
Well there's Liechtenstein clubs playing in the Swiss league as there's no Liechtensteiner league system and let's not forget Berwick Rangers of England who play in Scotland and Derry City of Ireland who play in Ireland.
..by all the impartial members of that forum.
Look at the LOI table. Very exciting league. The clubs are doing OK and last w/e 5 LOI players that I know of scored in the EPL and C'ship. I was at tallaght when I was home recently and loved the experience. It is what it is. it's not the LOI's fault it's located in one opf the smallest countries in Europe and has other major sports and the biggest football league and system on its doorstep.
Whoooaaa. Hold on a minute. Is this common knowledge Paul? I've not been able to sleep at night dreaming of the moment I could release this bit of information to posters of foot.ie
Thunder stolen. gutted.
I thought you were off the drink Ronnie?
"No, I drink to help me mind my own business....can I get you one? (c) Ronnie Drew
I've always thought Dublin vs Cork or Mayo vs Kerry in the football league would have been interesting. Football club for each county and see how you get on. Tribalism at it's finest.
"If God had meant football to be played in the air, he'd have put grass in the sky." Brian Clough.
You'll NEVER beat the Irish.......you'll just draw with us instead!!!
I'd be ashamed to be in a ground full of supporters who had never considered supporting their local team before. No true LOI fan (the most dedicated football fans in the country) would abandon their club for some nonsense club. It's a complete non-runner. They'd get no respect from the English fans, no history, no fan culture. **** take of an idea.
"If you don't work harder I'll pull you off at halftime,"
“Crikey, at Manchester City all we get is an orange and a cup of tea,"
not according to this...
"The League of Ireland's UEFA coefficient accumulates to a total value of 8.708 as of 2011, having fallen from 9.541 in 2010. Between 1998 and 2010, the league's place on the coefficent table rose 15 places, the biggest climb of any league in Europe. Its position of 29th in 2010 was also its highest since 1986."
how's their european campaign going this year out of interest?
I'd agree with all of this and these reasons are precisely why this idea has never taken off (the Dublin Dons move was first proposed back in 1997 but there were similar ideas floated even before that).
Irish-based Liverpool fans would still cheer for Liverpool, Irish-based Arsenal fans would still support Arsenal and the LoI fans would continue to support their teams so the only constituency that might support this fictional club would be the event junkies who go to any big game but sit on their hands and don't contribute to the atmosphere. A game between Dublin City and Swansea City / QPR / Wigan / Blackburn / Stoke would probably struggle to match a Shamrock Rovers home game for attendance numbers.
Also, the fiction that this would help develop Irish players needs to be challenged. Look at the Premier League teams - how many "local boys" do they really bring through the ranks? These teams are businesses and they will sign the best players they can. While there are academy rules in place the first team will be dominated by professionals from France, England, Spain, Czech Republic and Senegal like every other premier league team.
And finally, when a club like this is relegated (which it will be eventually) then the businessmen will soon disappear and there won't be any supporters' trusts stepping up to save a club with no history, tradition or local affiliation.
"There's man all over for you, blaming on his boots the fault of his feet" - Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot
Furthermore, there are actually rules about entering the premier league, i.e. you have to be promoted to it. We could try and convince the bottom tier of the system, the Mid-Sussex Football league Division 11, to get on board but even they probably wouldn't get on board with this nonsense.
"If you don't work harder I'll pull you off at halftime,"
“Crikey, at Manchester City all we get is an orange and a cup of tea,"
So we're all agreed then, the move to West Brom has been good for Long?
So far so good.
So you found watching Rovers embarrassing... playing against a last 16 Champions League team, in the same round as Rangers lost? What was the score the last time a LOI side played Malmo by the way?
FC Copenhagen are hardly a last 16 in the Champions League team. I know they were last season but they lost half their players and then lost today 3-1 in a Champions League qualifier to a team called Plzen, who I certainly have never heard of. Celtic and Rangers routinely make appearances in the group stages of the Champions League. Has any LOI team EVER gotten to the group stages of the Champions League?
Cab we keep this thread about Shane Long please. This ridiculous row has home on too long.
CR, take it over to the LOI forum if you must.
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