I wouldnt like to see Eircom LEague games being held in Windsor park but any NI club wanting to join should be able to
Would it be a good thing for a west belfast side to join the Eircom league? The Derry City phenomenon could easily be re-created in west belfast. There is huge potential. Ive often wondered why Cliftonville never joined the real irish league.
I wouldnt like to see Eircom LEague games being held in Windsor park but any NI club wanting to join should be able to
The political climate has moved on from the 1970's and I don't think Cliftonville could justify jumping ship to UEFA. I'm not saying that Linfield v Cliftonville games pass off without incident but the matches are possible. Cliftonville are fairly comfortable in the IL anyway.
Donegal Celtic could get left out in the cold by the new breakway league up there but they'd find it equally as hard to get into our league for the same reasons e.g. quality of their ground etc.
Linfield v Glentoran is a more troublesome fixture than Linfield v Cliftonville.
Both Cliftonville and Donegal Celtic would struggle to stay in the top flite in the Eircom League also IMO
www.WalkTheChalk.com - Stats, Opinion & Bluster on Irish Club Football
Is all I can say to this thread.
Oh and Cliftonville are from north Belfast.
What was the background for Derry leaving the Irish League?
The area was deemed unsafe for visiting clubs. I think it was Ballymena who had their coach burned out. Their games were moved to Coleraine. Was in the early 70's so I was very young, I am sure Derry supporters could explain it better.Originally Posted by DmanDmythDledge
Why's that?
Are you also against the idea of Setanta Cup matches, and possible All Ireland League matches, involving Eirecom League teams being held at Windsor Park?
The current Donegal Celtic Chairman is on the record as saying that the have absolutely no desire to play in the Eirecom , inspite of some tacit enquiries - he states they are a Belfast based club, therefore under the umbrella of the IFA.
At a time when many are exploring the potential of cross border competition, it seems somewhat odd that some seem to wish to create a unionist league and a nationalist league on this island.
"Cliftonville are fairly comfortable in the IL anyway"
Their immediate Past President, and lifelong fan, Mr Jim Boyce, is also President of the IFA. He held a dual role until recently.
The Englishmen came over in the year 2005
But little did they know that we'd planned a wee surprise
Sir David scored the winner, and Windsor Park went wild
And this is what we sang...
Linfield, Glentoran and Portadown are the only clubs up north who we should even consider letting in to the EL premier division. The other's wouldn't have a hope of competing.
TO TELL THE TRUTH IS REVOLUTIONARY
The ONLY foot.ie user with a type of logic named after them!
All of this has happened before. All of it will happen again.
Bingo.
Linfield for the eircom i'd say.
Start the exodus.
City definetly have the best bands playing at half-time.
O'Bama - "Eerah yeah, I'd say we can alright!"
G.O'Mahoney Trapattoni'll sort ém out!!
...and of course it's irrelevant to you that they wouldn't even consider joining the LOI.
Some clubs down here have made admirable progress but it's not that long ago that LOI clubs would not have compared at all favourably to IL clubs either on the pitch or off it ...standard of ground, facilities offered etc...
I think, for now, we should be all quite satisfied that the Setanta looks like a viable proposition and let it settle at that for a bit rather than running away with ourselves going on about any northern club being only delighted to join our league -when half it's member clubs are themselves basket cases.
" I wish to God that someone would be able to block out the voices in my head for five minutes, the voices that scream, over and over again: "Why do they come to me to die?"
Maybe not the LOI as it stands now but a fair few fans up there have said they'd like some sort of all Ireland premier division. They recognise that at least on the park the EL is going forward (albeit slowly) while the IL is in decline. Having said that the three teams I have outlined would be strong enough to come in and compete against the top half of our league. Personally I think this is the only way forward for football on this island. I would also be in favour of the clubs ditching the morons who run (ruin?) the game North and South of the border and setting up a completely new league. (with me in charge to avoid any chance of further incompetance.)
TO TELL THE TRUTH IS REVOLUTIONARY
The ONLY foot.ie user with a type of logic named after them!
All of this has happened before. All of it will happen again.
Not that I'm an expert on it but I'm sure I recall the Derry fans having a different version on why they left. Not that it matters now of course.
Top Breeders recommend drinkfeckarse....
While I would be ultimately in favour of an all Ireland league at some point down the road - I'd guess some degree of regionalisation would have to occur -particularly in the lower division. Taking the extreme examples -I can't see Coleraine or Ballymena V Waterford or Cobh having a great away support. (Acknowledging away support in LOI is already fairly weak). In that regard we'd possibly have to take a leaf out of the (gulp) GAA book and run the rule over how they run league and cup competitions to see if there's anything football could apply.
" I wish to God that someone would be able to block out the voices in my head for five minutes, the voices that scream, over and over again: "Why do they come to me to die?"
Story on Derry withdrawing from the league is documented in Frank Curran's history of Derry City.
Trouble during 71 or 72 with Ballymena bus burned out and Linfield bus attacked. Derry were forced to play home games in Coleraine with obvious loss of revenue extra costs etc.
A vote was then taken on whether or not to allow Derry back to the Brandywell. Going on memory now but I think it was down to one vote with the Belfast clubs (except Cliftonville) mainly going against Derry and the provincial clubs backing them except for Coleraine who abstained. I'm a bit hazy here on remembering who voted which way but curran documents it and I will check if nobody posts it correctly in the meantime. I'm pretty sure about Coleraine's abstention which went down worst of all.
After losing the vote Derry City felt they had no option but to withdraw from the Irish League.
Note although the bulk of the current support is probably mainly catholic/nationalist the support in the Irish League days was mixed. Even looking at Irish League programmes approx half the adverts are for businesses in Derry and the other half for those in Londonderry. Joining the LoI and playing sunday football (virtually all games were on a sunday in the 80's) would have alienated a lot of the protestants/unionists i nthe city who would have supported the Irish League team. In fairness to the club there is no reason why anybody would be alienated from following them as they are totally apolitical and the fans do not sing any sectarian songs etc.
Very informative (and long!) posts here.
We're not arrogant, we're just better.
Totally agree LR.
Perhaps the Setanta can expand to include some Welsh and Scottish teams too?
The Englishmen came over in the year 2005
But little did they know that we'd planned a wee surprise
Sir David scored the winner, and Windsor Park went wild
And this is what we sang...
The Welsh would be no addition and the Scots, well who are you talking about? Celtic and Rangers wouldn't be interested and would only dominate it at any rate. If you take in some of the lesser teams, Joe Punter is going to see it as a Mickey Mouse tournament. Leave Setanta as it is. Its fine.
TO TELL THE TRUTH IS REVOLUTIONARY
The ONLY foot.ie user with a type of logic named after them!
All of this has happened before. All of it will happen again.
Boyce was not President of our club. He was Chairman until 1998. He is currently an Honorary VP and our Co.Antrim Steel & Sons Cup rep.
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