Quotejust one point, the tv coverage for the first five months of the season was almost non existent, it's picking up a bit now but this was the same last year.
Good year/bad year for league
Good
Great european run by Derry. Cork and Drogheda doing themselves proud.
Increased Tv coverage
A competetive first division
The merger (if you're pro)
Bad
The tax problems for Shels and Cork
The points deductions for Rovers and Bohs, and Derry being threatened too and the controversy surrounding it
Dublin City folding
A lot of clubs seeing huge downturns in attendance figures
The merger (if you're anti)
Of course there are others but so far this year do you think its been a good or bad year for the league?
54,321 sold - wws will never die - ***
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just one point, the tv coverage for the first five months of the season was almost non existent, it's picking up a bit now but this was the same last year.
it was a conspiracy against PatsOriginally Posted by charliesboots
just cos we were the best team at the start of teh season
we got blackballed
the league office hates us
Was going to vote Meh... but having read the downsides you posted Dodge I honestly feel there's been more bad than good this year.
Expecially the attendances thing- seems to indicate that we're still going in the wrong direction. The European runs are great, but I think any good they do for the league overall is more than undone by the damage from the continous, mostly self-inflicted negative stories.
On the other hand a really tense and exciting finish to both divisions seems in prospect, so maybe a little early to give final judgement on the year yet.
#NeverStopNotGivingUp
Voted yes considering its the best year for Irish clubs in Europe ever. CHF dying too was a great boost for the league except for the timing.
BTW there has been no "huge downturn" in attendances. They are down yes but its not fair to compare it to previous years because of the World Cup and the senseless break around it has contributed to a decrease.
KOH
I voted yes as there has everything you mentioned as bad happens every year anyway.
- Shels tax woes predictable, Cork Citys was a once off & only made the media because of revenue crackdown.
- Nothing new in points deductions, happens every year
- Dublin City folding a good thing overall. Bad that happened mid season.
- I don't think there are HUGE downturns. Poor results mean lower crowds for those clubs.
Europe has been a huge boost to the league (not just the clubs involved) & hopefully after the merger the FAI will have more control & so less excuses if things go wrong. Hopefully the problems this year are just a teething issue as we move forward to bigger and better things...?
I voted good but I had to think about it for a while.
The best thing in the league (I think) is that we have 2 propperly sustainable professional clubs, Cork and Derry. That's something we've never had before.
I think it's no surprise either that these 2 clubs are the loudest to complain when someone elses mistakes impact on them and hopefully this will lead to better management of the league overall.
Also, the standard of football is higher than I can remember it, don't forget that Jason Byrne got a good 30min run out for Ireland and looked quite good.
I don't agree that Dublin City going bust was a positive thing. It was the culmination of years of bad management at the club and in the league as a whole.
Bad points are all the same, woefully bad management of the league. The Merger is positive in this respect because it will remove the false wall the FAI and the league draws between themselves. The league next year will be run by a committee which Delandey will chair so there will be no dodging bullets when mistakes happen.
Last edited by Student Mullet; 29/09/2006 at 4:35 PM.
CHF going bust was positive in the fact that it should be an end to clubs just parachuted into the league with zero fans or prospects.
You forgot Rovers as a properly, sustainable professional club. Absolutely everything from top to bottom is done properly and professionally. Unfortunatley there are some clubs who are still living in the dark ages and these are holding the professional ones back.
KOH
I don't see how a properly sustainable professional club would have had a winding-up order issued against it?
Also don't know if there was increased TV coverage. Certainly not on last year anyway, though the level is obviously still great.
Tough question, I think. The Revenue clampdown is actually a good thing, I think, in that it's doing the FAI's job for them. Clubs are now having someone forcing a small bit of cop on to them. Not too fussed about Dublin City, although obviously it was bad publicity for the league.
Overall though, we've had nearly 15% of clubs before court for serious financial problems. I don't think anyone - bar Rovers, and they went there themselves - has done that before. So I'm going to go bad, largely on that basis and the merger. The FAI trying to force ground sharing is another factor tending me towards bad.
I'd almost say on the field, it has been one of the best seasons ever, but off the field, it's been the worst season ever. The FAI's incompetence overshadows the players' abilities.
I meant professional as in full time players.
There are a good few clubs run by the books but they've always lost out on the pitch to clubs running at a big loss (think of Rovers getting relegated by CHF for an example). This is the first time I can remember that clubs being well run are fielding full time teams and competing at the top of the league.
Bad. The competitiveness of the First Division doesn't show in the crowds except for when Rovers are visiting, still no coverage of it either. The merging thing can't be seen as positive util we see how the FAI try to run it....Dublin City still existing was bad enough for the league, the fact that they got through the licencing process when it must have been clear they were on their last legs, the refereeing is even worse, the administration around the points deduction has been hopeless, the financial orders regarding Shels and Caark in the public domain, the Herald continuing to spout sh!te..
The European successes are drops in oceans in comparison to the same old same old in the league. I'd rather have the entire league on a solid footing and get beaten 15-0...at least you could say then that the league is going somewhere.
The Model Club
Tell all the Bohs you know
that we've gone and won two-in-a-row
and it's not gonna be three
and it's not gonna be four
it's more likely to be 5-1.
Dear sweet jesus this is the kind of thinking I was talking about. The European results are far from "drops in the ocean". They are absolutely crucial for the league. And if you have to ask why forget it
Summer football has been the best ever success for this league because of the European results. 9 wins in Europe this summer. I remember in 1988 no Irish side even scored a goal let alone win a game.
Of course we all want the league to be run properly and professionally but European success is critical as well.
KOH
The winding up orders are not a true reflection on 2006 as such. Instead they should be viewed as the end product of how so many clubs have done business for years. If anything the fact that this year has seen such problems finally come to the surface where they can at least be tackled must be taken as a positive. In 2005 SRFC was forced to go public about years of mismanagement. It was bad PR to declare that we owed millions, had to go into examinership, take an eight point deduction on the chin and, as a result, get relegated. Despite all that I, among most Rovers fans, would regard last year as a watershed for us, and therefore was positive.
CHF going out of business (albeit in a less than credible manner for the league) in another change that in years to come we will be grateful to 2006 for.
And as for dfx's 'drop in the ocean' remark about Europe. I'm afrais all he's gtting from me for that is a
Ireland: Discovered!
Eh hello there, we won three games in Europe too.
Aw bless...did we forget about ye petals
That's a huge statement to make, with very little evidence to back it up.
A couple of clubs have undoubtedly had a reduction in attendances. But how much of that is purely done to Summer football rather than other factors (weather, World Cup, this year's GAA campaigns etc).
Meanwhile, a couple of clubs have actually had an increase in attendances, which counteracts your assertion.
So it's neither "a lot" of clubs nor "huge" downturns.
The eveidence is in the attendances thread
Where did I state reasons for it, of course there are loads of factorsA couple of clubs have undoubtedly had a reduction in attendances. But how much of that is purely done to Summer football rather than other factors (weather, World Cup, this year's GAA campaigns etc).
Most are down. i consider that a lot. The clubs that are up are Derry and who? maybe Shels. Even Cork's are down slightly. No one else is significantly up and overall, crowds are down (based on the thread here)Meanwhile, a couple of clubs have actually had an increase in attendances, which counteracts your assertion.
So it's neither "a lot" of clubs nor "huge" downturns.
Seeing as some had trouble I'll explain the other factors I mentioned'
Good
Great european run by Derry. Cork and Drogheda doing themselves proud. Obvious
Increased Tv coverage It is increased, its not ideal
A competetive first division Again, it is, and is getting slightly more coverage than usual. Only slightly.
Bad
The tax problems for Shels and Cork I never indicated these were ongoing problems but if anyone doesn't think these incidents have hurt the image of the league in the public eye, they're deluding themselves
The points deductions for Rovers and Bohs, and Derry being threatened too and the controversy surrounding it Makes a mockery of the league, as does Ollie's continued fighting
Dublin City folding Most wanted them gone but again if you don't think that a premier division club folding doesn't hurt the image of the league...
54,321 sold - wws will never die - ***
---
New blog if anyone's interested - http://loihistory.wordpress.com/
LOI section on balls.ie - http://balls.ie/league-of-ireland/
To judge 2006 as a good year for the league based on (albeit great, terrific, fantastic etc.) European results is false, in my opinion
Outside of European results, what exactly was good about this year? Nothing else Dodge says strikes me as undoubtedly positive..is there anything else? CHF being expunged caused chaos, so that can't exactly be positive.
Last edited by dfx-; 30/09/2006 at 1:38 AM.
The Model Club
Tell all the Bohs you know
that we've gone and won two-in-a-row
and it's not gonna be three
and it's not gonna be four
it's more likely to be 5-1.
For those that say it has been a bad year what would the criteria have been for it to have been a good year?
I voted a good year, because it has been. The negatives made me think about my vote but I do believe the positives far out weigh the negatives for once.
Not to be cliched, I'll use the Italian League (as opposed to "well a Premier League team...yadda,yadda") as an example to thwart the tax pants thing. As a Derry fan obviously I'd put Europe up there but let's not forget no EL team did themselves a disservice in Europe this year, we are getting there, collectively. Last year the league was robbed of players but we've only lost Georgie so far - that's a bonus
I am truly saddened by the demise of Dublin City, as a football supporter I hate to see team vanish, it affects a lot of people and a football team is something sore to lose. Nothing the fans have posted since have enamoured themselves in glory though.
The way I'm judging it is since I got into the EL this year has seen massive media coverage (3 years ago the league got not an inch in any paper/TV/radio) so, onwards and upwards.
I'd rather die laughing than trying!
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