Indo story on new league

**JW.** · 12/12/2006, 9:33 AM

I'm pretty astounded to see Daniel McDonnell's article in the Indo today about the new league. This is their only news article on it, yet it is essentially opinion masquerading (barely) as news.
The headline sets the tone: "Golden ticket goes west in FAI farce". The piece itself then uses words like "sadly", "Naturally those clubs were absolutely furious", "has merely hightened people's suspicions" and it ends up with "Hardly the best way to turn over a new leaf, is it?"
Daniel, of course, is a Dundalk fan - and as the article was so opinion-based and partial, he may as well have admitted that.
He has a great future in journalism but the Indo should clarify what is passing as news and what is passing as comment in future.

**bohs til i die** · 12/12/2006, 9:40 AM

Originally Posted by JW.

I'm pretty astounded to see Daniel McDonnell's article in the Indo today about the new league. This is their only news article on it, yet it is essentially opinion masquerading (barely) as news.
The headline sets the tone: "Golden ticket goes west in FAI farce". The piece itself then uses words like "sadly", "Naturally those clubs were absolutely furious", "has merely hightened people's suspicions" and it ends up with "Hardly the best way to turn over a new leaf, is it?"
Daniel, of course, is a Dundalk fan - and as the article was so opinion-based and partial, he may as well have admitted that.
He has a great future in journalism but the Indo should clarify what is passing as news and what is passing as comment in future.

Dundalk won the promotion/relegation playoff but arent promoted. It is a farce.

**BrayUnknowns** · 12/12/2006, 9:43 AM

He does has valid points though in what he has wrote.

"Golden ticket goes west in FAI farce" - This is true.

"Sadly" - Yes Sadly the top 12 teams could not be decided ON the pitch, the way it should be done.

"Naturally those clubs were absolutely furious" - This was always going to be the case no matter if it was Bray, UCD, Waterford, Galway or Dunbdalk that did not get into the premiership.

"has merely hightened people's suspicions" - All you have to do is look at the response on the message board to know that people are highly suspicious.

**Mr A** · 12/12/2006, 9:47 AM

So did Daniel actually say anything that wasn't true?

Unless there is proper transparency and all results are released by the FAI this whole thing is a joke. It's bad enough to assess all the criteria mostly on the basis of a feckin one hour presentation, but to then do it without transparency makes it far, far worse. Naturally in that circumstance there'll be suspicions of a lack of fair play, let us say.

**Pauro 76** · 12/12/2006, 9:48 AM

do we get to see the scores that determined the new League line-up? will they be made public? If so, the play-off was pointless. only in Ireland could a play-off match with so much to play for be null and void in the end just because a few stuffed suits in the FAI say so.

**Larry 'da' Wyse** · 12/12/2006, 9:50 AM

Correct me if I am wrong but wasn't the criteria to get into the premier league based, along with other things, on your performace over the last 5 years - including this year?
Dundalk are having a hissy-fit over having to play the 'play off' games when it is claimed there was nothing at stake. Surely by winning the ties their chance of getting into the premier division increased and Waterford's lessened so there was something to play for. When this is added to their overall score (along with off field admin etc.) they still didn't beat Galway.

As a neutral on this issue I can't see what the problem is for the club.

**mcgonigle** · 12/12/2006, 9:51 AM

No everything he said is completely true, JW is just concerned because he will now have to explain to none eircom league supporters why their in the premier, have fun

**JW.** · 12/12/2006, 9:52 AM

Dundalk finished behind us in both on- and off-the-pitch criteria.
The point I'm making is that this is an opinion piece, not a news story. It is their only "news" story on the event.

"Dundalk won the promotion/relegation playoff but arent promoted. It is a farce."
There shouldn't have been a playoff, and Casey admitted his misgivings about that. Otherwise, Dundalk voted in favour of the new FAI league so they knew all along that they were far from certain to finish in the top 12 when the points were tallied.

**mcgonigle** · 12/12/2006, 9:54 AM

Originally Posted by Larry 'da' Wyse

Correct me if I am wrong but wasn't the criteria to get into the premier league based, along with other things, on your performace over the last 5 years - including this year?

No it was based on 4 years (cheers Kildare), if it was 5 years Dundalk would prob be in the premier now.

**Dodge** · 12/12/2006, 9:54 AM

The off the field points came mostly form licensing apparently. Dundalk acheived the premier standard and more off field IAG points than Shels, Drogheda and Rovers (at least) so they've every right to be annoyed. They're good enough off the field according to the IAG and they won promotion on the field last season, the fact they're excluded shows what a sham it is. If you weren't a Galway fan, would you be complainging about Dan's piece JW?

**JW.** · 12/12/2006, 9:54 AM

Originally Posted by mcgonigle

No everything he said is completely true, JW is just concerned because he will now have to explain to none eircom league supporters why their in the premier, have fun

You shouldn't use words such as sadly in a news story. That is not fair reporting. Let the reader decide from the facts - not your own opinion.
I have no problem explaining why we're in the new league. If you had a problem, you should have voiced it 18 months ago when Dundalk and everyone else voted for this process.

**Mr A** · 12/12/2006, 9:55 AM

I agree that Dundalk don't really have much of a leg to stand on, but I still think that if the points are not given out publicly (and by the FAI, not leaked) and in detail that the process is a farce, and is open to allegations of unfairness.

**JW.** · 12/12/2006, 9:57 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

If you weren't a Galway fan, would you be complainging about Dan's piece JW?

If I were a Dundalk fan, I'd have been very angry that the playoff took place, but otherwise not angry about what happened yesterday because everyone knew all season that this was an exceptional season.
The fact that I'm a Galway fan Dodge has no bearing whatever on my opinion on how news stories and opinion pieces should not be one and the same thing in journalism. It would be alarming if you didn't agree.

**mcgonigle** · 12/12/2006, 9:58 AM

Originally Posted by JW.

I have no problem explaining why we're in the new league. If you had a problem, you should have voiced it 18 months ago when Dundalk and everyone else voted for this process.

Yes I'm sure you will have a wonderful tale of marketability, financial stability and off the field triumph, but they'll still say "but you came third"

**JW.** · 12/12/2006, 10:01 AM

We were comfortably ahead of Dundalk in points both on and off the pitch over the five seasons. Is it only now, mcgonigle, that you've realised that this season's First Division was not going to determine by itself who got into the new league?

**Dodge** · 12/12/2006, 10:02 AM

Nobody buys a newspaper these days for news, its all about opinions. It doesn't require them to put an op/ed tag on it IMO. I've no problem at all with Dan's piece. In a world of Emmet malone's etc he's hardly unique. The fact that you're a Galway fan absolutely has an impact on you bringing this up. He, and many others, have written similar pieces all year and you wait until now to complain?

**bohs til i die** · 12/12/2006, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by JW.

Dundalk finished behind us in both on- and off-the-pitch criteria.
The point I'm making is that this is an opinion piece, not a news story. It is their only "news" story on the event.

"Dundalk won the promotion/relegation playoff but arent promoted. It is a farce."
There shouldn't have been a playoff, and Casey admitted his misgivings about that. Otherwise, Dundalk voted in favour of the new FAI league so they knew all along that they were far from certain to finish in the top 12 when the points were tallied.

Clubs were having a carrot dangled in front of them by the FAI and the clubs voted in favour because they had no other option. Lets be honest, apart from Derry who can **** off back to the Irish League if they ever feel like it, what other option has the clubs got?

They had no choice but to sign up to this farce.

**Louth4sam** · 12/12/2006, 10:04 AM

Originally Posted by Larry 'da' Wyse

Correct me if I am wrong but wasn't the criteria to get into the premier league based, along with other things, on your performace over the last 5 years - including this year?
Dundalk are having a hissy-fit over having to play the 'play off' games when it is claimed there was nothing at stake. Surely by winning the ties their chance of getting into the premier division increased and Waterford's lessened so there was something to play for. When this is added to their overall score (along with off field admin etc.) they still didn't beat Galway.

As a neutral on this issue I can't see what the problem is for the club.

Firstly we signed up for the last 5 years. Five years ago we won the cup and finished 10th in the premier. The FAI had to change this to four years when the realised that Kildare were not around five years ago. Secondly according to the FAI Galway scored more in off the field then all other clubs. All people want to see is how they scored the points and for what. Why will the FAI not release this information? Surly if Galway are the best run club in the country they should be a model for other clubs so would this information not be worthy of being released
Most football fans will agree that the whole selection process is a farce and that football should be decided on a pitch but thats they way the FAI chose to run the league so we are going to have to live with it.

**mcgonigle** · 12/12/2006, 10:05 AM

Of course I knew that JW, but since were talking about history, how can a club that has achieved very little and has spent the same amount of time as us in the first division bring anythin to the premier that we cant

**JW.** · 12/12/2006, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by Dodge

Nobody buys a newspaper these days for news, its all about opinions. It doesn't require them to put an op/ed tag on it IMO. I've no problem at all with Dan's piece. In a world of Emmet malone's etc he's hardly unique. The fact that you're a Galway fan absolutely has an impact on you bringing this up. He, and many others, have written similar pieces all year and you wait until now to complain?

I can't say I read the paper every day. If newspaper readers have no problem with opinion being presented as news, there is no future for journalism as we know it.