LOI League format

I see you have 12 teams.

I would presume you play each other 3 times then their is a split where the top 6 teams play each other a further 1 time and the bottom 6 play each other 1 more time.

The reason why I ask, is because IL football looks likely to adopt a 12 team format.(possibly 10 team, but most likely 12)

How well does it work and would you prefer a different format?

The premier division is reverting to 10 teams for the 2009 season. And the league doesn't split after 3 rounds of games, that's it.

I despise any system where teams play different amount of home and away games.

Apart from that it couldn't be simpler. 12 teams and every club plays the other clubs 3 times giving a 33 game season.

Originally Posted by Dodge

I despise any system where teams play different amount of home and away games.

I agree. The 10 team premier still won't get rid of this problem though, it just shifts it onto the first division.

It gets rid of the problem for me

Originally Posted by holidaysong

I agree. The 10 team premier still won't get rid of this problem though, it just shifts it onto the first division.

Yeah but the FAI dont give a f*ck about the first division so for them its problem sloved

Originally Posted by Steve Bruce

I see you have 12 teams.

I would presume you play each other 3 times then their is a split where the top 6 teams play each other a further 1 time and the bottom 6 play each other 1 more time.

The reason why I ask, is because IL football looks likely to adopt a 12 team format.(possibly 10 team, but most likely 12)

How well does it work and would you prefer a different format?

An odd thing to just presume. We briefly tried the top 6/bottom 6 split-division and it was a disaster. Having said that, the LOI has tried pretty much everything and seems to end up back with 12-teams in the Premier more often than not. You should give the 4-3-2-1 system a shot, just to complicate things (4 points for an away win, 2 points for an away draw).

Originally Posted by Jerry The Saint

An odd thing to just presume. We briefly tried the top 6/bottom 6 split-division and it was a disaster. Having said that, the LOI has tried pretty much everything and seems to end up back with 12-teams in the Premier more often than not. You should give the 4-3-2-1 system a shot, just to complicate things (4 points for an away win, 2 points for an away draw).

I presumed it because Scotland uses or used that system, the IL used that system a while back as well. Personally I hated it.

The 10-team division is a disaster, as it means you have to travel everywhere else twice, like it or lump it. It's also far too many matches for part-time players to play, that's without counting Europe, Cups, friendlies, and postponements. You could play the same team 6 or 7 times a season.

I'm personally dreading the return of the chaotic 10-team Premier.

Originally Posted by mypost

The 10-team division is a disaster, as it means you have to travel everywhere else twice, like it or lump it. It's also far too many matches for part-time players to play, that's without counting Europe, Cups, friendlies, and postponements. You could play the same team 6 or 7 times a season.

I'm personally dreading the return of the chaotic 10-team Premier.

well the ideal is that he players aren't part time.

Originally Posted by Steve Bruce

I presumed it because Scotland uses or used that system, the IL used that system a while back as well. Personally I hated it.

Wouldnt be that hard to find out unless you are a WUM.

10 team league is the way forward. Playing each other 3 times is farcical. Saying its too many games is nonsense. Is 3 extra games too many? Of course not.

KOH

Originally Posted by NY Hoop

Wouldnt be that hard to find out unless you are a WUM.
10 team league is the way forward. Playing each other 3 times is farcical. Saying its too many games is nonsense. Is 3 extra games too many? Of course not.

KOH

That's why I asked. This is me finding out What part of this topic have I looked to be winding any one up?

Originally Posted by Steve Bruce

That's why I asked. This is me finding out What part of this topic have I looked to be winding any one up?

Just dont believe you that you dont know about our league structure is all. "I see you have 12 teams" is very patronising IMO.

Especially for a guy who spends an inordinate amount of time on another leagues MB.

KOH

Originally Posted by holidaysong

I agree. The 10 team premier still won't get rid of this problem though, it just shifts it onto the first division.

Personally I'd be in favour of extending the Premier, rather than restricting it. I think ten teams is too small for a serious league. I'd have a 14, or even 16 team premier, with maybe a regionalised first division set up. Dundalk, Athlone, Limerick and Finn Harps have all sustained top flight teams in the past, there's no reason why they shouldn't again. That, added to what's there gives you 16 teams. We should be looking to broaden the appeal of the league country wide. This would do that in my opinion.

Definitely agree that 10 team league is too small. Looks amateurish for a 'professional' league in my opinion.

The problem with the 10 team league is that when you get a game postponed, you could end up playing 2 league games against the same team in quick succession as the meetings are pretty close to each other.

I thought it was a disaster but the clubs favour it because they play the bigger teams more often which means more revenue.

People will get sick of seing the same teams playing each other over and over again so the revenue will probably go down anyway after a while.

Expanding is the way to go IMO and regionalise the part timers in the first division.

Originally Posted by Jerry The Saint

An odd thing to just presume. We briefly tried the top 6/bottom 6 split-division and it was a disaster.

....because St Pat's didn't qualify for the top six perhaps?

Originally Posted by TonyD

Personally I'd be in favour of extending the Premier, rather than restricting it. I think ten teams is too small for a serious league. I'd have a 14, or even 16 team premier, with maybe a regionalised first division set up. Dundalk, Athlone, Limerick and Finn Harps have all sustained top flight teams in the past, there's no reason why they shouldn't again. That, added to what's there gives you 16 teams. We should be looking to broaden the appeal of the league country wide. This would do that in my opinion.

But where are you going to find another 2, or even 4 teams capable of being competitive?

Even with a 12 team league, we've already got too big a gap between top and bottom (even if you give Longford back their points), and teams struggling to make it work financially. And it's not a new problem, it seems to happen near enough every season. Adding more sides will only make the problem worse. The league needs to be evenly balanced, so a 10 team league is the only way forward.

10 team league will be a shambles. What the f*ck are the FAI thinking?

the fai dont think about what they are doing just past it on to the next division f*8k it up and blame someone else, roy keane was right the fai is joke...