G6 stay defiant

**Buller** · 23/12/2007, 4:15 PM

Sunday Independent - December 23 2007

The G6 of the eircom League are playing a high-risk strategy by hitching their wagons to Fintan Drury's Platinum-driven chariot for a new All-Ireland League. Drury told FAI CEO John Delaney last week that plans were continuing apace for the League, with support from clubs on both sides of the border, including Linfield, and the intention was to kick off next September.

Unimpressed, Delaney issued a statement declaring a meeting between the FAI and the IFA next month to discuss matters of "mutual interest." The message was clear: if any All-Ireland League is to take off, it has to be a joint FAI/IFA production.

The six rebels; Drogheda United, Cork City, Derry City, St Pat's, Bohemians and Galway United, need to be wary. With the League starting on March 7, the FAI need to know who is inside their tent, and who's not.

If the 'G6' can't commit, they risk expulsion. Also, the FAI won't nominate Drogheda, Cork, St Pat's and Bohs for European club competition.

The 16 clubs outside the loop are watching developments keenly. If the FAI stand firm, Shamrock Rovers could find themselves in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League, while Waterford United and Longford Town would be re-instated to the Premier Division.

**sligoman** · 23/12/2007, 4:22 PM

Rovers for Uefa Cup!

**Aaron** · 23/12/2007, 4:37 PM

If the FAI dared to do that, football on this island would go to pot!! Interesting times ahead

**Poor Student** · 23/12/2007, 4:46 PM

Originally Posted by City till I Die

If the FAI dared to do that, football on this island would go to pot!! Interesting times ahead

The clubs have more to lose than the FAI.

**geezer** · 23/12/2007, 4:48 PM

heard the knives are out for Nick Leeson in the fai, hence the swift threat and invitation from the fai for the top 2 junior sides from Galway into the A League.
With FAI employees being employed as consultants between fai jobs to set up fas schemes for one of the junior clubs involved and rumours of large 10grand consultant fees for the work its all becoming the stuff of tribunals. Nasty undercurrents at play here its rotten to the core

**Aaron** · 23/12/2007, 4:48 PM

Originally Posted by Poor Student

The clubs have more to lose than the FAI.

Quite possibly, but football on this island would be hammered. We could possibly go back to the IL, and thats the last thing I'd want!!!

**pineapple stu** · 23/12/2007, 5:11 PM

Any All Ireland breakaway league is surely dependent on Linfield wanting in, which they've publicly said they don't. Surely that knocks it on the head for once and for all?

**CollegeTillIDie** · 23/12/2007, 5:23 PM

There could be a six team breakaway Professional League set up by the Clubs themselves if they stick to their guns. Though why anyone would want to watch a competition with no prospect of European qualification is a mystery to me. After all FAI hold the aces here as they hold the permissions to nominate teams to compete in UEFA Competitions .

**pineapple stu** · 23/12/2007, 5:46 PM

No there couldn't.

**Not Brazil** · 23/12/2007, 5:52 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Any All Ireland breakaway league is surely dependent on Linfield wanting in, which they've publicly said they don't. Surely that knocks it on the head for once and for all?

Very interesting article in The Times today about the "breakaway" developments.

I think the online version is subscription only so, if anyone has an online subscription and could post it, it would be good.

It's not just as simple as Linfield not wanting it - they are involved in discussions about it.

You could be sure that if Glentoran took the lead towards an AIL, Linfield would undoubtedly follow.

Interesting also that Linfield's "Spike" Ferguson and Glentoran's Gary Hamilton have been in the local papers waxing lyrical about playing in an AIL.

**Poor Student** · 23/12/2007, 6:07 PM

Originally Posted by City till I Die

Quite possibly, but football on this island would be hammered. We could possibly go back to the IL, and thats the last thing I'd want!!!

Irish domestic football is the weaker partner here. The FAI have the ability to expel clubs from the league or deny them European places and if you also add in the participation agreement they have all clubs by the balls. This situation is not in any way comparable to the EPL or SPL breakaways, there is nothing viable about clubs breaking away from FAI and by an extension FIFA recognition.

**Philly** · 23/12/2007, 6:13 PM

Something like this was always inevitable as the League developed into a mix of ambitious full-time clubs and clubs that want to stick with part-time and have no ambition to go full-time. Hard to see how it will work out, although it's a bit of a joke we don't even know whether our league will have those clubs next year at this stage.

**GavinZac** · 23/12/2007, 6:29 PM

were the FAI to expel the professional clubs, they'd be destroying club football on the island and setting themselves back 20 years. that wont happen. the fai will push to put a nice spin on this as if it was their own idea, like the Premiership.

**Poor Student** · 23/12/2007, 6:33 PM

Originally Posted by GavinZac

were the FAI to expel the professional clubs, they'd be destroying club football on the island and setting themselves back 20 years. that wont happen. the fai will push to put a nice spin on this as if it was their own idea, like the Premiership.

It's a game of chicken, the clubs have more to lose being expelled than the FAI do in expelling the clubs. Domestic football as it stands and as it has stood for the best part of three or four decades has a low standing, expel the clubs and it'll continue to do so but it'll still plod along. If the clubs were expelled however, they'd be as good as dead.

**Mr A** · 23/12/2007, 6:41 PM

Expel them to feck.

**GavinZac** · 23/12/2007, 6:45 PM

Originally Posted by Poor Student

It's a game of chicken, the clubs have more to lose being expelled than the FAI do in expelling the clubs. Domestic football as it stands and as it has stood for the best part of three or four decades has a low standing, expel the clubs and it'll continue to do so but it'll still plod along. If the clubs were expelled however, they'd be as good as dead.

Would they? Sure, they'd be without european qualification. They'd have to rely entirely on TV and sponsorship, which would hurt financially. However, their existing fan base would not disappear, and the wider public would be astounded at the inability of the FAI to even manage their clubs. The FAI cup and league would lose sponsorship and the remaining part time clubs would either die without the gates from the 'big' clubs, lose a lot of players and quality, or indeed choose to opt-in with the 'splitters'.

**Mr A** · 23/12/2007, 7:02 PM

Don't forget the FAI have a lot of influence on the allocation of grant monies etc as well.

To be totally honest I have little time for G6 or whatever. They voted for the wage cap, now they want out of it because a few have a bit of backing now or are not confident of their ability to sustain professional squads in the medium to long term. Boo Hoo.

The worst possible way an AIL could be formed would be as an exclusive organization for a few clubs to avoid the frankly pretty sensible idea of a wage cap. If history has taught us anything, it's that these silver bullet solutions usually achieve feck all.

**Poor Student** · 23/12/2007, 7:06 PM

Originally Posted by GavinZac

Would they? Sure, they'd be without european qualification. They'd have to rely entirely on TV and sponsorship, which would hurt financially. However, their existing fan base would not disappear, and the wider public would be astounded at the inability of the FAI to even manage their clubs. The FAI cup and league would lose sponsorship and the remaining part time clubs would either die without the gates from the 'big' clubs, lose a lot of players and quality, or indeed choose to opt-in with the 'splitters'.

Assuming these expelled rebels attempted to form some sort of league by themselves instead of just dying or going into hibernation like Derry did between IL and LOI, I doubt they'd be able to attract young talent as I doubt they'd be recognised by FIFA and players would not be able to play at U-19/U-21 level. That said, we're at pure fantasy and fiction here. Notably Shamrock Rovers are not part of the group and would remain inside the fold with the likes of other decent sized clubs such as Harps, Sligo, Waterford, Dundalk and Shelbourne. Those six clubs particularly with Shamrock Rovers on the outside are never going to carry enough weight to get everything their own way. LOI football can survive without them but it doesn't work vice versa.

**GavinZac** · 23/12/2007, 7:08 PM

Originally Posted by Mr A

The worst possible way an AIL could be formed would be as an exclusive organization for a few clubs to avoid the frankly pretty sensible idea of a wage cap. If history has taught us anything, it's that these silver bullet solutions usually achieve feck all.

In most other cases, wage caps have caps themselves; whereby if a club's turnover is for example, in excess of €1million, the rest is freely expendable. This encourages teams to aim for above the relatively safe cut off point, and those which havent been able to achieve this for whatever reason, must then stick to the relatively safe cap of 65%.

As business people, investors like Arkaga know that to grow, you have to lose money at first. this isn't safe for clubs without a high turnover, but if a club already has a relatively safe buffer of income (see our survival through the near bankruptcy of Brian Lennox) it should be allowed to reap the rewards, rather than punished for the inadequacies of others.

**GavinZac** · 23/12/2007, 7:10 PM

Originally Posted by Poor Student

Assuming these expelled rebels attempted to form some sort of league by themselves instead of just dying or going into hibernation like Derry did between IL and LOI, I doubt they'd be able to attract young talent as I doubt they'd be recognised by FIFA and players would not be able to play at U-19/U-21 level. That said, we're at pure fantasy and fiction here. Notably Shamrock Rovers are not part of the group and would remain inside the fold with the likes of other decent sized clubs such as Harps, Sligo, Waterford, Dundalk and Shelbourne. Those six clubs particularly with Shamrock Rovers on the outside are never going to carry enough weight to get everything their own way. LOI football can survive without them but it doesn't work vice versa.

LOI football could survive without them; much as the leinster senior league or the irish league does.