"Yeah great post, lets look forward to the long hard road of becoming Norway."
dont be a smartarse - its quite obvious he was talking about in terms of the crowds their local clubs attract. If they can do it - then surely Irish football can aspire to something similar?
dont be a smartarse - its quite obvious he was talking about in terms of the crowds their local clubs attract. If they can do it - then surely Irish football can aspire to something similar?[/quote]
Didn't mean to be a smart arse. It was a good post, just happen to think we could and should be aiming a lot higher. As long as we are using Norway as our benchmark, we are condemned to make zilch progress.
Originally Posted by third policeman
And supporters of an All Ireland League as being promoted by Fintan Drury and others should take note, if an all ireland league comes about by way of a commercial organisation such as this encompassing two members of UEFA what is to STOP another commercial organisation starting a league with clubs from more than one member of UEFA, eg an Atlantic League comprising 5 or 6 countries or even more.
We have people criticising the FAI for not pushing an AIL, yet the same people are anti Atlantic League. We have clubs pushing for an All Ireland League, others probably who are against as they would be left behind but would squirm at the prospects of such an Atlantic League.
The only way an AIL can happen without opening up the door for other cross border leagues is for the FAI and IFA to merge. How many people want this?
Fair Play died Nov 18th 2009, Stade Francais.
Don't think Norway are going to be the benchmark, but I do think we should follow the model of how they develop their homegrown players and clubs.
I think I read before that they do not allow any young player to leave the country until the age of 18.
Without being smart, have you noticed the incredibly bad cost to entertainment ratio of Irish games these past 4 years????
€50 to a crap Ireland game versus €20 to a top of the table clash.
And the LOI actually has some players who give a sh1t about playing for their team.........
Work's Bogey
So if thy care so much about playing for their team why are they so quick to move clubs at the drop of a hat?
THe reality is most players dont give a toss about the clubs they play for and that is not confined to EL. It's rampant in the Slavery trade in the Premisership as well
The vast majority of players in the Irish squad are very passionate about playing for their country.
As regards the difference in ticket prices there is also a major difference in the standard of stadiums and pitches etc. I do agree prices for home Ireland games are very high, but the revenue from the National team helps to subsidises the EL.
Fair Play died Nov 18th 2009, Stade Francais.
I think I read before that they do not allow any young player to leave the country until the age of 18.[/quote]
I cant see how that can be enforcable. It would defintely contravene EU law in our case.
No doubt in my mind that Celtic and Rangers would not be in the least bit interested in this sort of setup. Its arguble whether the other SPL clubs would be? - possibly. However, Im not sure that the Motherwells, Falkirks, Aberdeens etc..are what you were after?
The SPL have just signed their biggest ever TV deal (think it was worth £125m with Setanta) which counters your commercailly declining argument. SPL Champions are regularly competing in the CL and slowly improving in it, raising the domestic leagues profile.
As for competiveness, we all know its been a two horse race now for the past 2 decades (since the New firm of Aberdeen and Dundee Utd) with the odd exceptional season, Hearts finished 2nd a couple of years ago. I dont agree that the standard is deteriorating, its still just a league with 2 big guns that will continue to have the resources to be the top 2 in the country unless some changes dramatically with other clubs investors.
Last edited by Junior; 14/07/2008 at 3:44 PM.
I thought you were off the drink Ronnie?
"No, I drink to help me mind my own business....can I get you one? (c) Ronnie Drew
So why wouldn't Celtic and Rangers be interested? In what way does the current SPL provide them with a better commercial deal than an expanded structure involving teams from large population centres in Ireland and Wales? The new league would be more attractive to media companies because it had a much bigger potential viewing audience, with potentially many more competitive / attractive fixtures.
Celtic and Rangers may surprise you and be very keen on it, as if it got the go ahead it would lead to a broader pan european league which just might suit them even better.
Fair Play died Nov 18th 2009, Stade Francais.
Its on public record the interest that both Celtic & Rangers would have in getting in to the EPL or a more lucrative European league setup - So Im not disputing that they are looking to improve their revenue earning potential. Celtic are now regularly playing in the top european league (i.e. the CL) and gaining the cash rewards that brings. Whilst the SPL cannot compete with the cash in the English game, Im not sure how you can be so sure that the following setup would deliver the revenues anywhere near the levels of say the EPL? However what it would bring is a very good chance of not gaining the CL cash - that is something I dont think the clubs concerned would be willing take a risk on.
It might appear a selfcentred approach...but hey we all know thats the way the world works.......
Dublin Utd
Cork FC
Celtic
Rangers
Ajax
PSV
Rosenborg
Anderlecht
FC Bruges
FC Copenhagen
Brondy
Cardiff City
I thought you were off the drink Ronnie?
"No, I drink to help me mind my own business....can I get you one? (c) Ronnie Drew
heres a thought - Dublin United and Cork City would get relegated in the first season. Or is there even relegation? What happens to Feyernoord and Breda from Holland? Do Swansea not get in? Hearts?
what a mouth watering proposition you have thought out there...
Believe it or not the mechanisms of such a league woule b e down to the promoters, and to guarantee it's appeal would have to keep a wide geographic spread.
I would imagine such a league would operate somewhat like the HEineken Cup, each nation being allocated so many places and possibly different criteria for putting forward representatives.
As it is the Cl operates similar principles.
And if you are a money man it is a mouth watering proposition, and in this case the moneymen are the Sky and Setanta's of this world.
Fair Play died Nov 18th 2009, Stade Francais.
What you (or whoever) are saying is that these "promoters" will offer the Dutch League, the Swedish league, Danish league, Belgian league and Cardiff City (english league by the way) great terms whereby they can nominate teams each year. These same promoters will ask for Bohs, Rovers, Pats and Shels to be merged to Dublin United (oooh how catchy) and leave Cork City alone. The rest of the irish teams are forgotten about and left to rot. Northern Ireland is forgotten about. The Welsh league is forgotten about. Forgive my skepticism but this is NEVER going to happen.
pie in the sky stuff. Forgive me if I decide to pin my hopes on my local team and my domestic league in the hope that someday eL clubs will offer a good enough product for this "soccer mad" nation to bother their holes going to watch live football.
What may happen is the far more sensible and mouthwatering prospect of expanding the already existing Setanta Cup. What would be wrong with offering the leagues you mention a few places in that? Would that not be better than destroying a hundred years of tradition in Ireland for your "North Atlantic & Part of Mainland Europe Euro Super Duper League TM" ?
really the posts here just add to my suspicion that as a nation we are a bunch of event junkies.
you know the sort of thing - We will go support our county/province etc as long as we wont have too many games, y'know. But if you expect us to attend 40 something games a season then you have another thing coming!
[quote=SkStu;981524]
What may happen is the far more sensible and mouthwatering prospect of expanding the already existing Setanta Cup. What would be wrong with offering the leagues you mention a few places in that? Would that not be better than destroying a hundred years of tradition in Ireland for your "North Atlantic & Part of Mainland Europe Euro Super Duper League TM" ?
really the posts here just add to my suspicion that as a nation we are a quote]
If the setanta cup is expanded to become say a Celtic Cup, with scotish and Welsh clubs would you be happy???
It would be good for Irish clubs in the short term, but what would come after that???
Do you not think setanta would look further afield??
Suddenly you may have say the Celtic and Nordic countries involved, and just 1 Irish representative, now will you be happy?
You seem to have the idea that I'm No 1 advocate for a pan European league, rather than actually think through were an expanced Setanta Cup would actually end, after several phases of expansion.
Fair Play died Nov 18th 2009, Stade Francais.
the setanta cup can expand as much as it likes, it doesnt have to rename itself or limit itself to Celtic nations. As long as it realises that it will never compete with the Champions League it could be a great competition. I think an expanded Set. Cup offered to a number of the smaller leagues around western Europe would cut a very nice niche for itself seperate from the saturated UEFA/G14 market.
Im not necessarily advocating that either but i am saying that to most people who value tradition and football it would make far more sense than what is being presented, proposed and/or supported by some posters here.
Just been reading responses on the AIPL thread. It seems that the majority of EL supporters are opposed to what is an incredibly modest step towards an improved standard of domestic soccer. So why not please everybody keep the EL exactly as it is for those who like it and create a new Celtic / Atlantic Laegue for those who want to see and support a decent standard of soccer and domestic clubs that allow us to keep more home grown talent in the country.
Now what's wrong with that.
no you have matches here to watch....go to them, and then the league will improve.
You haven't the slightest idea what you are talking about. Or else you are unable to read properly and digest information properly.
Probably both
Fair Play died Nov 18th 2009, Stade Francais.
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