Morning all - esoteric question.
My buddies in Ingerlund regularly ask me how the standard here compares to there.
My thinking is:
Our best sides (Bohs, Pats, Drogs, Cork) are top half of League 1.
Our mid table sides are (Sligo, Hoops, Bray etc) are bottom half of League 1
The rest, including our fizzy league are League 2
In terms of Scotland, outside the old firm, our best sides are relegation strugglers in the SPL but would do OK in Scottish Div 1
Am I completely mad ?
DB Cooper is alive !
It's impossible to compare across national systems, and an indication of our post-colonial hangover or maybe just our infantile awe of bright lights that people consistently try to do so. Not only are there Premier Division clubs who would struggle in those two-bit English leagues named after heroes of classical antiquity, but there are first-teamers at our top clubs who wouldn't make it in those leagues. Equally, there are players in the LoI who could hold their own in the English Premier League.
The joy of the League of Ireland is that, if nothing else, it's unique. Let's celebrate it for what it is and leave the rest to the armchair fans.
A leading authority on League of Ireland football since 2003. You're probably wrong.
Last edited by thischarmingman; 24/02/2009 at 7:53 AM.
To be honest you may as well include the top 7 or so teams as i believe there is nothing beteen must of the premier league this year. I would say the league is on par with top of division 2 maybe bottom of division 1
54,321 sold - wws will never die - ***
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New blog if anyone's interested - http://loihistory.wordpress.com/
LOI section on balls.ie - http://balls.ie/league-of-ireland/
The SFAI are the governing body for grassroots football in Ireland, not the FAI. Its success or the lack of is all down to them.
The Bottom half of League 1, and whole of League 2 and the best conference sides are very similar.
Being honest the only club the LOI who would fare well would be Derry City IMO...
Besides St. Pats, Derry's style of play would grace the Championship...Bohs would do well in top half of League One and possibly Sligo Rovers under Paul Cook would do well as he has good knowledge of the lower leagues in England.
After that most of the clubs would be League 1 or 2 obscurity.
YNWA LFC
Forza Youths!
Recently been watching a lot of the Championship. There is no style. Birmingham in 2nd play awful football.
54,321 sold - wws will never die - ***
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New blog if anyone's interested - http://loihistory.wordpress.com/
LOI section on balls.ie - http://balls.ie/league-of-ireland/
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"It's time for the FAI to grow up." John O'Donoghue, Minister for Sport, RTE , Sunday 7 Nov 2004
So - a team which won the Double and only lost 2 League games the whole of last season whilst conceding the least amount of goals in the League for decades would fare worse than a team which thinks the League Cup is a serious competition?*
I'll have what he's smoking - seems to do the job nicely....
(* - Apologies to Derry fans - was the first thing I could pluck out of the air to summarise yourselves)
Kom Igen, FCK...
54,321 sold - wws will never die - ***
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New blog if anyone's interested - http://loihistory.wordpress.com/
LOI section on balls.ie - http://balls.ie/league-of-ireland/
Just so happens I was at Hearts v Aberdeen last weekend (my first Scottish football experience), and was quite surprised how little difference there is between them and our better premier sides. Some of their play in the first half would have had us groaning in dismay at Jackman Park, I kid you not.
I think Hearts are 3rd or 4th in SPL at the moment.
LTID
The SFAI are the governing body for grassroots football in Ireland, not the FAI. Its success or the lack of is all down to them.
I think every LOI fan would agree with that. Its chalk and Chinese, you cannot compare ..... but it will always will be, and most bar stoolers seem to think that LOI is conference level and no higher. They dont go to games in either country and will never find out for themselves.
The SFAI are the governing body for grassroots football in Ireland, not the FAI. Its success or the lack of is all down to them.
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