FAI To Take over.

gimmick

http://www.rte.ie/sport/2006/0128/eircomleague.html

Im unsure how I feel about this. On the upside, it gets rid of the dross from the premier division like UCD and CHF, debatably Waterford as well. On the downside the 1st division becomes more of a graveyard than what it already is.

With no promotion/relegation, it doesnt make for a competitive 1st division at all, as clubs like Dundalk, Shams and Galway, clubs who are likely to be contending for promotion anyway, will most likely use the coming season to stabilise finaces and blood new players etc. Clubs like Monaghan, Kilkenny who arent likely to do anything for the season anyway, will doi just that - nothing, then clubs like thlone and Cobh, who are both working hard behind the scenes could be shafted big time for not having anything in place immediately.

From a Premier division point of view, it will again remove alot of competition. Clubs like Cork City, Drogs and Shels will be competing at the upper end of the table, but clubs like Waterford, Pats, Bray will be in something of a comfort zone knowing they wont be going anywhere. it certainly doesn auger well for attendances for these clubs (though I reckon Pats will have a decent season and will have no worries regarding election to the new format premier division).

It is going to be very difficult on the Dublin clubs especially to justify their inclusion to the Premier, and dare I say could lead to these "proposed" mergers.

Is it going to be a 12 team league still or what?

If so, here are the teams I reckon will* be in the divison come March 2007

Cork City
Derry City
Shelbourne
Drogs
Pats
Bohs
Longford
Sligo
Shams
Galway
Dundalk
Limerick

(*) Note i didnt say should.

Seaneh

We (athlone) should benifit from this to be honest, with Phase one of our new stadium (2000 steater main stand) opening in early august we would have ample time to prove our falicities are worthy of the premier division!

KdjaCL

I wouldnt trust the FAI to organise a piss up in Guiness let alone run a league. But it has to be done to get better tv deals and the like. Man we are screwed, sooner we breakway into the Setanta league the better.



kdjac

applehunter

A league with no promotion/relegaton will be strange.

What happens next year?

Will Limerick get a boost to the premier at the expense of UCD?

Slash/ED

Nobody seems to know fully what this will all mean

5starpool

It's all a conspiracy to stop shams getting relegated!!

Seriously though, I don't like the idea of them picking what teams are in the top division. Position is earned by right, not by divinity.

Jonny Arson

Screw ''franchise football''. This WILL be tragic for our game if clubs are going to be ''placed'' into a higher league for non-footballing factors such as location and marketability. The entire concept of this goes against the morals of our games where success should be gained on the pitch and not becasue of where you are located or how marketable you are. If this was England then Wigan would be f**ked out of the league with Nottingham Forest replacing them.

If I was a UCD, Dublin City, Bray or Monaghan fan I'd be very worried now about the future of your football clubs. With the whole Bohs/Shels/Dalymount saga I'm fearing this is stage two of a forced merger between the clubs. This is the FAIlure orgainsing this ''eircom league pop idol'' FFS. It's wrong and I feel this may well be the final nail in the coffin for our league.

Should be a nice entertaining season without relegation and promotion shouldn't it! :rolleyes:

applehunter

I think the FAI taking control of the league is a good thing, as long as they employ professional people to have the key positions.

The situation at the moment allows for self-interested parties to halt the wider progress of the league.

20 Times 20 Times

Ramifications for Dundalk FC
Ultimately Dundalk will need to finish as high in the table as possible this season. Each first division club with any ambitions will still wish to win the league. While on-field success is important, continuing to make progress off the field by way of improving facilities, financial stability and a high level of attendance at home matches will also be key factors in the FAI's decision to award places in the "Elite" division. Obviously how the club performs on and off the pitch in 2006 is of paramount importance.

PHB

I actually think this is a great move for Irish football.
Without a doubt, it sucks that teams can't promote or demote, but in another sense, its allows them all to stabilise and build.
I wouldn't want this for English football, but since Irish football has such a low fan base, and we have such a small population, that trying to have a billion teams trying to get into the top league is just silly. This is definally a step forward, and once the dublin clubs become only two clubs, I think the EL has great potential

Pigman II

PHB wrote:

and once the dublin clubs become only two clubs, I think the EL has great potential

Eh? Big EL fan are we?

Honestly this whole thing so far is sounding like some eejit at the FAI saw that Budweiser 'multiball' ad and didn't realise they were trying to be ironic.

MrJoeSoap

I think its safe to say most eL fans won't agree with PHB. Example:

I'd love the Irish league to dissolve and join up with the English league, and then they would get the money to eventually make it to the top, some teams anyway

20 Times 20 Times

Its funny i think this move is going to work towards my teams favor.

gimmick

While I can see peoples concerns, I think this new format will be of great benefit to the whole league in the long term. For far too long, there has been an apathetic attitude toward the league by cowboy clubs like Monaghan/UCD/Athlone (until recently)/Galway/Waterford/Bray/Kilkenny/Finn Harps/CHF/Kildare County/Shams. The attitude of "sure we'll be alright, its only the LOI" cannot be seen as okay anymore, and these cowboys have to be caught by the balls and made take heed of how a football club should be run.

With these new measures coming into place, mere existence is no longer a pre-requisite, clubs actually have to bring their grounds up to an acceptable level, and Im sure anyone has been to any of the above grounds (with the exception of Galway and Athlone are doing something progressive also) will tell you, those grounds are unnacceptable, and should not be used for top flight football - hell id go as far as saying that they shouldnt even be used for schoolboys football.

Why should clubs like Pats, Cobh, Athlone, Limerick, Galway, Dundalk who all have measures in place to vastly improve their grounds (Pats one is grand as it is, but has potential to be far better) suffer because Bray and Waterford couldnt be arsed? Why should Shams have a devine right to be even in the LOI? They should have been kicked out 10 years ago, and if they were in any other country, would have been. Thats not an anti Rovers rant, just a simple statement of facts - they should have had their house in order years ago, not meandering along hoping it will all work out somehow.

Now, as for the mergers, well lets knock it on the head immediately, its not going to happen, and if it does God help football in Dublin, as I cant see too many of the current fans supporting "Shelbourne Bohemians" or "St Patricks Shamrocks".

Sub standard in general has been the acceptable level for far too long in this country, its about time up to standard is the only accpetable attitude.

Now, some people will say its easy for me to say because I am a City fan, a club who are in no real danger of not being accepted to this 'elite' league, well, City were on the verge of going out of existence as recently as 2002, but people came on board to sort that out, and have since made Cork City the best team, and one of the best run clubs in the country on and off the pitch. Drogs are another example - they were perenial relegation fodder until someone took heed and did something positive. They are now one of Ireland big clubs.

20 Times 20 Times

Im not going into much detal until i get home from work but the comment about drogs im no sure of , there is money men in the club now the clb CANNOT afford to survve if these guys pull the plug. Their crowds arent great. Gimmck as you comment suggest cobh been in the prem i think its well off they have a poor ground , poor support , poor players why in the premier division ?

gimmick

Cobh have started work on a new 1500 seat stand, and have plans in place to make it a 3500 or 5500 (cant remember which) seater ground in the next 3-5 years. RE their support, well they were getting best part of 1000 at the tail end of last season. If Cobh had premier division football they would have 2000 every week, assuming their fixtures dont clash with CCFCs home games as alot of Cobhs numbers are made up of City fans.

With regard to Drogs, I see what you are saying, but a Cup win, European football and a top 4 finish is a long long way to come for them. European football for them this season is vital, as had they not got that, it would have spelt trouble.

ronbyrne2005

what will happen to dublin chity???

Necronomicon

What incentive will fans of first division teams have to go to games and support their teams if there is no reward at the end of the season? I didn't know about the no promotion/relegation thing until I read this thread, very strange.

Zane from MTV2 wrote:

Screw ''franchise football''. This WILL be tragic for our game if clubs are going to be ''placed'' into a higher league for non-footballing factors such as location and marketability.

Does this mean, for example, that Shamrock Rovers will probably be 'placed' back in the top flight because of their history and status as a big club?
It all seems a bit unfair, but I guess it does have some potentially long-term pro's as Gimmick pointed out. I can see why everyone is sceptical though, this is the FAI we're talking about.

Töpher

PHB wrote:

once the dublin clubs become only two clubs, I think the EL has great potential

Would you want Man Utd to merge with Man City? No. Liverpool with Everton? Any of the gallons of London clubs in the top 2 divisions? I think its safe to say no.
Would anyone on this island who foolows the league want to see Bohs and Shels, or Pats and Rovers merge, destroying 100+ year individual histories and alienating existing fans?

Would you go see Dublin North or Dublin South? And if so, why? Why not Dublin clubs in their current existance? Your statement makes no sense, or certainly seems not to.

[Jackass]

Ah, it's the same old debate...first of all, there's only 2 major clubs in liverpool and manchester...so how is merging them in any way relevant?

Second of all the population of london alone is more than double that of Ireland, so they have room for a few clubs..

Also, regionalisation is proven to have worked in so many different codes of sport, and in foregin football leagues too...and closer to home, GAA .... go to county (regionalised) matches then to Club (community) matches...the difference in quality and attendance is very obvious..

Also, you wouldn't lose your clubs, history, heritage, derby games, rivalries and vrything that makes the EL what it is and no merger would be nececary... all the clubs would still exist, but wouldn't play in our main/national league that play in europe etc.

Simular to what the AIB league Vs the Celtic leauge in Rugby...all the clubs in AIB league still exist and play and compete for the same competitions they always did, but players like O'Driscoll etc. go to the main sides (i.e. Muster, Leinster, Ulster, Connacht) who compete in the major league and europe. In the case of football, it would be counties and Dublin north & south..

Anyway, it's a discussion we've had on boards many a time, I just think the politics and self serving motivation in the EL will be the blocking factor in us being able to have the foresight and ambition to have a quality, marketable national game, covering everyone in the country instead of pockets, and feeding our national side...

Jonny Arson

Necromomicon wrote:

Does this mean, for example, that Shamrock Rovers will probably be 'placed' back in the top flight because of their history and status as a big club?
It all seems a bit unfair, but I guess it does have some potentially long-term pro's as Gimmick pointed out. I can see why everyone is sceptical though, this is the FAI we're talking about.

Going by the wording of the press release that is what you can presume. Factors like where you finish in the league will come into some sort of consideration but for example if Rovers finish 3rd in the first Division and Dublin City finish 3rd last in the Premier it's likely Rovers will be ''placed'' in this new FAI franchise Premier League because Rovers will have their new stadium and have all the potential ''marketability''. In other words going by the statement the league will be essentially manufactured and clubs like Dublin City won't have a chance because they don't have a ground. That is wrong.

TBH it is about time that the iron fist is coming down on our clubs BUT they can do this without resorting to manufacturing our league on non-football reasons. If they gave teams until 2008 to get their houses in order then maybe put the fist down on them but I hate to see smaller clubs being picked on. There are many clubs like Bray, Dublin City and UCD who I fear are going to be forced out of the league simply because they are smaller clubs who happen to be located in same area as the ''big clubs''.

I believe down the road the FAIlure want a 10 team elite league like this to represent....

Dublin Club (merger of Shels/Bohs)
Dublin Club (merger of Rovers/Pats)
Louth Club (Drogheda/Dundalk)
Cork City
Limerick FC
Galway United
Sligo Rovers
Derry City
Longford Town
Waterford United

all other current teams in a North/South regionalised 1st division.

Again yes, many of us are probably jumping to conclusions on the matter since the details are sketchy but the FAI are planning a massive shakeup on our league and with the Shels/Bohs and Rovers/Pats groundshare proposal by the FAIlure, I have no doubt they are looking at a merger between the Dublin outfits.

gimmick

ronbyrne2005 wrote:

what will happen to dublin chity???

Who cares? They are a bastard club with no heritage, no fans, no ground and no possibilities. What made Seery think that Dublin needed yet another club, while the others are all struggling to make ends meet? I wouldnt care less it they went out of existence in 5 minutes time.

Ah, it's the same old debate...first of all, there's only 2 major clubs in liverpool and manchester...so how is merging them in any way relevant?

Second of all the population of london alone is more than double that of Ireland, so they have room for a few clubs..

Also, regionalisation is proven to have worked in so many different codes of sport, and in foregin football leagues too...and closer to home, GAA .... go to county (regionalised) matches then to Club (community) matches...the difference in quality and attendance is very obvious..

Also, you wouldn't lose your clubs, history, heritage, derby games, rivalries and vrything that makes the EL what it is and no merger would be nececary... all the clubs would still exist, but wouldn't play in our main/national league that play in europe etc.

Simular to what the AIB league Vs the Celtic leauge in Rugby...all the clubs in AIB league still exist and play and compete for the same competitions they always did, but players like O'Driscoll etc. go to the main sides (i.e. Muster, Leinster, Ulster, Connacht) who compete in the major league and europe. In the case of football, it would be counties and Dublin north & south..

Anyway, it's a discussion we've had on boards many a time, I just think the politics and self serving motivation in the EL will be the blocking factor in us being able to have the foresight and ambition to have a quality, marketable national game, covering everyone in the country instead of pockets, and feeding our national side...

What?

ZANE wrote:

If they gave teams until 2008 to get their houses in order then maybe put the fist down on them but I hate to see smaller clubs being picked on.

Thats more of it, 'sure give them time for God love us'. They have seen the UEFA guidelines and have done the bare minimum to pass them, and probably have no intentions of doing anymore unless put under pressure, like they are now. If they are given til 2008 now, who is to say that they wont need another 5 years then and so on ad nauseum.

Clubs like Dublin City and UCD bring nothing to the premier division. UCD bring the same 4 fans to every game and thats not reverse hyperbolé, a mere fact, though its slightly better than the zero CHF bring anywhere with them outside Dublin City bounds. At least UCD have their own ground, even if no one goes to it. We then have Monaghan and Kilkenny, shít grounds, no fans and no hope. Why should everyone else have to hang around for these useless shower?

Pigman II

Now that 'whatever' has been voted in does anyone know when there is going to be a press conference or whatever on wtf exactly is going on here?

5starpool

DubGuy wrote:

Also, regionalisation is proven to have worked in so many different codes of sport, and in foregin football leagues too...and closer to home, GAA .... go to county (regionalised) matches then to Club (community) matches...the difference in quality and attendance is very obvious..

That is the most ridiculous 'proof' that I have ever heard. How would a club match with maybe 6,000 (for example) inhabitants in the catchment area attract more people than an intercounty match with the a catchment area of 120,000 (for example)?

If regionalisation is down the road for the LOI then I really hope they take a step back and consider what they are doing. Moving clubs to 'suit' populations won't work. Look at MK Dons. It'd be along dark road.......

KdjaCL

Pigman II wrote:

Now that 'whatever' has been voted in does anyone know when there is going to be a press conference or whatever on wtf exactly is going on here?

Nope.


kdjac

Seaneh

Zane from MTV2 wrote:

Going by the wording of the press release that is what you can presume. Factors like where you finish in the league will come into some sort of consideration but for example if Rovers finish 3rd in the first Division and Dublin City finish 3rd last in the Premier it's likely Rovers will be ''placed'' in this new FAI franchise Premier League because Rovers will have their new stadium and have all the potential ''marketability''. In other words going by the statement the league will be essentially manufactured and clubs like Dublin City won't have a chance because they don't have a ground. That is wrong.

TBH it is about time that the iron fist is coming down on our clubs BUT they can do this without resorting to manufacturing our league on non-football reasons. If they gave teams until 2008 to get their houses in order then maybe put the fist down on them but I hate to see smaller clubs being picked on. There are many clubs like Bray, Dublin City and UCD who I fear are going to be forced out of the league simply because they are smaller clubs who happen to be located in same area as the ''big clubs''.

I believe down the road the FAIlure want a 10 team elite league like this to represent....

Dublin Club (merger of Shels/Bohs)
Dublin Club (merger of Rovers/Pats)
Louth Club (Drogheda/Dundalk)
Cork City
Limerick FC
Galway United
Sligo Rovers
Derry City
Longford Town
Waterford United

all other current teams in a North/South regionalised 1st division.

Again yes, many of us are probably jumping to conclusions on the matter since the details are sketchy but the FAI are planning a massive shakeup on our league and with the Shels/Bohs and Rovers/Pats groundshare proposal by the FAIlure, I have no doubt they are looking at a merger between the Dublin outfits.

I think you are wrong, I think because of thier histories Clubs like Athlone, Pats and bohs wouldn't be allowed to be regionalised, espicaly athlone! Athlone Town is the oldest football club in Ireland, and also has a great history in the league and in Europe, thay are argueably the most sucusfull Irish club in europe ever having drawn both the mighty A.C Milan and Burgge in the 70's and 80's.
Athlone is a much bigger town than longford and has a much bigger footballing
comunity, Athlone also has the cootes! longford has some half arsed groud that looks good on tv, but in reality its not great!

gimmick

History shouldnt come into it, otherwise we will be rolling out Drumcondra and St James' Gate and Home Farm.

I honestly think that this should be decided 40/60 between ground and facilities, and footballing merit.

Seaneh

In that case athlone would be ahead of longford still.
We will do well this season and we will have the best stadium in the league finished in the next 18months or so .

MrJoeSoap

gimmick wrote:

History shouldnt come into it, otherwise we will be rolling out Drumcondra and St James' Gate and Home Farm.

Bit of a non-argument there really. Of course history should come into it, I'm certainly not suggesting raising clubs from the dead like you have implied, but at least giving added consideration to clubs who have been around a while. It would hardly be fair to see a century of history go down the drain because of the brainchild of one of the most inept football associations in the history of the game.

Seaneh

MrJoeSoap wrote:

Bit of a non-argument there really. Of course history should come into it, I'm certainly not suggesting raising clubs from the dead like you have implied, but at least giving added consideration to clubs who have been around a while. It would hardly be fair to see a century of history go down the drain because of the brainchild of one of the most inept football associations in the history of the game.

Hear hear!

gimmick

MrJoeSoap wrote:

Bit of a non-argument there really. Of course history should come into it, I'm certainly not suggesting raising clubs from the dead like you have implied, but at least giving added consideration to clubs who have been around a while. It would hardly be fair to see a century of history go down the drain because of the brainchild of one of the most inept football associations in the history of the game.

I was under the impression history is a big part of it all. If this is the case, Homeless Rovers automatically get a place, which is BS imo. Longford on the other hand, a relatively new club LOI wise, and a very new club to the top division, could be in trouble as they dont have ahistory to back them up. Same could be said of Cork City, a club who ahve only been around 21 and a bit years?

Thats why Im saying that we have to stay in the here and now. Here and now Rovers are a shambles, here and now Longford are a steady club (even though I cant stand them).

Of course its quite possible I missed the point of your post entirely.

MrJoeSoap

gimmick wrote:

I was under the impression history is a big part of it all. If this is the case, Homeless Rovers automatically get a place, which is BS imo. Longford on the other hand, a relatively new club LOI wise, and a very new club to the top division, could be in trouble as they dont have ahistory to back them up. Same could be said of Cork City, a club who ahve only been around 21 and a bit years?

Thats why Im saying that we have to stay in the here and now. Here and now Rovers are a shambles, here and now Longford are a steady club (even though I cant stand them).

Of course its quite possible I missed the point of your post entirely.

I'm not saying we should only keep the older clubs, far from it. I'm just saying that clubs with a bit of history, with many former players living around the country (Waterford United for example) should not be put on the chopping board immediately. Everything in the FAI's power should be done to protect whatever heritage the league has left, my dad is a Waterford Utd man, he was brought to many of their games by my grandfather in the 60's while the team was at its peak. A club like this should not just be destroyed for the sake of immediate profitability and marketing value.

Take what the UCD exec. Dick Shakespeare said recently as an example (once you have gotten over his name and the club he represents!). If the FAI was to put their money in some shape or form into the promotion and advertising of the league, imagine the effect it would have. Of course infrastructural changes are needed, that should also be a priority, but the irreversible removal of clubs like Rovers/Waterford/Arguably St.Pats (sorry KdjaC!) because they are in a slump at the moment is a knee-jerk reaction. There is no question of Cork being removed as they are only a young club, far from it. They have probably the best fan-base in the country and are a great example to many other clubs around the country. Maybe a name change to something like the Cork Dolphins or Cork Jets might be appropriate though.

marky4

why the heck wont waterford b in there, they r better than some of the teams mentioned,

KdjaCL

marky4 wrote:

why the heck wont waterford b in there, they r better than some of the teams mentioned,

Serious financial problems, most of the team from last year has been let go, we got Frost and Mulcahy for free probably your 2 best players.


Waterford United
In -
Chris Deans (Dundalk)
Out -
Seán Finn (Dundalk)
Paul Crowley (Dublin City)
David Breen (Cobh)
Rodney Jack (released)
Dave Mulcahy (Pat's)
Kevin Waters
Pat Purcell (both Limerick)



Noone really knows whats going to happen so this is mostly speculation but it is the FAI so anything is possible even Multiball.


kdjac

DerekD Goldfish

Noone really knows whats going to happen so this is mostly speculation but it is the FAI so anything is possible even Multiball.

well at least Pats might be able to put one ball in the net if their were 10 on the pitch

YeatsCounty

So, does anyone have any conclusive evidence of what the FAI have planned for their League of Ireland or will we be left guessing until they make an announcement? It's ridiculous that the fans still don't fully what to expect from this proposed "improvement" after it was voted in.

I have absolutely no faith in this idea because we still don't know the full story, and due to the fact that this is the brainchild of the FAI. :rolleyes: Do they even know what's going on?


PS: Apologies if my post seems unduly harsh. However, I do know that I am not the only person here with serious reservation's over the FAI's proposal.

20 Times 20 Times

Dundalkfc.com spoke with General Manager Peter Halpin and Team Manager John Gill today to get their views on the decision that was made at Saturday's Eircom League AGM. Peter was speaking from Oriel Park while John Gill spoke from Wexford where he is attending a coaching course.

How did Dundalk FC vote on Saturday?
Peter Halpin: We voted in favour of the proposals.

Why did Dundalk support the proposals?
PH: We believe that in order for the league to move forward that we should merge with the FAI. The league is crying out for reform at the moment and the FAI offer the best chance for increased sponsorship, prize-money and media exposure.

Dundalk supporters are worried about the decision to scrap automatic promotion & relegation in the upcoming 2006 season. Is this season meaningless?
PH: Absolutely not. While we will need to apply for a license to play in the new FAI-run league, our league standings in 2006 will be of the utmost importance when selecting teams to play in the 2007 Premier Division. This decision does not alter our approach to the 2006 season one bit.

John Gill: From a team perspective we are still going to give 100%. It is our aim to finish as high in the league as possible. It is clear that league position this season is an important criteria. I hope the supporters understand that for the players and myself it is business as usual. Our aims and objectives have not changed as a result of this decision.

Details seem to be sketchy on what the other criteria will be when the FAI select clubs for their Premier Division. How could the club vote for a proposal without being fully aware of what the criteria will be?

PH: There is certainly a lot more discussion to take place over the coming months that will clarify exactly what the criteria will involve. But it is not the case that we had no idea what the criteria will be when we voted in favour of the proposals. We know that our facilities will have to be up to scratch, we know that we must be 100% compliant in relation to our financial affairs, we know that we have to show that Dundalk FC can be a profitable exercise and does not finish the season having an unmanageable debt. We also know that we will need to show the FAI that the level of support for the club at our matches demonstrates that we are marketable club and worthy of inclusion in the top division.

Is the club confident of reaching this criteria? What are chances of us been overlooked for the Premier Division even if we win the First Division?

PH: I am not saying it will be easy but we have a very positive approach to these proposals. Our facilities have improved ten-fold over the past twelve months and we shall have more ground improvements to come this year. We are working very hard to get the financial side of the club right. Our new CEO Gerry Matthews is a huge boost in that regard and he is doing a lot of work in that area in creating a business plan to move the club forward. We realise that if we repeat the mistakes of the past and let things get out of control then we will not have a future. That was the case before these proposals were passed and it is still the case now. It's not going to be easy and we need everybody working together from club officials to supporters but I believe we can make it work. As I said we are very positive.
I think if we had voted against these proposals it would have been an admission that we, as a club, are not good enough to be a part of the elite in Irish football. We happen to think we have got a lot to offer and we can be a force to be reckoned with. The people within the club from myself and Gerry to the rest of the club, especially supporters, have to be positive and work together to make sure that we make our ambitions a reality.

Are you hopeful that we can satisfy any criteria relating to the "marketability" of the club?

PH: Certainly. Season ticket sales are going very well. We are doing very well with regard to sponsorship and announced a number of major deals last week. There are few clubs in the country that would get such a high attendance for a pre-season friendly as Dundalk managed last Thursday night against Shelbourne. Many clubs would not get that crowd for a league match! Our support base is one of the biggest in the country and if we are doing well we should have excellent crowds coming to Oriel Park.

JG: I was delighted with the size of the crowd last Thursday. It was great to see such support. It certainly made myself and the players look forward to the new season. With the right results I'm sure we can attract big crowds this season.

PH: It is worth saying though that this season we really need supporters to get behind us. We really need to show the FAI that there is a demand for top-flight football in Dundalk. We need to get the whole package right from team performances to off-field management. I am extremely positive about the year ahead and I hope Dundalk fans stay positive too.

Finally, is it true that there is going to be a "Louth Franchise" with only one of Dundalk and Drogheda United allowed into the "elite" division?

PH: This is not the case. Both ourselves and Drogheda United have our own areas of support. We have a large area in North Louth to draw our support from and Drogheda have a similar support base in the South of the county and in Meath. While Louth is the "Wee County" it has a very large population. If both club satisfy all the criteria then both clubs will be part of the elite. Louth Derbies in the Premier Division is certainly something both clubs would look forward too!!

The Rooster

18 of the 22 clubs voted in favour of re-structuring the league at the end of next season

Judging by the comments on this thread, it probably says a lot that the clubs to abstain were: Dublin City, UCD, Monaghan and Waterford.

[Jackass]

5starpool wrote:

That is the most ridiculous 'proof' that I have ever heard. How would a club match with maybe 6,000 (for example) inhabitants in the catchment area attract more people than an intercounty match with the a catchment area of 120,000 (for example)?

LoL, yeah, I know exactly what you're saying! Imagine having the stupidity of having 60% (5 out of 12) of your premier league covering small pockets of a city with 1,500,000 people!! Dividing that city into localitys of overall about 250,000 MAX when you could 2 teams covering the entire 1,500,000 people!? (whilst making room for heavily populated areas of the country with no EL representation) INSANE! Couldn't agree more...oh no wait, isn't that simular to the Eircom League setup (for example?)

Not to mention the other about 70% of the country with no EL representation...

It's so ridiculous isn't it? Infact you illistrated my point nicely.

MrJoeSoap

DubGuy wrote:

LoL, yeah, I know exactly what you're saying! Imagine having the stupidity of having 60% (5 out of 12) of your premier league covering small pockets of a city with 1,500,000 people!! Dividing that city into localitys of overall about 250,000 MAX when you could 2 teams covering the entire 1,500,000 people!? (whilst making room for heavily populated areas of the country with no EL representation) INSANE! Couldn't agree more...oh no wait, isn't that simular to the Eircom League setup (for example?)

Not to mention the other about 70% of the country with no EL representation...

It's so ridiculous isn't it? Infact you illistrated my point nicely.

Sarcasm detector... overload... malfunction...

20 Times 20 Times

Mrjoesoap you forgot access denied

speriamo

gimmick wrote:

I was under the impression history is a big part of it all. If this is the case, Homeless Rovers automatically get a place, which is BS imo. Longford on the other hand, a relatively new club LOI wise, and a very new club to the top division, could be in trouble as they dont have ahistory to back them up. Same could be said of Cork City, a club who ahve only been around 21 and a bit years?

Thats why Im saying that we have to stay in the here and now. Here and now Rovers are a shambles, here and now Longford are a steady club (even though I cant stand them).

Of course its quite possible I missed the point of your post entirely.

More than possible.

I dont know if you dont listen or you have a huge chip on your shoulder. We are not a shambles. In fact the club has never been in better health off the pitch. How is being debt free and having a UEFA license and a stadium on the horizon a shambles? Dont comment on another club unless you know the facts son.

Nobody will automatically get a place. And nobody will be removed. Saturdays vote was in effect a vote to signal the clubs intention to merge pending clarification on the exact criteria. There was also a legal issue involved.

There are a lot of factors to come into it. History is not one of them. Obviously the better you do on the pitch the more chance you have of getting a place so next season wont be meaningless.

Our club would go along with what the Dundalk General Manager said there on the reasons why they voted yes.

5starpool

DubGuy wrote:

LoL, yeah, I know exactly what you're saying! Imagine having the stupidity of having 60% (5 out of 12) of your premier league covering small pockets of a city with 1,500,000 people!! Dividing that city into localitys of overall about 250,000 MAX when you could 2 teams covering the entire 1,500,000 people!? (whilst making room for heavily populated areas of the country with no EL representation) INSANE! Couldn't agree more...oh no wait, isn't that simular to the Eircom League setup (for example?)

Not to mention the other about 70% of the country with no EL representation...

It's so ridiculous isn't it? Infact you illistrated my point nicely.

The very fact that the GAA parish and intercounty system operate in tandem does not mean that it can translate to EL football instantly. I for one cannot imagine Bohs fans automatically supporting a North Dublin amalgamation just bacause they were told to.

Sarcasm is all very well, but when applied to a flawed argument, it still doesn't make your point true.

_blank_

DubGuy wrote:

LoL, yeah, I know exactly what you're saying! Imagine having the stupidity of having 60% (5 out of 12) of your premier league covering small pockets of a city with 1,500,000 people!! Dividing that city into localitys of overall about 250,000 MAX when you could 2 teams covering the entire 1,500,000 people!? (whilst making room for heavily populated areas of the country with no EL representation) INSANE! Couldn't agree more...oh no wait, isn't that simular to the Eircom League setup (for example?)

Not to mention the other about 70% of the country with no EL representation...

It's so ridiculous isn't it? Infact you illistrated my point nicely.

Do you have any idea what you are talking about?

Let's have a closer look at your post here, I have taken the liberty of bolding some of it, to draw attention to certain aspect I would like to discuss.

"Stupidity" of having 60% of teams from Dublin. Well, a system operates in the eL, you might be familiar with it, it's called Promotion and Relegation. There are two divisions, The Premier Division and the First Division. What uaually happens at the end of each season is that the teams that finish the lowest in one (The Premier), swap places with the ones that finish the highest in the other (The First). Now, how exactly is it "Stupid" that certain teams, over a number of years, have performed better than certain other teams, and deserve their place in the Premier Division. Would you prefer a contrived league, where geographical locale comes ahead of on-field honours to determine which teams participate in which division? I really am interested in reading your answer to this. A simple yes or no will suffice.

You obviously have no interest in the eL at all. Can I ask which team you do support, then I'll ask if you would like to see them merged with their main rivals.

I'm not saying people who don't support the eL shouldn't have an opinion on it, but what I will say is that people who don't have an interest in the eL shouldn't make ill informed comments, especially not in the tone you took in that particular post. It's people like this that give others a bad name, and it is people like this that make genuine fans of the eL suspicious of anyone other than eL fans having opinions on anything to do with the eL. I am sick of it on these boards. People with no interest in the eL piping up all over the place with derisive comments and ill informed crap, treating the eL as a joke. Yes, you are entitled to your opinion, but please don't post in a serious eL thread, where what you have to say is obviously only to wind people up, or have a go at the eL. We are all aware of the problems the eL has, we have been supporting it for long enough, we could do without you and your type pointing out what has been obvious to us for years. Do you think we can't see the problems for ourselves?

I would love to have this debate with anyone who will come here and not resort to this type of posting. Frankly, if you have nothing informed to say, then keep your nose out of what doesn't concern you.

MrJoeSoap

He was being sarcastic, I think... Maybe I'm just lost and can't seperate reality from sarcasm any more.

gimmick

speriamo wrote:

I dont know if you dont listen or you have a huge chip on your shoulder. We are not a shambles. In fact the club has never been in better health off the pitch. How is being debt free and having a UEFA license and a stadium on the horizon a shambles? Dont comment on another club unless you know the facts son.

LOL. 19 years of walking around, and you say you are not a shambles. I will believe that Rovers have their own ground when I see it, because until they are there, as far as I am concerned, this is another false dawn. You will have to excuse my scepticism, but if memory serves a press release has been out every year for the last 5 saying the same thing - "Rovers to be in Tallaght this year".

As for debt free, Ill take your word for it. However, please dont be so condesending to call me son, boy.

applehunter

speriamo wrote:

More than possible.

I dont know if you dont listen or you have a huge chip on your shoulder. We are not a shambles. In fact the club has never been in better health off the pitch. How is being debt free and having a UEFA license and a stadium on the horizon a shambles? Dont comment on another club unless you know the facts son.

Nobody will automatically get a place. And nobody will be removed. Saturdays vote was in effect a vote to signal the clubs intention to merge pending clarification on the exact criteria. There was also a legal issue involved.

There are a lot of factors to come into it. History is not one of them. Obviously the better you do on the pitch the more chance you have of getting a place so next season wont be meaningless.

Our club would go along with what the Dundalk General Manager said there on the reasons why they voted yes.

Oh yes, Rovers are the template for running an Eircom League Club.

speriamo

gimmick wrote:

LOL. 19 years of walking around, and you say you are not a shambles. I will believe that Rovers have their own ground when I see it, because until they are there, as far as I am concerned, this is another false dawn. You will have to excuse my scepticism, but if memory serves a press release has been out every year for the last 5 saying the same thing - "Rovers to be in Tallaght this year".

As for debt free, Ill take your word for it. However, please dont be so condesending to call me son, boy.

Your original quote was "Here and now Rovers are a shambles...."

That is incorrect. I am in a much better position to comment on our club than you are. As for debt free the minutes from our AGM will be available soon.

You've done some "running around" as well sonny. Flower Lodge, Musgrave Park, Bishopstown and the Cross.

Applehunter we are the template for running a club in this league NOW. Everything the club does now is transparent and open.

gimmick

speriamo wrote:

sonny.

speriamo

gimmick wrote:

Pal:D Kid:D

applehunter

speriamo wrote:

Your original quote was "Here and now Rovers are a shambles...."

That is incorrect. I am in a much better position to comment on our club than you are. As for debt free the minutes from our AGM will be available soon.

You've done some "running around" as well sonny. Flower Lodge, Musgrave Park, Bishopstown and the Cross.

Applehunter we are the template for running a club in this league NOW. Everything the club does now is transparent and open.

Still don't think we managed to play a home game in Dublin yet.

Are Rovers finally going to sort out the "bad" element in your support?