Go Provincial

gosplan

Right, just reading the thread on the united Ireland football theory and it's prompted me to post here as regards another idea that sprang to mind.

Irish football teams to reorganise themselves on provincial lines, join Rangers and Celtic and enter a new revised Anglo/Irish/Scots premier league.

So Ireland has four teams, Munster, Ulster, Connaght and Leinster.

The pros:
1: Fully professional top level European standard football in a few years.(before people harp on about Derry, Shels and the ever-improving situation of the EL...you know what I mean).
2: Lots of big teams from England over for really big games(again you know what I mean)
3: Brilliant opportunity for Irish talent.
4: Does not need to be done over the EL, can rather be done in addition.

The cons:
1: Generally shi**ing all over the EL and the SPL.
2: Taking ticket sales out of the EL. Who's going to see Shels vrs Pats when Man U vrs Leinster is on.
3: Hard system to figure out. What happens leinster get relegated from the premiership? Do they go to championship or to the EL?


Discuss.

_blank_

And who, pray tell, is going to support these new teams.

The simple fact is that Irish people don't support Irish teams in any big numbers.

What makes you think this will be any different?

As a Shels fan, I wouldn't support another Irish team. (In any meaningful sense).

gosplan

"And who, pray tell, is going to support these new teams?"

To be economically viable these new teams would have to attract a lot more supporters then go to EL games.....and charge them a whole load more.

It could build up but I'd say you'd be right in thinking that the first few years would be loss making.

MrJoeSoap

Thats a really woeful idea. Next.

Why don't we create new English teams and put them in this league instead of United and Arsenal etc...

Take it you aren't an Eircom League fan?

johnos

Leinster? Where's that?

zAbbo

I don't know what you mean.

A Celtic League(from Rugby) type idea would be good, but taking the top teams from Ireland(North and South), Wales and Scotland, played over their existing league fixtures. Although the congestion of this would be nasty, perhaps a cup competetion instead.

Xavi6

Absolutely horrendous idea. I'd have no interest whatsoever in supporting a provincial team.

Not much of an opportunity for the players from Leinster in comparison to those in Munster. With all the Dublin clubs there would only be a few players from each team able to make the squad whereas Munster would be the Cork City team plus one or two Waterford lads.

_blank_

zabbo wrote:

A Celtic League(from Rugby) type idea would be good, but taking the top teams from Ireland(North and South), Wales and Scotland, played over their existing league fixtures. Although the congestion of this would be nasty, perhaps a cup competetion instead.

I think there are plans to introduce Welsh teams to the Setanta Cup in the future, and possibly some of the Scottish teams too, not the Old Firm teams, but possibly Hearts, Hibs, Gretna (:rolleyes:) or teams of that ilk (I'm not too up on Scottish football, who else would fall into this category?).

Xavi6

seansouth wrote:

I think there are plans to introduce Welsh teams to the Setanta Cup in the future, and possibly some of the Scottish teams too, not the Old Firm teams, but possibly Hearts, Hibs, Gretna (:rolleyes:) or teams of that ilk (I'm not too up on Scottish football, who else would fall into this category?).

Probably the teams that occupy the lower mini league that is run in SPL when the teams split for the final few games of the season. They have no chance of competing in Europe so this would give them experience of playing teams from other countries.

Last season the bottom six teams were - Inverness CT, Motherwell, Dundee United, Falkirk, Dunfermline and Livingston.

Töpher

Can't see any of them really adding much in terms of anything barring the novelty and expense of the away trips!