2011 Airtricity Season

BOHtox

..........is only 35 weeks long. In that 35 weeks you have 36 league games, Leinster Senior, League Cup, Fai Cup and for some, Europe.
Do you think 35 weeks is too short. IMO they should start it mid Feb and end it mid November with the cup final late November. What do you think....Is it too short. With 17 weeks with no income( off season) surely that's the end of 52 week contracts!

Pinturicchio

Yes, it's too short, but it's so short so that clubs don't have to pay players for as long.

Also, can we call it the League of Ireland, not "Airtricity?"

bohsman

Think theyre talking about having nearly a year break and going back to winter football at the end of this season, thatll be the end of contracts altogether.

Pinturicchio

bohsman wrote: »

Think theyre talking about having nearly a year break and going back to winter football at the end of this season, thatll be the end of contracts altogether.

If we do go back to winter football, there'd be some kind of mini season in between the two.

BOHtox

Pinturicchio wrote: »

If we do go back to winter football, there'd be some kind of mini season in between the two.

Agreed, like a 27 games on or something. Play each other 3 times instead of 4

cson

Imo the Summer season & Friday evening games are one of the best things about the LOI. And MNS too.

stovelid

bohsman wrote: »

Think theyre talking about having nearly a year break and going back to winter football at the end of this season, .

I really can't see it and hope not but nothing would surprise me.

CSF

bohsman wrote: »

Think theyre talking about having nearly a year break and going back to winter football at the end of this season, thatll be the end of contracts altogether.

I'd do a Maxi. No joke.

DH2K9

Pinturicchio wrote: »

Yes, it's too short, but it's so short so that clubs don't have to pay players for as long.

Also, can we call it the League of Ireland, not "Airtricity?"

The reason Airtricity sponsor the League of Ireland so people will call it the Airtricity League. Without a sponsor, there would be no professional football in Ireland.

dreamers75

DH2K9 wrote: »

The reason Airtricity sponsor the League of Ireland so people will call it the Airtricity League. Without a sponsor, there would be no professional football in Ireland.

There is no professional football in ireland.

Altho Some "teams" train 4 times a week which imo is professional.

monkey9

Is it only 35 weeks?? That seems rather short! I don't like thinking of it that way. March to November makes it seem that bit longer.

I'm bloody itching for the season to start again. Friday nights at Richmond Park and then off to the pub. I love it!!!

oldyouth

It is very hard to admit but professional football cannot be sustained in Ireland. We do, as a nation, enjoy the Beautiful Game but as long as our neighbours keep showing us shiny, slick, over inflated versions of the game, it will always appear to the wider public that our product is inferior.

It isn't, live football in Ireland is real, it is honest, it is about one club pitting itself against another as best it can and deserves more respect than it is given.

Loves me live footie, me does!

stovelid

Pre-season friendlies will be here next month.

bohsman

oldyouth wrote: »

It is very hard to admit but professional football cannot be sustained in Ireland. !

Its sustainable, just not at the crazy wages that have been handed out.

monkey9

oldyouth wrote: »

It is very hard to admit but professional football cannot be sustained in Ireland. We do, as a nation, enjoy the Beautiful Game but as long as our neighbours keep showing us shiny, slick, over inflated versions of the game, it will always appear to the wider public that our product is inferior.

It isn't, live football in Ireland is real, it is honest, it is about one club pitting itself against another as best it can and deserves more respect than it is given.

Loves me live footie, me does!

That will always be the way, tbh. But it's not just Ireland. Plenty of countries in Europe and Asia have the same problem.

People will mock the league and sometimes the league makes it easy for those who want to mock. But unless people make the effort to go to matches, they'll never know the magic of it all. It's their loss!!

pablomakaveli

Theres usually a two week break in the middle of the season so that puts it down to 36 games in 33 weeks.

dreamers75

Gonna assume the friday night shakes have kicked in and we watching youtube videos from last season. its the 10th week for us less for the Roverssssss both of them.

bohsman wrote: »

Its sustainable, just not at the crazy wages that have been handed out.

Define professionalism in my mind its training 4-5 times a week rather than 2-3 and being paid €400-500 a week or similiar to a normal person on a 39 hour week.

Our clubs believe €3000 is the professionals wages.

Pinturicchio

The only weekend with no fixtures this season is the weekend of the 31st July.

stovelid

Pinturicchio wrote: »

The only weekend with no fixtures this season is the weekend of the 31st July.

Are the FAI doing their shiny friendly thing that weekend maybe.

holidaysong

Pinturicchio wrote: »

The only weekend with no fixtures this season is the weekend of the 31st July.

So the FAI can have a LOI XI play in their mickey mouse tournament in Lansdowne Road that week.

Gavin "shels"

DH2K9 wrote: »

The reason Airtricity sponsor the League of Ireland so people will call it the Airtricity League. Without a sponsor, there would be no professional football in Ireland.

Ye because everyone knows the EPL as the Barclays Premier League!:rolleyes:

monkey9 wrote: »

That will always be the way, tbh. But it's not just Ireland. Plenty of countries in Europe and Asia have the same problem.

Not to the extent as here from what I know, any big football supporting Nations can still sustain good standard of football with decent crowds while people support English clubs. China, Japan, Finland and Sweden from what I know have a heavy interest in English football but still have alright attendences while competing with other national sports.



Personnally I think the League is too short, but with work and college it makes life easier it only being 30 odd weeks. It's also a benefit to part-time club who only have contracted players for the length of the season (unless you're Waterford Utd and pay a certain new player a decent weekly wage during the season and a couple of hundred off season to keep him happy).

Pinturicchio

China and Japan have slightly larger populations than Ireland, Gavin. :P

dreamers75

Gavin shels wrote: »

(unless you're Waterford Utd and pay a certain new player a decent weekly wage during the season and a couple of hundred off season to keep him happy).

How can you sustain the high horseness for 52 weeks? Do you not feel you should be paid for this civic duty?

Gavin "shels"

Pinturicchio wrote: »

China and Japan have slightly larger populations than Ireland, Gavin. :P

True, probably have a lot more sports to compete with too though.;)

dreamers75 wrote: »

How can you sustain the high horseness for 52 weeks? Do you not feel you should be paid for this civic duty?

Huh?

BOHtox

Part time contracts are 42 weeks. They end october 31st. They start 42 weeks previous. I think it's because they get paid during pre-season!
So a longer league would probably just mean 44week contract

bohsman

dreamers75 wrote: »

Define professionalism in my mind its training 4-5 times a week rather than 2-3 and being paid €400-500 a week or similiar to a normal person on a 39 hour week.

Our clubs believe €3000 is the professionals wages.

Train 5 days a week and dont work outside of playing, should be well doable at 30k p/a plus bonuses increasing as the club increases revenue.

Pinturicchio

BOHtox wrote: »

Part time contracts are 42 weeks. They end october 31st. They start 42 weeks previous. I think it's because they get paid during pre-season!
So a longer league would probably just mean 44week contract

That's assuming players sign contracts during pre-season, not a day or two before the first league match.

frantic190

pablomakaveli wrote: »

Theres usually a two week break in the middle of the season so that puts it down to 36 games in 33 weeks.

Incidentally, they have pushed that forward to coincide with the tournament the LOI XI are participating in in the Aviva. (Edit: Someone beat me to it I see)

How many gameweeks do we normally miss, one or two?

stovelid

dreamers75 wrote: »

Gonna assume the friday night shakes have kicked in and we watching youtube videos from last season..

Or watching last two MNS and the Bray Rovers game on Sky + Can't wait for March.