Cross border football leagues in small countries ??

IRISHSPORTSGUY

From the Irish Times

CROSS-BORDER LEAGUES: UEFA PRESIDENT Michel Platini said yesterday that depending on how an experiment with the women’s senior game in Belgium and the Netherlands turns out, the organisation could change its stance on cross-Border leagues over the coming seasons, something that could have enormous implications for the future of the Airtricity League.

A shift in policy would open the door to initiatives like the Celtic League proposal, a competition involving leading clubs from the likes of Ireland (North and South), Scotland and Wales, that was floated a few years ago but which failed to gain the necessary support, in part because of the lack of Uefa approval and fear that the status of the participating countries’ separate national teams might be undermined.

Now, however, with an increasing number of leagues struggling due to the international financial climate and many lacking the depth required to make them genuinely competitive, Platini has said a major change in policy might be only a few years away.

As part of their attempt to assess the implications of permitting difficult leagues to merge at the highest level, Uefa has sanctioned the women’s senior league in Belgium and the Netherlands to be played on a cross-border basis, with the leading teams from each country at the end of the campaign progressing to the Champions League.

At present the BeNe League project is intended to run for three years after which, Platini says, it will be assessed and a wider discussion can take place on the desirability of merging leagues elsewhere across Europe.

“We have to decide whether to allow two leagues to play together,” he said at a press conference in Monaco yesterday. “At the moment we don’t allow it but in the future it’s possible that we will.

“There are many things to be considered; it has an effect on European competitions and it’s really complicated but there are crises in many countries and so there are leagues that fear for their existence and so it is something that we need to consider.”

If the changes are ultimately approved, the transformation of club rugby in recent years could serve as a rough model, with clubs from participating countries, such as the “Celtic nations” forming a “superleague” style top flight with regional , or national, lower divisions and movement between the two via some form of promotion/relegation and play-offs.

Over the last few years a variety of proposals that included Norway, Denmark and Sweden as well as Scotland and possibly Ireland have been floated and Uefa could see such changes as a way of revitalising the professional game outside of the continent’s major leagues like England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France.

“It’s an interesting experiment and something that everyone will be following with a lot of interest,” said Airtricity League director Fran Gavin yesterday.

But, he suggested, the FAI’s most immediate interest is its own women’s game.

“It’s an area that you might develop,” he said, “if you didn’t have enough teams or the required quality to develop the game here.”

Shamrock Rovers chairman Jonathan Roche was more taken with the possibilities for a senior men’s game that is embroiled in yet another, sometimes acrimonious, debate over league structures. “I think even without Scotland or Wales it could be a positive thing because it could open the door to an all-Ireland league,” he said. “I think the IFA are fairly attached to their national team and I can’t really see them letting it go but I think they’d be far more inclined to give up the league if it was all going to be done within the structures of Uefa.

“I know it’s a different sport but if you look at the RaboDirect Pro 12, I think you can see the wider possibilities and if Scotland were involved this could be far more than just a shot in the arm for the Irish game. They have a football industry over there and a game like Dundee United against Cork City would have a real appeal.”

Ultimately, the proposal could give rise to a number of regional leagues across the continent and might even result in some of the championships that were dismantled in the wake of the break up of Eastern Bloc being partially reconstituted. There, as here, more competitive games would be seen as a way of rekindling public interest in watching games live and generating greater revenues

AgileMyth

Whatever about a joint league with the North, the 'Celtic Nations' is a horrible idea and I really hope it never happens.

Imagine the expense of following a team in that league.

NIMAN

An All-Ireland league is only a matter of time, its the only way football can be viable on this island, with the dwindling crowds we are currently experiencing.

It needs a shakeup and a new selling point.

The Setanta Cup has worked fairly well as a precursor to it, despite the odd bit of bother, but I think that would die out quickly enough once teams play each other on a regular basis.

Agree that having away games in Wales or Scotland probably would not work.

Neil3030

NIMAN wrote: »

Setanta Cup has worked fairly well as a precursor to it, despite the odd bit of bother, but I think that would die out quickly enough once teams play each other on a regular basis.

Dunno about that. Both sides of the border have their fair share of scum

NIMAN

Neil3030 wrote: »

Dunno about that. Both sides of the border have their fair share of scum

Of course they do, but small amount of scum can be handled (I hope).

Fight_Night

I'd love to see it happen personally. Expense in travelling would be an issue for a Celtic league but in mainland Europe it wouldn't be an issue.

IRISHSPORTSGUY

Fight_Night wrote: »

I'd love to see it happen personally. Expense in travelling would be an issue for a Celtic league but in mainland Europe it wouldn't be an issue.

A bit off-topic, but I wonder how clubs like Tom Tomsk and SKA-Energiya in the Russian 2nd division can afford to travel practically a continent length every second week? Does the Russian Football Association cover the flight costs or something? Needless to say, I highly doubt those clubs' fans travel away!

mikemac1

Would they do it like baseball?

You play a series of games maybe?

If some team has to travel 1,000km to Eastern Russia maybe work the schedule and keep them there for a few weeks and do several games

GLaDOS

Wouldn't mind All Ireland but would be against a join up with Scotland/Wales.

That said, I wouldn't expect either to fix anything, the fundamental problems of the league have to be addressed.

gnfnrhead

IRISHSPORTSGUY wrote: »

A bit off-topic, but I wonder how clubs like Tom Tomsk and SKA-Energiya in the Russian 2nd division can afford to travel practically a continent length every second week? Does the Russian Football Association cover the flight costs or something? Needless to say, I highly doubt those clubs' fans travel away!

The Russian second division is split into five regions. They dont travel anywhere near that far.

Mars Bar

This part made me happy.

But, he suggested, the FAI’s most immediate interest is its own women’s game.

IRISHSPORTSGUY

gnfnrhead wrote: »

The Russian second division is split into five regions. They dont travel anywhere near that far.

Sorry, correct term for the Russian second tier is 'Football Championship of the National League'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012%E2%80%9313_Football_Championship_of_the_National_League

applehunter

Makes no sense that the island of Ireland has 2 leagues.

Only in soccer.:rolleyes:

Fight_Night

IRISHSPORTSGUY wrote: »

A bit off-topic, but I wonder how clubs like Tom Tomsk and SKA-Energiya in the Russian 2nd division can afford to travel practically a continent length every second week? Does the Russian Football Association cover the flight costs or something? Needless to say, I highly doubt those clubs' fans travel away!

It is a bit of a mystery alright. Suppose the train systems in Russia aren't bad, but there's no way fans could afford to be going to away matches regularly.

Pure_Cork

An All-Ireland League would be brilliant, it is the way forward for football in Ireland and it's only a matter of time before it becomes a reality.

I wouldn't like to see a "Celtic League" with Wales and Scotland also involved. Travel costs would be very prohibitive, and let's be honest about it outside of the Old Firm there's very few teams in Scotland and Wales that would be a crowd-puller in Ireland to make it worthwhile.

BOHtox

NIMAN wrote: »

An All-Ireland league is only a matter of time, its the only way football can be viable on this island, with the dwindling crowds we are currently experiencing.

It needs a shakeup and a new selling point.

The Setanta Cup has worked fairly well as a precursor to it, despite the odd bit of bother, but I think that would die out quickly enough once teams play each other on a regular basis.

Agree that having away games in Wales or Scotland probably would not work.

Once you start supporting a team you don't stop. Do you think Bohs fans ever get tired of playing Rovers? Or Dundalk or Drogheda? Or whomever?
Do you think Liverpool fans get tired of playing City? Or Arsenal? etc

The current system whereby you play each other 3 times, at one stage it was 4, is the only way where you could get sick of playing a team.

I think under Fenlon we played Sligo 7 times and Dundalk 6 in the one season. I think 4 in the league, one league cup and one fai cup and replay. 4 league, 1 league cup and replay.