Greatest League in the World 2024 [new thread available]

DvB

Awesomeness wrote: »

There HAS to be relegation as a bare minimum.

Just to be clear most people do not support the idea of scrapping games so far. But their needs to be competitiveness in the league. Our off season is already too long. They should have extended the season by a month, play some midweek games and have an extra round of fixtures or a split.

Agree.

Irishmale0399

DvB wrote: »

Last season is last season, this is the current season so any comparisons to that are irrelevant.

Would you be saying the same if the situation was reversed? Imagine the outrage from Peak 6 if your team ultimately then finished runner up by a point & they lost out on the CL cash thats been budgeted for.

I stand by by what I said, this has nothing to do with fair play and everything to dismissing the 3 point advantage Rovers had when play was stopped.

FTR I agree that no relegation is a mistake. Without that level of competitiveness across the league the integrity is compromised.

FTR if Dundalk were 10 points ahead and the rules were changed once things had started as is the case now, I would also be for a restart from scratch or to finish what was started. As I said the FAI are legally running into a minefield and are too narrow minded to see it.


Rovers advantage is peanuts, and fans outside the Rovers bubble know that. Sure you were champions elect last season only to collapse, with more or less the same spine of the squad this year. How many points did Dundalk catch up and surpass you by?? 3 points is 1 bad game or a bad refs decision, every team has that risk after the LOI restart, especially after 2-3 months off.

If there is no relagation there should be no champions, regardless of who is top, that would also mean no European places. I dont think there is another league in Europe who could come up with such an idea....ahhh sure we will play 13 games, feck the sponsors, feck the integrity of the game....it looks good, the clubs will have to take it or leave it and the FAI get a bit of auld cash from the government for a half hearted effort. Sure wont it be great...give the LOI the bare min., schoolboys and so on a bit to keep them happy and the rest will payoff the mess JD left behind. Ohhh wait...the people working on this plan are the same people who allowed us to get into the sh1te in the first place. JDs people are still on the payroll and therefore the same people who promised Waterford European football to name but one public matter. Quinn is just a face....the real problem still exists, the foot soldiers have not yet been replaced.

DvB

I've already stated my opinion on relegation, i.e. there needs to be or there is no point to restarting, this we appear to agree on. I've also stated my opinion on preferring a longer season as opposed to the 2 rounds (18 games total) currently being suggested. I'd even be willing to forego the FAI cup to achieve this as i think the more games the better for a myriad of reasons.

We'll agree to disagree on why Dundalk want Rovers 3 point advantage taken away, & whilst Dundalk may overcome that 'peanuts' advantage & win the league by that & more (seeing as a Rovers collapse is inevitable because it happened last year) it doesn't take away from the fact the points were earned on the pitch at the time in good faith watched by paying spectators, voiding these rounds serves no purpose in terms of the integrity of the competition IMO.

I'm not debating the rights or wrongs in the FAI as that's a a far wider debate that I haven't the time, will or energy to get into here, though I suspect we're not a million miles apart on our opinions with respect to that organisation.

doncarlos

DvB wrote: »

Last season is last season, this is the current season so any comparisons to that are irrelevant.

Would you be saying the same if the situation was reversed? Imagine the outrage from Peak 6 if your team ultimately then finished runner up by a point & they lost out on the CL cash thats been budgeted for.

I stand by by what I said, this has nothing to do with fair play and everything to dismissing the 3 point advantage Rovers had when play was stopped.

FTR I agree that no relegation is a mistake. Without that level of competitiveness across the league the integrity is compromised.

No way should the points won already be scrapped but the league shouldn't be 18 games. Dundalk have budgeted for playing 50 games across all competitions and signed players accordingly. I understand why it would suit other clubs to have a reduced number of games as it suits their financial situation but surely there is some middle ground?

I'd agree with you about relegation. What happens last game of the season if there is a point or two in it and one of the top two is playing a team going for Europe and the other is playing a team that has nothing to play for and plays a load of u19s

Regardless of what happens, Rovers have an advantage that was earned on the pitch and that shouldn't be taken off them.

Cape Clear

Irishmale0399 wrote: »

FTR if Dundalk were 10 points ahead and the rules were changed once things had started as is the case now, I would also be for a restart from scratch or to finish what was started. As I said the FAI are legally running into a minefield and are too narrow minded to see it.


Rovers advantage is peanuts, and fans outside the Rovers bubble know that. Sure you were champions elect last season only to collapse, with more or less the same spine of the squad this year. How many points did Dundalk catch up and surpass you by?? 3 points is 1 bad game or a bad refs decision, every team has that risk after the LOI restart, especially after 2-3 months off.

If there is no relagation there should be no champions, regardless of who is top, that would also mean no European places. I dont think there is another league in Europe who could come up with such an idea....ahhh sure we will play 13 games, feck the sponsors, feck the integrity of the game....it looks good, the clubs will have to take it or leave it and the FAI get a bit of auld cash from the government for a half hearted effort. Sure wont it be great...give the LOI the bare min., schoolboys and so on a bit to keep them happy and the rest will payoff the mess JD left behind. Ohhh wait...the people working on this plan are the same people who allowed us to get into the sh1te in the first place. JDs people are still on the payroll and therefore the same people who promised Waterford European football to name but one public matter. Quinn is just a face....the real problem still exists, the foot soldiers have not yet been replaced.

FTR All Dundalk fans are Peak 6 lap dogs it would appear.

Irishmale0399

Cape Clear wrote: »

FTR All Dundalk fans are Peak 6 lap dogs it would appear.

Would much prefare to be a Peak6 lapdog as you put it, than a lovechild hanging onto what remains of JDs coattails. Enjoy your 3 points.....but dont come back crying in 12 months when you realise the LOI is stuck where it is today or has gone back in time.

topmanamillion

shanec1928 wrote: »

id say over a full season that would have been our ambition to try for europe id assume it would be the same ambition for most of the other clubs in the league. the season is now going to be decided on 13 games, hardly fair solution.

We'd have been doing another rally around the Rovers around now and hoping to stagger out of the relegation places.

Scrapping relegation for this year would be great news for us. That squad was never getting into the top 6 never mind Europe. We started the season with a squad that was far weaker than the one that finished 7th the season before and Cork, Harps, Shels all looking better than us.

joeysoap

Irishmale0399 wrote: »

1. The FAI never had money to restart in the first place and were brandishing figures around in hope that the government/Sports Ireland would pay up.

2. The FAI see a chance to earn a quick buck

Interesting comments yesterday from DFC:
First meeting with the FAI, streaming would be free for season ticket holders.
Second meeting, the clubs would have to buy the package and decide themselves how to market it to their fans.

Good interview with bill hulsizer. Interesting that whatever the FAI gets they they ‘take back’ ( not that they ever gave it) the €2m first.
I thought the bit where he says Bantry Bay is one of most beautiful places in the world, and he should know, he’s seen most of it. was funny.


Sunday Times reported the FAI had ‘slipped’ to 100th place in RepTracks research into top companies. The IRFU were 4th, The GAA were 41st. With Delaney in charge the FAI were 97th. Go figure.. I can’t find it now but I think I read somewhere the FAI were getting €10m

Zebra3 wrote: »

Sligo going for Europe? :pac:

Stranger things have happened.

grayzer75

Cape Clear wrote: »

FTR All Dundalk fans are Peak 6 lap dogs it would appear.

Rovers supported Delaney and the FAI, enough said.........

Irishmale0399

grayzer75 wrote: »

Rovers supported Delaney and the FAI, enough said.........

If rumours are to be believed....he is working in the UK for one of their shareholders. Need we say anymore???

grayzer75

joeysoap wrote: »

Good interview with bill hulsizer. Interesting that whatever the FAI gets they they ‘take back’ ( not that they ever gave it) the €2m first.
I thought the bit where he says Bantry Bay is one of most beautiful places in the world, and he should know, he’s seen most of it. was funny.


Sunday Times reported the FAI had ‘slipped’ to 100th place in RepTracks research into top companies. The IRFU were 4th, The GAA were 41st. With Delaney in charge the FAI were 97th. Go figure.. I can’t find it now but I think I read somewhere the FAI were getting €10m








Stranger things have happened.

He's a well travelled man by the sounds of him on the podcast. I laughed at the bit with the Indian kid kicking him with the combat boots on.

Irishmale0399

joeysoap wrote: »

Good interview with bill hulsizer. Interesting that whatever the FAI gets they they ‘take back’ ( not that they ever gave it) the €2m first.
I thought the bit where he says Bantry Bay is one of most beautiful places in the world, and he should know, he’s seen most of it. was funny.

Great interview, also Martin Connolly was very clear in his part. Bantry Bay....Gav should take him for a spin out to Cooley, Omeath, Carlingford, Blackrock and Whitestown....change his opinion.

joeysoap

I think to be fair to Vinny he would prefer another 18 matches. Think he never mentioned scrapping the 4/5 matches already played.

joeysoap

Irishmale0399 wrote: »

Great interview, also Martin Connolly was very clear in his part. Bantry Bay....Gav should take him for a spin out to Cooley, Omeath, Carlingford, Blackrock and Whitestown....change his opinion.

Off topic: going well there till you mentioned Omeath

Cape Clear

Irishmale0399 wrote: »

Would much prefare to be a Peak6 lapdog as you put it, than a lovechild hanging onto what remains of JDs coattails. Enjoy your 3 points.....but dont come back crying in 12 months when you realise the LOI is stuck where it is today or has gone back in time.

Would you jump out an upstairs window too if Peak 6 asked you?

dundalkfc10

joeysoap wrote: »

I think to be fair to Vinny he would prefer another 18 matches. Think he never mentioned scrapping the 4/5 matches already played.

Vinny has already came out and said his words were taking out of context by the newspaper but let the lads on here keep having a go.

VP has stated if its 13 games we will be ready, if its 3 rounds we will be ready.

I dont get all the hate for Peak 6, is it because they are not in charge of another club?

They have helped in removing Delaney, clubs finding out FAI have been robbing them blind and seem to want an improvement for Irish football as a whole, as they can see what everyone else can see a strong league is good for Dundalk.

Wuff Wuff

dundalkfc10 wrote: »

Vinny has already came out and said his words were taking out of context by the newspaper but let the lads on here keep having a go.

in fairness its one person from the Dundalk side stirring the pot constantly

but yep easy to see how the words can be taken out of context, any good manager (which VP showed he is last year by doing an excellent job must be said) of a team like Dundalk would back his team to do the talking on the pitch rather than campaign for a null and void.

Oat23

grayzer75 wrote: »

Rovers supported Delaney and the FAI, enough said.........

Remember those friendlies they just happened to be chosen to take part in? The FAI were good for them.

Meanwhile Limerick were refused authorisation for a huge friendly against Barcelona.

They always looked after each other.

Cape Clear

Oat23 wrote: »

Remember those friendlies they just happened to be chosen to take part in? The FAI were good for them.

Meanwhile Limerick were refused authorisation for a huge friendly against Barcelona.

They always looked after each other.

Fintan Drury also involved in that one IIRC.

dundalkfc10

Dan McDonnell saying all Prem Clubs have been told, dont come back this season and you will be relegated

DM_7

Mod Note: Too much sniping and tribalism included in some of the posts on this thread. Cut it out.

It is not acceptable to attack a poster or to categorise posters as unable to discuss topics in a balanced way due to the team they support.

Do not reply to this post on thread, PM me if it is not clear.

Oat23

dundalkfc10 wrote: »

Dan McDonnell saying all Prem Clubs have been told, dont come back this season and you will be relegated

Sligo Rovers' chairman replied to that tweet saying "hmmm..must get my ears cleaned" suggesting that isn't correct.

dundalkfc10

Oat23 wrote: »

Sligo Rovers' chairman replied to that tweet saying "hmmm..must get my ears cleaned" suggesting that isn't correct.

Thats a pity if its not true, would have got things moving.

Just seen the tweet Dan said they will be told.

Oat23

dundalkfc10 wrote: »

Thats a pity if its not true, would have got things moving.

Just seen the tweet Dan said they will be told.

Yeah just re-read it there and you're right. Myself and our chairman seen to have misread it initially.

ACitizenErased

I reckon it's Waterford causing the hassle now. Power seems stubborn enough. I'm surprised that we (Cork City) haven't objected at all...

Irishmale0399

ACitizenErased wrote: »

I reckon it's Waterford causing the hassle now. Power seems stubborn enough. I'm surprised that we (Cork City) haven't objected at all...

Power must feel as if he has been taken for a right run around........first Europe and now this.

Breakaway the only option. Would hopefully completely collapse the FAI.

joeysoap

My money on an 8 team league ( it was hinted about) was minus 2 Munster teams ( Cork City have surpassed their expiry date by now )

dundalkfc10

joeysoap wrote: »

My money on an 8 team league ( it was hinted about) was minus 2 Munster teams ( Cork City have surpassed their expiry date by now )

That would let the 1st Divison go ahead 2 teams up, no relegation in Prem and Cork and Waterford in 1st next season. 21 game season in Prem?

Zebra3

Apologies if it was discussed earlier, but what's the story with Cork not filing their 2018 accounts?

joeysoap

All joking aside: it hard to believe that Waterford have only come 3rd once (1976)and never 1st or 2nd since their glory days of the 60s and 70s. big city, fine ground, loyal support base. It’s not all down to Lee Power, though he’s not helping.

Awesomeness

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Breakaway the only option. Would hopefully completely collapse the FAI.

The problem here is not the fai. Its some clubs disagreeing with the others and everyone out for what suits them. Would be worse in a breakaway as we wouldn't have anyone else to step in and lay an ultimatum

Awesomeness

Awesomeness wrote: »

The problem here is not the fai. Its some clubs disagreeing with the others and everyone out for what suits them. Would be worse in a breakaway as we wouldn't have anyone else to step in and lay an ultimatum

Doesn’t mean the FAI aren’t a problem. They’re still the biggest one in all aspects.

Teams wouldn’t have to look out for number one as much only for years of the FAI.

Irishmale0399

Awesomeness wrote: »

The problem here is not the fai. Its some clubs disagreeing with the others and everyone out for what suits them. Would be worse in a breakaway as we wouldn't have anyone else to step in and lay an ultimatum

But the FAI is not neutral.....JD and other FAI top brass have mates at the top of LOI clubs.

Awesomeness

Irishmale0399 wrote: »

But the FAI is not neutral.....JD and other FAI top brass have mates at the top of LOI clubs.

If is gone. So are some of the other cronies. I'm not saying the new bunch are perfect bit I'm willing to wait and see.

The crisis we are facing now is not due to them. It's the mismanagement before the lack of funding and teams being self serving and understandably so.

Awesomeness

Irishmale0399 wrote: »

But the FAI is not neutral.....JD and other FAI top brass have mates at the top of LOI clubs.

JD is gone. So are some of the other cronies. I'm not saying the new bunch are perfect bit I'm willing to wait and see.

The crisis we are facing now is not due to them. It's the mismanagement before the lack of funding and teams being self serving and understandably so.

Liberta Per Gli Ultra

joeysoap wrote: »

All joking aside: loyal support base

Extratime.ie League of Ireland Attendance Report 2019

It is a drop from last year's 2,314 but you have to consider the fact in 2016 that average was 277.

BonnieSituation

Awesomeness wrote: »

The problem here is not the fai. Its some clubs disagreeing with the others and everyone out for what suits them. Would be worse in a breakaway as we wouldn't have anyone else to step in and lay an ultimatum

My recollection of the clubs' running the league was that it was less than stellar?

Is that a fever dream I had?

howiya

BonnieSituation wrote: »

My recollection of the clubs' running the league was that it was less than stellar?

Is that a fever dream I had?

You're not wrong but there are different people involved in running clubs now. I don't think we should rule out the clubs running the league themselves because it didn't work in the past

BonnieSituation

howiya wrote: »

You're not wrong but there are different people involved in running clubs now. I don't think we should rule out the clubs running the league themselves because it didn't work in the past

You're right, but there's enough plates spinning at the moment. Let's get through this period of lockdown and Mazars first.

Liberta Per Gli Ultra

howiya wrote: »

there are different people involved in running clubs now. I don't think we should rule out the clubs running the league themselves because it didn't work in the past

It's a fundamentally flawed idea, regardless of "different" people involved now.

The principle behind a national association having a proper stake in a national league is a sound one. A proper stake meaning one that carries genuine governance and administrative rights, while providing funding, support and neutral arbitration to the clubs.

The token relationships between FAs and FLs that exist at the top of the game are not good for the sport. They are largely the result of breakaways in the past and they allow a minority of selfish clubs with endless lines of credit to dictate the direction of the sport.

The issue with the FAI is not its involvement in the league, but the quality of that involvement and the motives of the people who creep their way to the top of the association.

topmanamillion

The FAI will always have to be involved in the league no matter what management structure it has.
The FAI will always be best placed to go after infrastructural grants something they've failed spectularly in compared to Greyhound and horse racing, GAA and rugby.
Shane Ross and the government actually came out a few months ago and said the FAI were underfunded for their participation level because they simply weren't looking for it.
That was so Delaney and his cronies could go under the radar without the scrutiny that comes with getting substantial funding.

That will be one of the biggest legacies of Delanys reign. The likes of the new Finn Park remaining a building site 15 years after ground was broken when relatively small change compared to some of the GAA and Rugby infrastructural grants could have gotten it operational and made it a focal point for football in the region.

Irishmale0399

Awesomeness wrote: »

JD is gone. So are some of the other cronies. I'm not saying the new bunch are perfect bit I'm willing to wait and see.

The crisis we are facing now is not due to them. It's the mismanagement before the lack of funding and teams being self serving and understandably so.

Rea Walsh, Fran Gavin, Cathal Dervan, Joe McGlue.....all still there and very much involved. These were the people closest to JD on a daily basis...

CrabRevolution

BonnieSituation wrote: »

My recollection of the clubs' running the league was that it was less than stellar?

Is that a fever dream I had?

While obviously the FAI's running of the league is dreadful, I find it strange how people think letting the clubs run the league for themselves will be some silver bullet solution.

Any shortcomings or failures in most LOI clubs are blamed on the FAI first, and then usually the board of management/owners. Whether it be financial issues, poor attendance, logistics, management etc. At the lower end of the FD you'll regularly see "Fans don't disagree with the current board so don't attend".

Then at the top end you've the more corporate-resembling clubs like Rovers, Dundalk etc. who the rest of the league accuse of being self interested/elitist and not looking after the other teams.

If the clubs govern the league, these same much-maligned owners would be in charge of the league.

Similarly with fan ownership; yes it'll ensure only those with an interest in the club are in charge and there should be no ulterior motives. But it's based off the idea that once you're good intentioned it's impossible to run a club badly, and any clubs that have been run badly were as a result of deliberate malice by the owners.

Cheek of those tramps in the FAI to threaten clubs with relegation when this whole thing is their mess and has been for decades.

Zebra3

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Cheek of those tramps in the FAI to threaten clubs with relegation when this whole thing is their mess and has been for decades.

The relegation threat is because of the pandemic. Don't think you can hold the FAI responsible for that.

And the clubs can hardly point the finger at the FAI when it comes to being badly run.

Ohmeha

Proposal is 12 team Premier Division for 2021 with First Division champions automatically promoted, no automatic relegation, 9th/10th placed Premier Division teams in play-offs with 2nd/3rd place First Divisions for 3 spots

This would be 3rd time that the 10 team Premier Division format only lasted for 3 seasons

https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/plan-b-compromise-proposed-as-league-of-ireland-clubs-aim-to-ease-tensions-with-fai-39318757.html

Oat23

Baraclough got the NI job. Good luck to him.

https://twitter.com/BBCSPORTNI/status/1276923721438150656?s=19

A massive failure hopefully.

joeysoap

Michael O’Neill, Liam Buckley, Ian Baraclough, John Caulfield, Stephen Kenny. All winners of the LOI since 2010. Three were appointed as national managers. (And Brian Kerr before that). The league is a lot better than its given credit for.