All-Ireland League

ourkid · 01-08-08, 01:43 PM

We know many years back we wouldn't have thought twice about joining with, then, an inferior (in football terms) league down south. Then they had less crowds, much less money and more financial issues than some IL clubs have nowadays. Even though these days, the only thing thats changed is a better quality of football due to some clubs participating in full-time set ups, however the financial risks are there to see with clubs selling their grounds to fund the team whilst others end up in the lower divisions after a financial collapse.
The Irish League however, whilst some clubs maintain a degree of financial stability, the football quality is hardly improving, old habits from the 90's are starting to creep in (sugar daddy clubs snapping up players for extortionate wages, consigned to eventually end up going bust).

The clubs need a financially viable, forward driven league set up, that takes us to full time football, with full time management and coaching, to stadiums capable of withstanding this. Eventual goals of giving the punter a better class of football to watch, more local players playing for their country, players moving on for better transfer fee's that can help sustain a club, stadiums improved and bringing the crowds back to provide a proper buzz on matchdays.

I believe the recent proposals by Jim Roddy goes a long way towards this, however needs to be balanced properly for each league, so there is no unfair bias towards one particular divide. The idea would bring major cash in for the winners of the league, something that is paramount to drive clubs to success. Hopefully it would be tied in with better TV coverage and thus more cash coming in per game.
Again the idea is being washed aside, due to the political ramifications for the IFA and FAI given their current UEFA seats and the future of the current National sides.

Some scenarios could be mooted:

a). AI Premier League fed by winners of FAI League and IFA League with promotion and relegation. However this presents problems, given if two NI or ROI teams are at the bottom, it will imbalance the feeder division when it receives two relegated teams and only gives away one promoted side. Also, it would be unfair to say, last placed ROI team and last placed NI team go down, if NI have 5 teams in the top 5 (unlikely) a 5th placed team getting relegated would not be fair! A knockout based solution would probably resolve it.
This would need to have heavy support from UEFA, with both leagues maintaining their national side and UEFA representation, and CL spots are wrestled from the associations so the top two in the Premier League go through, the 4 remaining UEFA spots go to the winners of the Irish, FAI Cup and winners of each National league or something like that...
Politcally tough to pull off...
What is paramount is if its 10 teams, its 5 from north, 5 from south.

b). Similar to above, but fuck the assocations, who cares, national teams are maintained, but leagues all merge similar to the old English set up of Div 2 north, Div 2 south etc.

c). who cares about national team ramifications or assocations, merge the lot, all-ireland the lot..

d). Open to the idea of an All-Ireland league as long as it suits every political persuasion and is agreed by both leagues, all teams and UEFA.

e). Dont want no AIL, new Irish League deserves a chance.

Vote as appropriate, keep your responses dignified as its a public poll

Lucretia · 03-08-08, 02:03 PM

I'm all for an All-Ireland League. I'm not up for this whole 5 from the North 5 from the South scenario though. Sadly there are not 5 teams good enough from Northern Ireland. If its a 10 team league and there is an 8/2 advantage for the Republic (and there probably would be) so be it.

I would have something along the lines of this :-

AI Prem: Blues, Glens, Bohs, St Pats, Cork, Drogs, Derry, Sham, Sligo, Galway

Then I'd have regional divisions

NI Prem: C'ville, Dungannon, Ports, B'mena, C'raine, Newry, Crues, Distillery, Glenavon, Institute
ROI Prem: Bray, Harps, UCD, Longford, Dundalk, Waterford, Limerick, Monaghan, Athlone, Shels

The winners of each Premier Division would play in a two legged playoff. Played at Mourneview or Seaview in NI and Tolka or Flancare in ROI. Winner of the playoff would replace the team that finished bottom of the AI Premier.

There would be Promotion/Relegation from the NI and ROI Prem's like whats currently in place. This can be (mis)controlled by the IFA and FAI. Thus sustaining two separate organizations and two separate international teams.

ateta · 03-08-08, 02:17 PM

I think a 12 team league makes most sense, but it would have to be 8 from down there and 4 NI teams.

Lucretia · 03-08-08, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ateta

I think a 12 team league makes most sense, but it would have to be 8 from down there and 4 NI teams.

I don't think there are 4 teams good enough. 3 at a push, and it would have to be a strong push. It would be a toss-up between a NI Championship side and a team that gets beat 11-0 in Europe.

Bluenose · 03-08-08, 02:33 PM

no ''all ireland' anything.

ateta · 03-08-08, 02:44 PM

Fuck sake neb the irish league is a joke. We need a bigger challenge. With that would come bigger crowds/tv money and therefore the standard would go up. Im sick of playing dopey teams week in week out.

As long as we can keep our own national team im all for an AIL

Linfield Ranger · 03-08-08, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluenose

no ''all ireland' anything.

Exactly!

Look how easy Setanta overcame that non starter name with their Setanta Sports Cup.

billyard1886 · 07-08-08, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linfield Ranger

Exactly!

Look how easy Setanta overcame that non starter name with their Setanta Sports Cup.

No All-Ireland for me, we've done alright in the past 122 years & roll on the next 100 odd years

FTG & FAI

Bluenose · 11-08-08, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ateta

Fuck sake neb the irish league is a joke. We need a bigger challenge. With that would come bigger crowds/tv money and therefore the standard would go up. Im sick of playing dopey teams week in week out.

As long as we can keep our own national team im all for an AIL

rubbish

jimhancot · 11-08-08, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluenose

rubbish

Neb loves going to Institute and Bangor. He loves putting 4 and 5 past teams that come to Windsor and put 10 men behind the ball. It gives him a thrill.

David Watts · 12-08-08, 07:06 AM

I would have been for a cross border league (Watts dont do All Ireland Institutions

) but I've changed my mind of late. It's a pain in the arse getting to Solitude or Suffolk Rd, imagine the hassle of going to away games having to go through the same crap nearly every other week?

tony coly · 12-08-08, 03:26 PM

join the jocks then

this league's a heap of shite

Crooks · 12-08-08, 05:14 PM

Until our supporters can travel in unrestricted numbers the FAI can suck my left one.

No All Ireland Anything.

Linfield Ranger · 12-08-08, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crooks

No All Ireland Anything.

There is a certain irony in that, as every option in this poll has the wording "all Ireland" attached, even the "no all Ireland" one!

Bluenose · 13-08-08, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimhancot

Neb loves going to Institute and Bangor. He loves putting 4 and 5 past teams that come to Windsor and put 10 men behind the ball. It gives him a thrill.

Fuck anything 'ALL IRELAND' it is as simple as that.

Do you really think an 'ALL IRELAND' league would imrove things greatly? NO is your answer.

FUCK ALL IRELAND

View Poll Results: What do you want for the future of Irish Football
All Ireland league option a	4	11.43%
All-Ireland League, option b	6	17.14%
All-Ireland League, option c	0	0%
All-Ireland League, option d	4	11.43%
No All-Ireland league	21	60.00%
Voters: 35. You may not vote on this poll

01-08-08, 01:43 PM	#1
ourkid Barman Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: The Village Posts: 1,382 Thanks: 88 Thanked 104 Times in 39 Posts	All-Ireland League We know many years back we wouldn't have thought twice about joining with, then, an inferior (in football terms) league down south. Then they had less crowds, much less money and more financial issues than some IL clubs have nowadays. Even though these days, the only thing thats changed is a better quality of football due to some clubs participating in full-time set ups, however the financial risks are there to see with clubs selling their grounds to fund the team whilst others end up in the lower divisions after a financial collapse. The Irish League however, whilst some clubs maintain a degree of financial stability, the football quality is hardly improving, old habits from the 90's are starting to creep in (sugar daddy clubs snapping up players for extortionate wages, consigned to eventually end up going bust). The clubs need a financially viable, forward driven league set up, that takes us to full time football, with full time management and coaching, to stadiums capable of withstanding this. Eventual goals of giving the punter a better class of football to watch, more local players playing for their country, players moving on for better transfer fee's that can help sustain a club, stadiums improved and bringing the crowds back to provide a proper buzz on matchdays. I believe the recent proposals by Jim Roddy goes a long way towards this, however needs to be balanced properly for each league, so there is no unfair bias towards one particular divide. The idea would bring major cash in for the winners of the league, something that is paramount to drive clubs to success. Hopefully it would be tied in with better TV coverage and thus more cash coming in per game. Again the idea is being washed aside, due to the political ramifications for the IFA and FAI given their current UEFA seats and the future of the current National sides. Some scenarios could be mooted: a). AI Premier League fed by winners of FAI League and IFA League with promotion and relegation. However this presents problems, given if two NI or ROI teams are at the bottom, it will imbalance the feeder division when it receives two relegated teams and only gives away one promoted side. Also, it would be unfair to say, last placed ROI team and last placed NI team go down, if NI have 5 teams in the top 5 (unlikely) a 5th placed team getting relegated would not be fair! A knockout based solution would probably resolve it. This would need to have heavy support from UEFA, with both leagues maintaining their national side and UEFA representation, and CL spots are wrestled from the associations so the top two in the Premier League go through, the 4 remaining UEFA spots go to the winners of the Irish, FAI Cup and winners of each National league or something like that... Politcally tough to pull off... What is paramount is if its 10 teams, its 5 from north, 5 from south. b). Similar to above, but fuck the assocations, who cares, national teams are maintained, but leagues all merge similar to the old English set up of Div 2 north, Div 2 south etc. c). who cares about national team ramifications or assocations, merge the lot, all-ireland the lot.. d). Open to the idea of an All-Ireland league as long as it suits every political persuasion and is agreed by both leagues, all teams and UEFA. e). Dont want no AIL, new Irish League deserves a chance. Vote as appropriate, keep your responses dignified as its a public poll __________________ Linfield FC - We're Being Conned Last edited by ourkid; 01-08-08 at 01:45 PM.

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03-08-08, 02:03 PM	#2
Lucretia BAHH! Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Belvoir Park Posts: 4,016 Thanks: 691 Thanked 595 Times in 282 Posts	I'm all for an All-Ireland League. I'm not up for this whole 5 from the North 5 from the South scenario though. Sadly there are not 5 teams good enough from Northern Ireland. If its a 10 team league and there is an 8/2 advantage for the Republic (and there probably would be) so be it. I would have something along the lines of this :- AI Prem: Blues, Glens, Bohs, St Pats, Cork, Drogs, Derry, Sham, Sligo, Galway Then I'd have regional divisions NI Prem: C'ville, Dungannon, Ports, B'mena, C'raine, Newry, Crues, Distillery, Glenavon, Institute ROI Prem: Bray, Harps, UCD, Longford, Dundalk, Waterford, Limerick, Monaghan, Athlone, Shels The winners of each Premier Division would play in a two legged playoff. Played at Mourneview or Seaview in NI and Tolka or Flancare in ROI. Winner of the playoff would replace the team that finished bottom of the AI Premier. There would be Promotion/Relegation from the NI and ROI Prem's like whats currently in place. This can be (mis)controlled by the IFA and FAI. Thus sustaining two separate organizations and two separate international teams.

03-08-08, 02:17 PM	#3
ateta Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: East Belfast Posts: 1,352 Thanks: 524 Thanked 402 Times in 140 Posts	I think a 12 team league makes most sense, but it would have to be 8 from down there and 4 NI teams.

03-08-08, 02:33 PM	#5
Bluenose Administrator Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: The NEWTON Posts: 4,137 Thanks: 569 Thanked 986 Times in 340 Posts	no ''all ireland' anything.

03-08-08, 02:44 PM	#6
ateta Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: East Belfast Posts: 1,352 Thanks: 524 Thanked 402 Times in 140 Posts	Fuck sake neb the irish league is a joke. We need a bigger challenge. With that would come bigger crowds/tv money and therefore the standard would go up. Im sick of playing dopey teams week in week out. As long as we can keep our own national team im all for an AIL

12-08-08, 07:06 AM	#11
David Watts King of the Mods Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2,708 Thanks: 955 Thanked 981 Times in 379 Posts	I would have been for a cross border league (Watts dont do All Ireland Institutions ) but I've changed my mind of late. It's a pain in the arse getting to Solitude or Suffolk Rd, imagine the hassle of going to away games having to go through the same crap nearly every other week?

12-08-08, 03:26 PM	#12
tony coly Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 315 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	join the jocks then this league's a heap of shite

12-08-08, 05:14 PM	#13
Crooks Administrator Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Shankill Posts: 2,454 Thanks: 901 Thanked 371 Times in 156 Posts	Until our supporters can travel in unrestricted numbers the FAI can suck my left one. No All Ireland Anything.

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