Messages

I dont think it will work long term at a club as players will eventually get pissed off of not knowing where they stand but it may work this year in the Premiership.

So a full season isn't long term?  Benitez chooses players with the 'right mentality' for rotation, if they don't like it he will be ruthless as before.

Also you forgot, first all overseas PL team with no brits on it!

RIP Tommy - a great man who despite his success didn't forget his roots.  magickingdom, I would say that as his late wife Mary is buried in Dover, NH he too will be laid to rest there.

I think it would be an afwul long season.  with leagues usually continuing on until nearly october at present squeezing another 10 games in would be too much.

I agree el cuervo fc, if they were to adopt this system either: there would be only 1 round of games, 7 home and 7 away ties, or break each league into 2 tiers with 12-14 games in each.

Even if you consider it progress it's an exception, not the norm, how teams are well beat when they face teams two divisions above them?

You are right Pints, it is not good for any team to get a hammering.  Although sometimes it can be good for the game for a lower league team to pit their wits against a stronger outfit.  I remember in the early 90s Mullaghbawn were too strong league wise for the Intermediate, but kept on getting beat (teams raising their game), but when they got out of it, it pushed them on to not only an Armagh Senior Championship but an Ulster crown as well.

Taking PofG suggestion, (based on current standings) here is how the Leagues would shape up: 28 games per year excluding the championship would be a concern. 

ACL Senior

Crossmaglen
Mullaghbawn
Dromintee
Maghery 
Pearse Og
Harps
Clan na Gael
Whitecross
Culloville
Tir na nÓg
Killeavey 
St Patrick's 
Silverbridge
St Michael's
Carrickcruppen

------------------------------------------

ACL Intermediate

Ballymacnab
Granemore
Clann Eireann
Keady
Wolfe Tones
Annaghmore 
St Peter's   
Madden
An Port Mor 
Sarsfields 
Lissummon
Collegeland
Tullysaran
Clonmore
Ballyhegan 

------------------------------------------

ACL Junior

St Paul's
Middletown
Clady 
Crossmaglen II
Belleek 
Grange 
Dorsey Emmett's 
Shane O'Neill's
Eire Og
Forkhill 
Mullaghbrack 
Derrynoose
O'Hanlon's 
Corrinshego
Phelim Brady's

My rules:
For promotion / relegation, 2/3 spots.  If a team faced relegation but won their respective championship they would be immune and the team or teams above them would go down.  Although they would have to defend the same championship the next year for this immunity.  If a team finishes in the top half of the league (outside the 2 automatic promotion places) and win the championship they get promoted along with the 2 top teams.  For a mid or lower half finish (outside the relegation zone) they get a 2 year wildcard entry into a higher championship. Thoughts??

btw O2, if we're talking about teams making progress, how can a team make progress if they go out in a championship match to face a team two divisions above them? 

In 06 Granemore faced Tir na nóg in the Senior Championship, 2 divisions above them at the time, and lost by a point, I'd say this was a good experience progression wise.  They also beat Whitecross the year before in the Intermediate final, again a progressive step.

Look at St. Pats - top team in division two - playing intermediate - Cruppen, Killeavy, Clann Eireann, Newtown all below them but playing senior.  Where is the sense with that?

PofG I totally agree with you that there are stronger league teams, playing in lower tiers of the championship, but this is the systems fault, not the clubs fault - and it is somehow representative of their recent championship form.  As I said I don't disagree with your argument, it was how you made it.  A league based system is not totally ideal too, as to use your favourite quoted examples, as Division 2 teams Granemore and Ballymacnab would be in the Intermediate tier.. say as happened recently either won this championship.. then under the new system they would be entitled to Senior football AND Division 1 status??

I don't actually disagree with you pints, although what will happen when a team who should be relegated from Division 1 win the Senior Championship?  However, it was the way in which you singled out particular clubs to illustrate your argument.  Those clubs were there on merit as they had won the Intermediate.  Also there is such a phenomena as 'championship teams', for example this year at inter-county level Sligo finished 4th in Division 2B behind the mighty Wexford, yet they are now Connacht Champions and competing in an All-Ireland quarter-final.

Finally your arrogant point about will former junior clubs ever matter in the Senior Championship, may well be true, but it doesn't take into account such huge strides these rural clubs have made in recent years and the changing fortunes of clubs.  Since the early 00's Granemore have won major underage honours from U12 up... and in 2002 beat Cross in the U16 all county championship.. whether this success translates into senior success remains to be seen... though you can never say never!

PofG I guess you are arguing that the championship should be based on league performance as Silverbridge would be re-graded into the Senior Championship, but lets face it if your club can't beat St. Peters in the Intermediate, why should they be in the Senior Championship?  Granemore lost to Killeavey by a goal when they were seemingly unstoppable in Division 2, hardly a mis-match!

And people can't understand why we complain about SK getting chance after chance after chance.

Touché PoG!

Now I know watching a bunch of angsty Jewish people for half an hour isn't everyone's cup of tea but come on.......... unfunny? You have to be kidding me. Classic example of a typical Seinfeld storyline (which I think is from the very first episode): Jerry has issues about a shirt he bought where the second button was too high up to keep buttoned and the next button down was too low down. Genius. I'm putting you on my list of enemies.....

Agree with you we are blue, Seinfeld is a great observational sitcom.

So far we have a North Armagh paper with a North Armagh bias, a Mid Armagh man with a Mid Armagh bias - I am just waiting for Joe Kernan to post....

Bishop Brennan gets a kick up the arse was my favourite episode, absolute gem of a comedy.

Strangely I watched that episode today, have to agree with Stew it is brilliant.  Also think the speed & golden cleric ones are great     

Liverpool close to capturing Babel
By Sam Wallace
Published: 09 July 2007

Liverpool made their second major move in the summer transfer market yesterday with a bid for the highly rated Dutch winger Ryan Babel. The club were understood to have offered around €10m (£6.75m) for the Ajax attacker, who was also a target for Arsenal and Newcastle.

Babel, 20, has attracted interest from all over Europe but it seems Rafa Benitez, the Liverpool manager, wants to make him the club's second significant signing of the close season after Fernando Torres. The player impressed in the Netherlands Under-21 team who won the European Championship on home soil last month and is regarded as the best of a crop of outstanding young Dutch talent.

He has already been capped by the full Netherlands side, scoring on his debut against Romania in March 2005, while the national team manager Marco van Basten has said Babel has the potential to be the next Thierry Henry.

Liverpool already have four first-team strikers in Torres, Peter Crouch, Dirk Kuyt and Andrei Voronin, but Babel is more adaptable and can be used as a winger. Benitez has said before that wide players are his priority this summer and he seems to have lost out on Florent Malouda, who will join Chelsea this week.

Ajax have not yet accepted Liverpool's bid for Babel, but it is close to their valuation of the striker.

By Sam Wallace

The Independent
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First I have heard of this guy, hope he is not another Mark Gonzalez!!