All Island Professional Soccer Franchise

fearglasmor · October 04, 2013, 05:33:24 PM

If the FA's Nth and Sth were genuinely interested in promoting soccer they would find a sponsor/s for an 11 team professional soccer league offering franchises across the island.
2 in Munster, 1 in Connaught, 4 in Ulster an 4 in Leinster
Fixed manageable budgets for full time professional franchises and build from there.

Zulu · October 04, 2013, 08:44:27 PM

No real interest in soccer but why do you think a joint professional league would work when separate ones didn't, especially down south? I presume you're just shooting the breeze on an October evening but I'd be interested to hear what you think should happen to the current semi-professional/top level teams in Ireland if this plan came to pass?

Eamonnca1 · October 04, 2013, 09:32:37 PM

Bigger is better. Economies of scale and all that.

rodney trotter · October 04, 2013, 09:46:24 PM

Wouldn't work. The Airtricity League was practically full time a few years ago - don't think it would make a difference combining it. They would need healthy 5,000 crowds at games to stand a chance of revenue and I could never see that happening with arm chair fans glued to Skysports or maybe a local Gaelic match or Inter County game.

bennydorano · October 05, 2013, 08:21:06 AM

Sidetrack alert - why are Derry City still plying their trade in LOI? I know the history to it, but surely it would be manageable nowadays - even though the Irish league is as tinpot as they come the LOI is hardly a cash cow

T Fearon · October 05, 2013, 09:18:23 AM

All island professional league could work,though it would take time.With improved facilities,professional marketing,tv coverage,and clubs eventually qualifying for group stages of champions and Europa leagues,as well as domestic players featuring regularly in the international team.Potential definitely there.

rrhf · October 05, 2013, 09:36:01 AM

You think People are going to pay average footballers a wage in Ireland? Because that's what they would be.

Tonto · October 05, 2013, 10:18:40 AM

Can I ask why a professional league for football is seen as some sort of holy grail, but the same proposition is Gaelic would be treated with horror at the thought that our little amateur sport should subject itself to the pressures of capitalism?

This would lead only one way - a tiny group of teams dominating every year whilst the rest flounder. Meanwhile, the "top" clubs over stretch themselves, gambling with the very future of the club because it's all about making money. You only need to look to the SPL to see an example of that. Or, in fact, the League of Ireland (Shelbourne, Rangers).

Also, what do you do with the current teams? Disband them? And what about the fans who refuse to allow that to happen? That don't support your franchise because they can't reconcile themselves to the fact that their little amateur hometown club has sold its soul in pursuit of some silly notion that to be "professional" will mean that all of a sudden tens of thousands will come flooding through the gates to watch, perhaps a match of a similar standard to Motherwell vs Livingston?

Stupid idea for so many reasons.

Today, I will be attending a match between two clubs founded in their towns and supported by people from the area. Football the way is used to be.

rodney trotter · October 05, 2013, 10:34:52 AM

Quote from: T Fearon on October 05, 2013, 09:18:23 AM
All island professional league could work,though it would take time.With improved facilities,professional marketing,tv coverage,and clubs eventually qualifying for group stages of champions and Europa leagues,as well as domestic players featuring regularly in the international team.Potential definitely there.

You are asking for few a miracles there.

Limerick play their home games at Thomand Park and get an average gate of 3,500. Cork City get a average of 4,000 at Turners Cross. Provincial Clubs like that get good crowds as do Sligo Rovers,
Shamrock Rovers following is up and down .

There is a lot smaller attendances at the games in the North - I don't see how they would even get figures near that to make a All Ireland Pro league work.

Shamrock Shore · October 05, 2013, 10:39:24 AM

The only way to work any sort of professional soccer in Ireland is to look at the Pro12 set up in rugby and have a supreme league with the Scots and the Welsh.

The only reason that this hasn't been looked at - or indeed a United Ireland team, is due to the permanent seat the IFA has on the FIFA council along with Scotland, England and Wales and they are unwilling to look at letting someone from Dublin on to this.

It's all about power and bums on seats.

rodney trotter · October 05, 2013, 10:50:21 AM

Suppose easier to combine in PRO 12 as its Province. 4 teams. A greater area of interest and support. Different ball game talking about 11 team All Ireland Pro League.

T Fearon · October 05, 2013, 03:44:29 PM

Dont think it's that miraculous.Shamrock Rovers reached group stages of Europa League a few years ago from the current shambolic set up and although they didn't get a point they weren't disgraced either.

If it was properly marketed, and money started to flow in, and ultimately clubs qualified for Champs League and Europa League group stages (thus increasing income flow) and more local players with local clubs figured in International squad it could take off.In fact with fewer and fewer local lads getting a chance to shine on the bigger stages in England,it may be the only option if soccer is to seriously survive in Ireland,at international level even.

rodney trotter · October 05, 2013, 03:54:56 PM

Shelbourne almost reached the Champions League in 04 and went back since. Shamrock Rovers haven't gone back like that , yet, but they didnt even qualify for Europe this season and are currently in 5th position with not long left in the league.

The European results this year were the worst in a long time for League of Ireland clubs, not 1 club got past a round. Which was a set back as it was good before then.

Zulu · October 05, 2013, 10:14:08 PM

Quote from: T Fearon on October 05, 2013, 03:44:29 PM
Dont think it's that miraculous.Shamrock Rovers reached group stages of Europa League a few years ago from the current shambolic set up and although they didn't get a point they weren't disgraced either.

If it was properly marketed, and money started to flow in, and ultimately clubs qualified for Champs League and Europa League group stages (thus increasing income flow) and more local players with local clubs figured in International squad it could take off.In fact with fewer and fewer local lads getting a chance to shine on the bigger stages in England,it may be the only option if soccer is to seriously survive in Ireland,at international level even.

Fantasy stuff.

Rossfan · October 05, 2013, 10:26:50 PM

The average weekly attendance at Lge of Irel is about 15,000 max and probably not much more in the North.
I doubt if any "franchise" type of thingy would get a lot more - if even that as who'd travel very far to look at it?
Soccer in Ireland is a game played badly by many at social level and is a major TV Sport after that as people watch "their" overseas big Clubs' teams in action.
Going to an actual game as a spectator is a very minority interest.
Keep dreaming Tony and Fearglasmór