Newry City to join the League of Ireland.

[ardtole]

I heard a bit of speculation at the weekend about the possibility of Newry City reforming and joining the League of Ireland. I presume it is just something the supporters are looking in to, does anyone know if the FAI have been approached officially? Probably wouldnt be in the IFA's interest to see them follow Derry City down south.

[thewobbler]

Unless someone involved with Newry can unveil a master plan rooted in immersing the club in the culture of the city, then the LoI should run away from any application.

Going to a Newry match simply does not register as an event with the overwhelming majority of people in the area, and playing St Pats or Shamrock won't change this fact.

[deiseach]

Going to a Newry match simply does not register as an event with the overwhelming majority of people in the area, and playing St Pats or Shamrock won't change this fact.

St Pat's or Shamrock? The best they can hope for is Waterford! Beat Glentoran in the European Cup in 1970, so we did...

[armaghniac]

Could they get a rivalry going with Dundalk?

[Orior]

Wobbler,

Would interest not be doubled by Newry playing St Pats as opposed to playing Crusaders? Newry is afterall a nationalist city, and there is probably room for GAA and soccer. It would also help if they rebranded as Newry Celtic, or Grasshoppers, or Shanro Santos.

[deiseach]

Wobbler,

Would interest not be doubled by Newry playing St Pats as opposed to playing Crusaders? Newry is afterall a nationalist city, and there is probably room for GAA and soccer. It would also help if they rebranded as Newry Celtic, or Grasshoppers, or Shanro Santos.

How about Newry Sarsfields?

[thewobbler]

Orior, I'd say that if anything soccer is a more popular sport than Gaelic in Newry. Yes there's 4 GAA clubs in the city, but if you walk into any bar in the town on AI QF or SF day, you can guarantee that the main screen will have United or Celtic playing on it.

But nobody has much time for 'the town' apart from 2-300 hardy souls.

My own tuppence is that for as long as I can remember, until last season in the lower leagues, the team was made up in nearly every position by players from everywhere but Newry. I don't expect the team to be made up only of locals, but it always seemed as though a good local was at a disadvantage to an average one from elsewhere. It's not 'our' club so much as a plaything for some local business men who are badly advised.

[Evil Genius]

So a team situated in one Association's jurisdiction (IFA) can just go bust - in Newry's case, to the tune of £500k - then just start up again under another Association (FAI), as though nothing had happened? That prompts the question as to why eg Rangers didn't think of that.

Anyhow, such a move goes totally against FIFA/UEFA's principles, which is why under their Rules, any club seeking to join another Association must first seek the permission of the Association they are leaving.

Further, there is no obligation on any Association to grant such permission, unless the applicant club may prove exceptional circumstances.

Three examples of such circumstances are:
1. The handful of Welsh clubs who were playing in the English League pyramid long before FIFA/UEFA mandated the present situation (other Welsh clubs newly applying to play in England, eg TNS, have since been routinely refused);
2. Liechtenstein clubs playing in the Swiss League, since they don't have enough to form their own League (also AS Monaco in the French League);
3. Derry City getting special dispensation to play in the LOI, due to civil disturbance etc.

None of the above applies to Newry, therefore if they wish to resurrect the club, they'll have to work their way back up the IFA League pyramid. And since the ground is tidy enough, and owned by the Supporters (not the shower who went bust), I'd guess that they could possibly even start at Intermediate level, which is only two promotions below where they were when they went under:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ireland_football_league_system

[ardtole]

doesnt darren odea play for a toronto team in the mls. i can understand lichtenstein teams playing in switzerland because it is too small to have its own league but surely canada is big enough to support a professional league. a lot of contradictions regarding uefa policy.

[All of a Sludden]

surely canada is big enough to support a professional league. a lot of contradictions regarding uefa policy.

Indeed.

[Leo]

A couple of years ago ....
Friday night, Mayobridge v Burren at Pairc Esler, 4,000 + in attendance, not a police car in sight.
Saturday afternoon following...
Newry Town v Cliftonville, attendance 360, police landrovers everywhere, two buses rowdy escorted into the ground as a local funeral took place
Tell you anything about the need or worth of Newry Town/City/United/Celtic/Dysfunctional? playing anywhere?

[T Fearon]

Saddened by the plight of Newry City (the club that spawned the likes of Pat Jennings), in a town ironically which has always been a hot bed of junior football. Also saddened by the plight of nearby Dundalk FC, as I remember they were kingpins in the late 70s and early 80s, and the likes of Spurs, Celtic, PSV Eindhoven etc all came to Oriel Park in European Competition and none of them managed to win there.

There is a malaise in domestic soccer across the island of Ireland, (the odd one off performances in Europe periodically such as Shamrock Rovers last season notwithstanding) with all clubs beset by money woes and lack of real sustainable support, and I'm afraid clubs switching from one jurisdiction to another will not cure this. One or two clubs, like Cliftonville, occasionally benefit from the emergence of talent from their youth system, but inevitably the resurgence lasts only a season or so, as the same talent gets the opportunity to go across that water to full time football.

Needs to be a long hard look at domestic soccer right across the island, and as usal the best way forward for the game in general is to have one premier league across the island with 12 full time professional clubs, and a first,second and possibly third division, much like the current set up in Scotland, although the lower divisions here could possibly be regionalised.

[AQMP]

Saddened by the plight of Newry City (the club that spawned the likes of Pat Jennings), in a town ironically which has always been a hot bed of junior football. Also saddened by the plight of nearby Dundalk FC, as I remember they were kingpins in the late 70s and early 80s, and the likes of Spurs, Celtic, PSV Eindhoven etc all came to Oriel Park in European Competition and none of them managed to win there.

There is a malaise in domestic soccer across the island of Ireland, (the odd one off performances in Europe periodically such as Shamrock Rovers last season notwithstanding) with all clubs beset by money woes and lack of real sustainable support, and I'm afraid clubs switching from one jurisdiction to another will not cure this. One or two clubs, like Cliftonville, occasionally benefit from the emergence of talent from their youth system, but inevitably the resurgence lasts only a season or so, as the same talent gets the opportunity to go across that water to full time football.

Needs to be a long hard look at domestic soccer right across the island, and as usal the best way forward for the game in general is to have one premier league across the island with 12 full time professional clubs, and a first,second and possibly third division, much like the current set up in Scotland, although the lower divisions here could possibly be regionalised.

Good post Tony.

[Hardy]

I'm just looking at this from the outside and it's none of my business, but if I'm allowed an observation, I don't think it matters how much they t**ker with the administration of the game in this country - 26, 32 or six counties. Soccer fans in Ireland seem to love their English premier league clubs more than they love the game of soccer. You could theorise till the fans come home about the psychology, sociology or codolgy behind that, but it remains a fact that the majority of Irish soccer fans will drive past the ground where their local team is playing on their way to the airport for a flight to Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow or London to watch what they really consider to be "their" team playing. As long as that remains the case, it matters little which league the likes of Newry City choose to adorn with their talents. They'll still be doing it in front of a small number of soccer fans, as opposed to Manchester United fans.

[Hardy]

t i nker