History of soccer in Ireland

[Bord na Mona man]

This book was a good read.
It mainly charts the fall off in the popularity of the League Of Ireland once English soccer started to be beamed into Irish homes.
Also, it deals with how soccer in Ireland has traditionally fallen short when it comes to business and corporate acumen that old monied rugby always had and the GAA developed with the benefits of free education.

There was a good quote from Brian Kerr. "Soccer was a working-class game. It was not for the middle-class Fianna Fáil types... Sport was controlled by the religious and the powerful, whereas those running football had little business acumen... [They] didn't have the knowledge or the foresight to look ahead. I remember being told once the problem with the FAI was that there were too many bicycles chained to their gates."

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stole-Game-Fall-Irish-Soccer/dp/0717140040

Thanks for the tip. That's going on my wish list

And Champagne Football, the John Delaney story brings it up to modern day.
The core flaw remains, a deficit of smart and competent people in charge. Delaney effectively sidelined any dissent, installed his own acolytes and soon was able to run amok with the finances until he ran it into the ground.

I don't think anyone claims Delaney wasn't smart. There was a line in that book from Johnny Giles along the lines of he did a great job commercially and football wise for the first half of his tenure. He then went mental in terms of repaying the Aviva mortgage too early and all the mad shit stemmed from this decision.

Yes, Delaney himself is smart enough and devious.
The problem was the lack of capable others to see through him, or stand up to him. A couple of 'trouble makers' who questioned the finances were headed off.
He was able to hide loans and cook the books with practically no one knowing about it.

[seafoid]

After FAI (Leinster Association) split from IFA in 1921, both associations called themselves Ireland and some players even played for both Ireland teams. The split was over Shels not getting to play Irish cup semi-final in Dublin against Glenavon. FIFA eventually intervened to insist on Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland to distinguish both teams in 1954. Perhaps if they had managed to keep it together during those years, soccer would be like rugby/hockey/cricket/golf and we'd have one association and team. But that's also simplifying things. There's a much stronger Loyalist following of soccer than rugby and other more upper class sports.

I thought it was because rugby was middleclass and small.so they needed to unite w the south whereas soccer in the North was big enough to stand alone and ut was/is backed by loyalists.

It isn't a coincidence that the sports run out of Dublin stayed united but the one run from Bekfast split.

I think the North is too small now for the likes of Linfield and Larne. The Dublin clubs are bigger than them.

[seafoid]

How many clubs own their own grounds?

[marty34]

Would an AI league not be better?

Say 12 teams.

[Baile Brigín 2]

How many clubs own their own grounds?

Of the 2,000 plus clubs?

I assume that's a performative question versus one you expect an answer to?

[weareros]

Would an AI league not be better?

Say 12 teams.

The Irish league do not want to lose their 4 spots in UEFA club competition. It would be 4 for the whole island in the event of a merger and right now LOI is higher standard. But summer football and all-Ireland league would raise standards, but costs too. I think the likelihood of sectarian trouble at matches is fading as the years pass by but still a factor.

[trueblue1234]

How many clubs own their own grounds?

Of the 2,000 plus clubs?

I assume that's a performative question versus one you expect an answer to?

Google would say bout 45% own their own grounds.

[seafoid]

How many clubs own their own grounds?

Of the 2,000 plus clubs?

I assume that's a performative question versus one you expect an answer to?

How many in Premier League and First Division? Galway United don't.

[Baile Brigín 2]

How many clubs own their own grounds?

Of the 2,000 plus clubs?

I assume that's a performative question versus one you expect an answer to?

How many in Premier League and First Division? Galway United don't.

How many county boards own their grounds?

According to the Google.

Bohemian F.C. Municipal
Derry City F.C. Municipal,in the process of buying
Drogheda United F.C. own
Dundalk F.C. own
Galway United F.C. Local FA
Shamrock Rovers F.C. Municipal
Shelbourne F.C own
Sligo Rovers F.C. own
St Patrick's Athletic own
Waterford F.C. Municipal
Athlone Town, own
Bray Wanderers, own
Cobh Ramblers, own
Cork City, Local FA
Finn Harps, own
Kerry, own
Longford Town, own
Treaty United, own
UCD,own
Wexford own

So 14 own, (70%)  2 local fa (10%) 4 municipal (20%).

[seafoid]

How many clubs own their own grounds?

Of the 2,000 plus clubs?

I assume that's a performative question versus one you expect an answer to?

How many in Premier League and First Division? Galway United don't.

How many county boards own their grounds?

According to the Google.

Bohemian F.C. Municipal
Derry City F.C. Municipal,in the process of buying
Drogheda United F.C. own
Dundalk F.C. own
Galway United F.C. Local FA
Shamrock Rovers F.C. Municipal
Shelbourne F.C own
Sligo Rovers F.C. own
St Patrick's Athletic own
Waterford F.C. Municipal
Athlone Town, own
Bray Wanderers, own
Cobh Ramblers, own
Cork City, Local FA
Finn Harps, own
Kerry, own
Longford Town, own
Treaty United, own
UCD,own
Wexford own

So 14 own, (70%)  2 local fa (10%) 4 municipal (20%).

GRMA

[Baile Brigín 2]

Would an AI league not be better?

Say 12 teams.

What is in it for the nordie teams? It woykd very quickly be 2 teams from the 6 and one of them would be Derry.

[Baile Brigín 2]

How many clubs own their own grounds?

Of the 2,000 plus clubs?

I assume that's a performative question versus one you expect an answer to?

Google would say bout 45% own their own grounds.

Interesting the GAA don't publish, but 73% of Ulster clubs own but 'less' in Dublin is all I can find.

You can age a club by it's name and if it got grounds from the land commission.

Basic rule. If your club is named after a saint it is from the 19th century. If after a Republican figure from the 20's to 60's. If it's named after your area, later. Not 100% true 100% of the time, but a handy guide.

And for the 26, the older it is the more likely it got given land. Newer clubs are more likely to rent for obvious commercial reasons.

[thewobbler]

Can't speak for anyone or anything but what it's in front of my eyes.

In County Down there's 42-44 clubs, depending on what notion a few of them have.

39-42 own their own grounds.

In the same council area (mostly Newry, Mourne and Down), there's about 8-10 soccer clubs own their own grounds.

I wouldn't suggest this is representative of the island of Ireland.

But I kind of have a sense that it's not far off the mark.