First Division Reform

The structure of the League of Ireland has come in for severe scrutiny from fans and clubs. The Premier League clubs are competing for miniscule prize money, with the shoe string budgets available reflecting that.

Dundalk picked up  E100,000 for winning the league this year, luckily for the club this will be supplemented by playing in the Champions League qualifiers.  This combined money means Dundalk will be able to meet their financial obligations next year, no small achievement in the current LOI environment. Despite this, the ability to improve Oriel Park, youth structures and training facilities will be limited. It is clear that European football can provide much needed finances for clubs, but qualification from a league as closely fought as the League of Ireland is a lottery, so all clubs must avoid factoring it into their budgets.

Clubs competing in the LOI Premier Division do not do it for the prize money as the majority of income comes from match day revenue, sponsorship and fundraising. There is little financial difference for a club in finishing from 5th to 10th place, they don't get into Europe and more importantly, they don’t get relegated. In most leagues relegation is a fear for every club, but it is a particularly harsh punishment in the LOI.

Longford town win the first division 2014

 

Any money and interest that is in domestic soccer, is in the premier division. The first division is truly a graveyard league. If it is true that any league is only as strong as its weakest part, then the LOI is on its death bed. The first division is completely defunct, yet the FAI continues to drag it through season after season without any reform or reinvention. I whole heartedly believe any domestic league must have at least one lower division and hence relegation and promotion. It ensures there is competitiveness and excitement at both ends of the table.

The counter argument of a one league, extended premier division is nonsense. An 18-19 team league would be uncompetitive and unsustainable for a country our size. The most sensible route at this juncture is a regionalized first division. This league would encompass the current first division clubs as well as the cream of current non-league clubs. It would truly create a League of Ireland.

It is an anomaly in Irish soccer that some of the best clubs in the country do not compete in the national league structure. Junior clubs such as Crumlin United, with a distinguished history of nurturing international players are not involved at any level of the league structure. Crumlin United along with Avondale United, Tralee Dynamos, Castlebar Celtic, Tullamore Town and so on, could  be making an even bigger contribution to soccer in Ireland. Their participation would help promote the game in places it has traditionally been second to other sports.

Take for example, Castlebar Celtic, this writer is very familiar with the town having worked there for a number of years. The town is simply sport mad. Anyone with even the most basic knowledge of GAA, Soccer or Rugby is an instant friend. Admittedly, Gaelic football is dominant, but the town is large enough to produce a competitive soccer team. Castlebar Celtic has fantastic facilities with multiple all weather training pitches and youth teams from under 12 upwards. This club and clubs like it should be embraced into the League of Ireland and used as a hub to coach young soccer players. Perhaps someday, a Rep of Ireland captain could be a Mayo man.

A potential problem posed by such a first division is a disparity in facilities and ambition. To counteract this, each teams facilities could be evaluated at the beginning of the season; this would mean if a club without the required Premier League facilities won the First Division, they would know well in advance that they were not eligible for promotion. In such cases, no promotion would occur and the winning team would simply claim the trophy and prize money. Competitiveness could be maintained by offering competing clubs in each regional group a place in the following seasons FAI cup, based on their league standing, similar to the system used to determine European participants in the current premier division. A system of relegation would involve the bottom team relegated back to their county/provincial league. This is an important element as it would link the League of Ireland and non-league football into a combined unit forcing all stake holders to pull in the one direction.

A feeling of local rivalry would be nurtured as all teams would be within close proximity, meaning most games would be a derby of some kind.  The teams may only need to play each other 2-3 times in a season, making such games more marketable compared to the current structure where teams can play each other up to six times in a season with league and cup encounters. Also, the idea of a club the size of Tullamore Town beating a club like Shelbourne would be a David verses Goliath event and should be marketed as such.

On a side note, the league could also incorporate a Defence Forces and/or Garda football team. This has worked successfully for the PSNI in Northern Ireland, whom have a team in the second tier of the Irish league.  Both these organisations require physically fit employees and would surely be intrigued by the idea, currently, both groups are heavily involved in local leagues. The capacity for player development may be limited but the novelty value would be worth its weight in gold in terms of promoting the league.

It is painfully clear to even the most casual League of Ireland fan that the league is in drastic need of reform; it mirrors Irish soccer as a whole in this regard. The First Division has been labouring on for the last number of years and provides no real competition or excitement, particularly in its current incarnation as an 8 team league. The writer accepts that some of the ideas discussed may not be feasible for a variety of reasons but they at least deserve exploration. The time is now to reinvigorate the First Division and make it a worthwhile competition as sooner or later, proud League of Ireland outposts such as Waterford United, Finn Harps and Cobh Ramblers will decide it’s not worth the effort. Have no doubts, a League of Ireland without its foundation in the First Division would crumble.