Post by earl on Jun 30, 2008 14:58:04 GMT
... or at least that's the plan
Sunday, June 29, 2008
By Laure James
With a glossy new image and a promise of better things to come for local football, the IFA Premiership will now be attempting to leave late applications and failed appeals behind it as it embarks upon a new era for the local game.
Although a domestic league without the likes of Donegal Celtic or Portadown will still require some adjusting to, the new format has been lauded by IFA officials as the missing link for Northern Ireland football.
But while the Association is working on fine tuning the details of a glittering logo and striking press campaigns, the new plans have received mixed responses.
Questions have been raised, including with a reduced division of 16 to 12, will the new league eliminate gaping inequalities between teams?
Will watching the top clubs play one another more regularly have any real benefit?
Arguably, a smaller league will give those sides involved an increased chance of qualification for other tournaments, including a shot at Europe.
Chances are that these opportunities will still be confined to the usual suspects, particularly since we can expect to see just a shadow of last season's buoyant and unpredictable mid table. However, excepting perhaps the English Championship, even most competitive leagues with 20 or more teams still surrender their season to the top handful of clubs, despite having greater competition further down.
Institute's manager John Gregg is confident that even without much of a climbing frame to speak of in the IFA Premiership, the heat will be on from Intermediate clubs eager to claim their place next season.
"I am certainly looking forward to the next season as are the players although it won't be easy with fewer places to hold onto and nothing to speak of in terms of a buffer zone below us," the 'Stute boss explained.
"We held onto our place in the IPL last season and are determined to do well this year. We are delighted to have just signed striker Paul Brown from Limavady and have an excellent squad so hopes are high."
With fewer clubs in the top flight, a phrase easy now to associate with the Irish League thanks to its new 'Premiership' branding, vacancies in any of the squads will be fiercely contested. It is anticipated that this approach will raise the bar in terms of player quality, making the likes of Bangor or Newry City a more attractive prospect for young talent.
It will also give all competing sides involved a better chance of European qualification and may encourage a more open-minded approach to squad rotations. Plus, following the IFA's U-turn on the decision to close off the promotion/relegation spots, it means that Portadown and Donegal Celtic will be expected to fight it out for a top spot finish by the end of next season, which will guarantee a place in the IFA Premiership for 09/10.
Craig Stanfield, newly appointed General Secretary of the IFA Premiership, insists that the new plans will be a hit among clubs and fans, after having scrutinised other 12 club leagues around Europe.
"The IFA looked at domestic leagues in a number of other countries including Denmark, Scotland, Slovakia, Israel and the Republic of Ireland among others," says Stanfield.
"We also took the opportunity to consult in more detail with the Scottish Premier League and the eircom League, along with club chairmen, league representatives, managers and supporters in Northern Ireland.
"Fans can still look forward to promotion from the Premier Intermediate League, relegation battles in the top division, thrilling play-offs and a 38 game league. The real changes will be seen after the 33rd match when the IFA Premiership will be split into Sections A and B for the final five games. Section A will be contested for the championship, UEFA qualification and Setanta Sports Cup places, while Section B will determine the relegation and play-off positions."
The two tier IFA Premiership is not short of favour among some of the biggest names in local management. Ahead of a packed pre-season programme, including friendlies with Celtic, Hearts, Ipswich Town and Burnley as well as UEFA Cup games, Glentoran manager Alan McDonald shared his thoughts on the new Premiership.
"The general opinion was that the league needed revised in some way and I think it was a good decision to make the first competitive games league fixtures," he said. "Whereas before, when players would not be turning their attentions to the league until a month into the season, this will ensure that all clubs come out and hit the ground running, without using those CIS games as warm up exercises."
McDonald is also confident that, on paper, the new format is fair and equal. "Playing each other three times won't be a problem, a similar model works in the Scottish Premier League so it should work here," he added. "The time to judge it will be at the end of the season when all concerned will be in a better position to evaluate its success and maybe make further changes if needed."
However, the counter argument is not as open minded as McDonald's.
The extreme ends of the table are at possible risk of becoming saturated, particularly since they will be playing one another more often than ever before.
Ports manager Ronnie McFall recently slammed other clubs who chose to lure his players away from Shamrock Park and even claimed that his players were under threat of being tapped up. He suggested that because Portadown would be playing Intermediate League football next season, his squad were being unfairly poached.
Furthermore, if Linfield and Glentoran for instance are drawn against one another in tournaments such as the Irish Cup and Setanta Cup, the Big Two could become the Big Too Often.
In the days of the 10 club Irish League, unsurprisingly interest in the local game was confined to areas with Irish League grounds, both in terms of fan bases and media exposure.
It was a step forward to extend the table and watch interest spread. So does the new format risk marginalising the game once again, and losing visiting support to clubs such as Larne, Limavady and Armagh?
The IFA Premiership could yet be a success but it will need to be a proven one since theoretically, when you remove competition you introduce inertia.
Evidence suggests that when clubs play each other more regularly than the symmetrical one home, one away fixture per year, it risks stagnation and at these early stages, the new league is still laced with uncertainty of how well clubs and fans will respond. But the IFA Premiership has generated excitement and could create new, much needed opportunities for local football.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
By Laure James
With a glossy new image and a promise of better things to come for local football, the IFA Premiership will now be attempting to leave late applications and failed appeals behind it as it embarks upon a new era for the local game.
Although a domestic league without the likes of Donegal Celtic or Portadown will still require some adjusting to, the new format has been lauded by IFA officials as the missing link for Northern Ireland football.
But while the Association is working on fine tuning the details of a glittering logo and striking press campaigns, the new plans have received mixed responses.
Questions have been raised, including with a reduced division of 16 to 12, will the new league eliminate gaping inequalities between teams?
Will watching the top clubs play one another more regularly have any real benefit?
Arguably, a smaller league will give those sides involved an increased chance of qualification for other tournaments, including a shot at Europe.
Chances are that these opportunities will still be confined to the usual suspects, particularly since we can expect to see just a shadow of last season's buoyant and unpredictable mid table. However, excepting perhaps the English Championship, even most competitive leagues with 20 or more teams still surrender their season to the top handful of clubs, despite having greater competition further down.
Institute's manager John Gregg is confident that even without much of a climbing frame to speak of in the IFA Premiership, the heat will be on from Intermediate clubs eager to claim their place next season.
"I am certainly looking forward to the next season as are the players although it won't be easy with fewer places to hold onto and nothing to speak of in terms of a buffer zone below us," the 'Stute boss explained.
"We held onto our place in the IPL last season and are determined to do well this year. We are delighted to have just signed striker Paul Brown from Limavady and have an excellent squad so hopes are high."
With fewer clubs in the top flight, a phrase easy now to associate with the Irish League thanks to its new 'Premiership' branding, vacancies in any of the squads will be fiercely contested. It is anticipated that this approach will raise the bar in terms of player quality, making the likes of Bangor or Newry City a more attractive prospect for young talent.
It will also give all competing sides involved a better chance of European qualification and may encourage a more open-minded approach to squad rotations. Plus, following the IFA's U-turn on the decision to close off the promotion/relegation spots, it means that Portadown and Donegal Celtic will be expected to fight it out for a top spot finish by the end of next season, which will guarantee a place in the IFA Premiership for 09/10.
Craig Stanfield, newly appointed General Secretary of the IFA Premiership, insists that the new plans will be a hit among clubs and fans, after having scrutinised other 12 club leagues around Europe.
"The IFA looked at domestic leagues in a number of other countries including Denmark, Scotland, Slovakia, Israel and the Republic of Ireland among others," says Stanfield.
"We also took the opportunity to consult in more detail with the Scottish Premier League and the eircom League, along with club chairmen, league representatives, managers and supporters in Northern Ireland.
"Fans can still look forward to promotion from the Premier Intermediate League, relegation battles in the top division, thrilling play-offs and a 38 game league. The real changes will be seen after the 33rd match when the IFA Premiership will be split into Sections A and B for the final five games. Section A will be contested for the championship, UEFA qualification and Setanta Sports Cup places, while Section B will determine the relegation and play-off positions."
The two tier IFA Premiership is not short of favour among some of the biggest names in local management. Ahead of a packed pre-season programme, including friendlies with Celtic, Hearts, Ipswich Town and Burnley as well as UEFA Cup games, Glentoran manager Alan McDonald shared his thoughts on the new Premiership.
"The general opinion was that the league needed revised in some way and I think it was a good decision to make the first competitive games league fixtures," he said. "Whereas before, when players would not be turning their attentions to the league until a month into the season, this will ensure that all clubs come out and hit the ground running, without using those CIS games as warm up exercises."
McDonald is also confident that, on paper, the new format is fair and equal. "Playing each other three times won't be a problem, a similar model works in the Scottish Premier League so it should work here," he added. "The time to judge it will be at the end of the season when all concerned will be in a better position to evaluate its success and maybe make further changes if needed."
However, the counter argument is not as open minded as McDonald's.
The extreme ends of the table are at possible risk of becoming saturated, particularly since they will be playing one another more often than ever before.
Ports manager Ronnie McFall recently slammed other clubs who chose to lure his players away from Shamrock Park and even claimed that his players were under threat of being tapped up. He suggested that because Portadown would be playing Intermediate League football next season, his squad were being unfairly poached.
Furthermore, if Linfield and Glentoran for instance are drawn against one another in tournaments such as the Irish Cup and Setanta Cup, the Big Two could become the Big Too Often.
In the days of the 10 club Irish League, unsurprisingly interest in the local game was confined to areas with Irish League grounds, both in terms of fan bases and media exposure.
It was a step forward to extend the table and watch interest spread. So does the new format risk marginalising the game once again, and losing visiting support to clubs such as Larne, Limavady and Armagh?
The IFA Premiership could yet be a success but it will need to be a proven one since theoretically, when you remove competition you introduce inertia.
Evidence suggests that when clubs play each other more regularly than the symmetrical one home, one away fixture per year, it risks stagnation and at these early stages, the new league is still laced with uncertainty of how well clubs and fans will respond. But the IFA Premiership has generated excitement and could create new, much needed opportunities for local football.