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eircom will merge with Football Association of Ireland
R. of Ireland - 04 July, 2006
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The eircom League clubs ratified a decision this past Thursday to merge with the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).
The move followed a consultative programme led by John Delaney, the chief executive of the FAI, and Paddy McCaul, the eircom League's chairman.
A two-thirds majority approved the merger, but Dublin City, which currently plays in the Premier Division, opposed the move.
"I strongly believe (the) vote will bring the League to a whole new level, not overnight, but within three years we should have a fundamentally changed and improved senior domestic league," Delaney said.
Subject to ratification at an FAI EGM in September, the new four-tier eircom League (involving a Premiership, First Division, new 'A' Championship and an Under-20 League) will now be run by the FAI starting with the 2007 season. The four-tier structure will go into effect a year later.
The new arrangement calls for a 78.4 percent increase in the prize-money available to clubs, rising to EUR 803,000 from EUR 450,000. The Premier League winners will receive EUR 225,000, up from EUR 100,000, with EUE 50,000 for the First Division winners, a raise of EUR 25,000.
There will be no promotion to or relegation from the Premier Division at the end of the 2006 season, which ends in November, with the number of clubs in the top flight being reduced from 12 teams to 10 teams starting with 2009.
As part of significant governance changes, the new eircom League will be managed by a six-person committee including two outside specialists. Premier League and First Division eligibility for the for the 2007 season will be determined by an Independent Assessment Group, including former Republic of Ireland striker Niall Quinn. They will use a weighted set of sporting and non-sporting criteria to rank clubs and will meet for the first time in July.
Delaney said the clubs had been enthusiastic about the prospect of change.
"There is a sense of something unique happening and that we might just get one shot at this, so I'm delighted with the clubs' positive response to change," Delaney said. "I feel a quiet sense of optimism that the eircom League can improve significantly as a proposition in the years to come. We have the biggest sport in the country in terms of participation and we now have the prospect of a real pathway from schoolboys and under-age to the new national senior leagues which, in a revamped model, will represent a real pinnacle for the game at home."
"The clubs deserve great credit for taking this decision this evening," said Eircom League chairman McCaul. "Change is never easy but the proposals put forward brought a feeling of confidence and optimism to the table. Clubs want to aspire to greater success and want to be part of that success. I think clubs have seen a really good vision of where the game can go and have put their confidence in what they saw as the future for the domestic game. It's a really great day for national league football."
The move followed a consultative programme led by John Delaney, the chief executive of the FAI, and Paddy McCaul, the eircom League's chairman.
A two-thirds majority approved the merger, but Dublin City, which currently plays in the Premier Division, opposed the move.
"I strongly believe (the) vote will bring the League to a whole new level, not overnight, but within three years we should have a fundamentally changed and improved senior domestic league," Delaney said.
Subject to ratification at an FAI EGM in September, the new four-tier eircom League (involving a Premiership, First Division, new 'A' Championship and an Under-20 League) will now be run by the FAI starting with the 2007 season. The four-tier structure will go into effect a year later.
The new arrangement calls for a 78.4 percent increase in the prize-money available to clubs, rising to EUR 803,000 from EUR 450,000. The Premier League winners will receive EUR 225,000, up from EUR 100,000, with EUE 50,000 for the First Division winners, a raise of EUR 25,000.
There will be no promotion to or relegation from the Premier Division at the end of the 2006 season, which ends in November, with the number of clubs in the top flight being reduced from 12 teams to 10 teams starting with 2009.
As part of significant governance changes, the new eircom League will be managed by a six-person committee including two outside specialists. Premier League and First Division eligibility for the for the 2007 season will be determined by an Independent Assessment Group, including former Republic of Ireland striker Niall Quinn. They will use a weighted set of sporting and non-sporting criteria to rank clubs and will meet for the first time in July.
Delaney said the clubs had been enthusiastic about the prospect of change.
"There is a sense of something unique happening and that we might just get one shot at this, so I'm delighted with the clubs' positive response to change," Delaney said. "I feel a quiet sense of optimism that the eircom League can improve significantly as a proposition in the years to come. We have the biggest sport in the country in terms of participation and we now have the prospect of a real pathway from schoolboys and under-age to the new national senior leagues which, in a revamped model, will represent a real pinnacle for the game at home."
"The clubs deserve great credit for taking this decision this evening," said Eircom League chairman McCaul. "Change is never easy but the proposals put forward brought a feeling of confidence and optimism to the table. Clubs want to aspire to greater success and want to be part of that success. I think clubs have seen a really good vision of where the game can go and have put their confidence in what they saw as the future for the domestic game. It's a really great day for national league football."
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