Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Has IFA made a hash of its re-organisation?
This looks like a proverbial can of worms. The Irish News reports that a complex points system “scored on various criteria, including facilities, underage structures, financial planning, coaching aptitude and success on the field” has seen Donegal Celtic excluded from a reduced IFA Premier League next year, despite them effectively finishing five places ahead of Bangor, who gained promotion from the Intermediate league. Understandably, the manager is livid:
“We’d 610 points last year and we’ve 543 points this year, so somebody has got their sums wrong,” slammed Bonner. “Every obstacle that has been put in front of us we’ve jumped it. Now, I’ll have to stand in front of 380 members and tell them we got to the semi-finals of the Irish Cup and that we finished in 11th place, but we’re no longer in senior football because there is a team [Bangor] in ahead of us who have not competed at senior level for 12 years.” [Emphasis added]
Hmmm… It looks like the IFA may have some explaining to do… Bonner adds to the intrigue when he reveals there is a dispute between the IFA and the Sports Council over £800,000 supposedly ear marked for ground improvements at Celtic.
Adds: It should be noted that fifth-placed Portadown also lose the place in the top flight for not filling in their forms in time. Bureaucracy gone mad!!
Mick Fealty @ 03:50 PM
Time for DC to follow Derry City’s example and enter the League of Ireland, I think.
They’ve done their best, jumped through every hoop local soccer has made them jump through, but sooner or later they’ll have to accept that local soccer’s powers-that-be just don’t want the likes of DC about the place.
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 04:29 PMPortadown was the real story here. In Irish League terms they’re a top 5 team, without doubt.
I’d be interested to see exactly how the points were awarded myself, but regardless of my curiosity, DC were always going to be touch and go. Bare in mind Bangor only got in by the skin of their teeth because Portadown were minutes late with their application.
I don’t know if it’s quite as big a deal as Bonner is making out though. They survived outside the top flight for a long, long time and provided they play well they could be back in a season or two.
I hope they get their ground sorted out and make a swift return, preferably at Linfield’s expense :)
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 04:30 PMI’m sure Portadown would be welcome also, Billy. They’d certainly be good enough for the LOI Prem division.
Massive OG by the IFA.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 04:32 PMThere should be an op for the IFA to put its side of the story? And how does their treatment of Portadown fit with the Derry City narrative?
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 04:33 PMAwk p**s off Billy. That exact MOPE was predicted weeks ago when people started discussing who was in and out and it became apparent that DC’s position was in doubt along with Institute’s and the Crues’. It’s right up there with the accusation that people abbreviate the club’s name because they can’t bare uttering the dreaded C word. FFS back in the real world there were people wondering if the IFA might actually move mountains to let DC in!
I suppose Portadown were shown no leniency because “local soccer’s powers-that-be” just don’t want the likes of Portadown about the place either? Dry your eyes.
DC would need the IFA’s permission to play in a foreign league. I doubt the IFA would want to undermine their new league by setting up the LoI as a viable alternative.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 04:36 PMshould be noted that fifth-placed Portadown also lose the place in the top flight for not filling in their forms in time.
At the risk of being pedantic, they submitted their application fifteen minutes late after being delayed in traffic. Presumably Portadown fans are asking themselves what sort of cretins are running their club.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 04:37 PMI think that the only organisation which should go down is the IFA It seems this crowd of amateur sectarians can’t get their heads around the fact that times have changed and it isn’t alright, nor was it ever, to treat the likes of Donegal Celtic with such obvious contempt
DC may be better off playing down South and do well there…
However it’s also worth pointing out that this obviously sectarian and politically motivated decision by the IFA completely lays waste to their notion that it was somehow alright to stop youngsters born in the north eastern counties of Ireland from playing for their country - ie the Republic of Ireland - and not have to endure the risk of playing in Windsor Park in front of a crowd which thinks it’s great crack to issue death threats if you happen to be of the other persuasion…
Bangor and the IFA deserve one another....
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 04:37 PMDC would need the IFA’s permission to play in a foreign league. I doubt the IFA would want to undermine their new league by setting up the LoI as a viable alternative.
The IFA have forfeited their authority on the issue through their sectarian and politically motivated antics.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 04:39 PMDC would need the IFA’s permission to play in a foreign league
I seriously doubt that. Derry City, Berwick, Wrexham etc are precedents. But sure we’ve had enough threads about exactly what the IFA can and can not do as opposed to what some of its neanderthal adherents would like it to do.
And how does their treatment of Portadown fit with the Derry City narrative?
Like chalk and cheese. They missed a deadline every other club managed to meet. How could they possibly ignore that and dismiss other applications received on time? Then again, if Linfield had missed the deadline…
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 04:44 PMCon. that’s your opinion and based on the absolute bigoted crap you’ve spouted above, it’s not going to carry much weight. Thankfully you’re not running FIFA.
“obviously sectarian and politically motivated decision”
“obviously sectarian and politically” to those with sectarian and political motivations to attack the IFA and who want to see it that way. For most rational people it will fall somewhere between suspicious and curious.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 04:46 PMPosted by Mick Fealty on May 14, 2008 @ 04:33 PM
“And how does their treatment of Portadown fit with the Derry City narrative?”What is “the Derry City narrative”? What are you on about?
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 04:46 PMbriso, according to Wiki:
In 1971, security concerns related to unrest in Northern Ireland meant matches could not be played at the Brandywell. The team played “home” fixtures 30 miles (48 km) away in Coleraine. Security forces withdrew their objections to the use of the Brandywell the following year, but in the face of insistence from the Irish League that the unsustainable arrangement continue, the club withdrew from the league. After 13 years in junior football, they joined the League of Ireland’s new First Division for 1985–86.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 04:48 PMSome of the criteria the IFA lists as qualifying factors (various criteria, including facilities, underage structures, financial planning, coaching aptitude) are laudable but it does appear to be losing sight of the bottom line: that football is a product. I’m not sure how disbarring portadown and Donegal Celtic from their new league is making that product more attractive to consumers.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 04:48 PMYou’ve hit the nail on the head Beano. DC has offered nothing to the league barring this much vaunted potential we’ve heard so much about. They have no supporters and their facilities are shameful. The IFA bent over backwards making special dispensation for DC’s ground to allow them into the league in the first place. Their position in West Belfast actually benefited them in terms of goodwill from the authorities. The IFA have cut off their nose to spite their face with Portadown. Surely a ten point deduction would have sufficed? But losing deadwood like Limavady, DC and Armagh will benefit the game.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 04:48 PMNicely down Concubhar - you actually managed to link the Northern Ireland supporters to this story - who do you normally do your spin doctoring for? Maybe if you, Billy and your fellow oppressed had cared so much about D.C. you should have donned your scarf and headed up to watch them play - they would have appreciated the numbers! BTW - Don’t let the fact that D.C. were crap for most of the season impact upon your notions of the IFA’s decision making......
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 04:49 PMBeano, I know what happened to Derry City. I was asking what was the “Derry City narrative”? And what it has to do with Portadown getting stuck in traffic?
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 04:54 PMBriso. I suggest you read the entire wikipedia entry rather than Beano’s somewhat sanitised version.
Their position in West Belfast actually benefited them in terms of goodwill from the authorities
Ha ha.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 04:56 PMDemocratic - is that what you call yourself or is it what others call you.
They reached the semi finals of the Irish Cup - that should count for something and finished 11th in their division - not a bad outcome for a club which has only spent two or three seasons at that level.
It’s fairly clear to me, and to any reasonable observer, however, that the IFA are pursuing a sectarian and political agenda and if you or the IFA don’t get how this might be so, it shows you up.
As for beano’s point of view, it’s par for the course to expect such a blinkered opinion from him It’s much more than suspicious. Perhaps it’s time to subject whatever funding the IFA gets to equality proofing. I wonder how the IFA would fare then....and how quick they would be to get DC back into the game.
I think it’s too late for the IFA - they’re strictly non-league and will always be thus.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 04:58 PMDec I quoted the relevant sentences directly from the introduction. I didn’t “sanitise” anything, although I had a good mind to remove that “unsustainable” as PoV.
If you want a more detailed account there seems to be a pretty detailed piece at
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/feature?id=325744&cc=5739 - as long as ESPN aren’t too much of a bigoted, sectarian, bastion of unionism, cold-house for Catholics for you.Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 04:59 PM“any reasonable observer”
How would you know?
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 05:00 PMHave to be cyncial but and say that is is good news for Antrim football and for football in West Belfast in particular.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 05:01 PMDec, I don’t need to read wikipedia to find out about Derry City.
I’m just wondering what Mick is on about. I mean how does their treatment of Portadown fit with the Manchester United narrative? That question makes as much sense to me at this point.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 05:02 PMBriso, I stand to be corrected, but I think he was referring to the belief that Derry City were treated unfairly because of their perceived religious affiliation and that the IFA would have been more sympathetic to a Protestant team. At least that’s what this reader would interpret from “the Derry City narrative”.
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 05:05 PM“It’s fairly clear to me, and to any reasonable observer, however, that the IFA are pursuing a sectarian and political agenda and if you or the IFA don’t get how this might be so, it shows you up.”
All its shows Concubhar is that you like many others of your ilk have a oppression complex that you cannot go too long without massaging!
All those scary Northern Ireland supporters and their IFA proxies all you to get you - the sleepless nights you must have - still like I said I’m sure the D.C management wish the “support” they will no doubt get on this propaganda thread will translate itself into match ticket sales somewhere down the line....Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 05:09 PMI see Beano. You think he was saying that the fact that the IFA enforced the rules in the case of Portadown in 2008, presumably then considered by him to be a Protestant team, retrospectively casts doubt on the ‘Derry City narrative’, meaning their exit from the Irish League in the early seventies?
Posted by on May 14, 2008 @ 05:10 PM
