Forget one direction, rock with status quo
ALL THIS talk of creating a new one- division Super League to solve all the problems haunting the Airtricity League is so naive I’m amazed anybody is taking it seriously. Change isn’t always the answer.
One of the reasons the domestic game has so many outstanding issues is that clubs have continually swept problems under the carpet and tried to blame structures on their own amateurish handling of matters. How about getting your own house in order instead?
Abandoning the twotier system will not suddenly help clubs fix their finances, update their facilities, sort out youth teams and focus on self-promotion. In fact, being part of a Super League would put far more pressure on smaller clubs to keep up with those at t he t op and could cripple a lot of them.
The most logical reason for leaving things as they are is the competitive nature of both the Premier and First Divisions. The title races in both are still wide open, the push for European football is heating up and the relegation battle is far from decided. This would be diluted by having one league, as teams in the bottom half would simply give up halfway through each season with nothing to fight for.
This new Super League — which all but two clubs recently voted on introducing — is yet another fanciful idea people believe to be the perfect solution, but wasn’t that the case with a proposed AllIreland League some years ago? Anyway, who decides what teams make up this elite league? What happens when another club wants to join? And how can you expect a club like Wexford Youths to compete with Shamrock Rovers for budgets and players? Rather than trying to change the structure, clubs should look to take responsibility and finally make the necessary improvements t hey keep on dodging.