As I recall, the Irish Premier League succeeded in getting 2 clubs thru the first stages of European competition last year with Cliftonville beating a Croatian side and Portadown beating a Latvian team. Once again, so far this year we have succeeded in getting 2 clubs thru, Linfield(against Faroese) and Portadown(against Macedonians). A third club, Cliftonville, has a real chance of joining them and making it 3, as they go into the second leg against Swedish opposition holding a 1-0 advantage from the first leg.
By my reckoning, this would make the IPL, after the EPL, the most successful of the "Home" leagues(EPL, SPL, Welsh, IPL, LOI) in Europe in recent years! OK,. Shamrock Rovers had an impressive run last year, but it was only one club in one season. However, the Hoops fine run would certainly place the LOI above the SPL or Welsh.
Sometimes we do not give ourselves enough credit! Time to give local football sides the support they deserve, before Rugby and the GAA swallow everything up!
I.P.L. 2nd most successful in Europe!
posted on 11/7/12
DAVE:
Couldnt agree more, mate!
posted on 11/7/12
Never mind the clowns on both sides who will try and bring politics into it! Let sport be the winner for once! My idea would be to have an elite premier league with two regional First and Second Divisions acting as feeder leagues! Get BBC NI and RTE to show live matches and highlights to increase public interest!
posted on 12/7/12
And Robbie would never try and bring politics into it lol...................
Like when he got chased from the SPL board for wumming lol.....................
This being after he was banned from the N.I boards lol.....................
posted on 12/7/12
So what's your opinion on an All Ireland league? Would you be able to rise above your prejudices and embrace the idea for the good of sport or would you resist as you would see it as a challenge to your sense of identity?
posted on 13/7/12
DAVE:
Clowns will be clowns. Take them to the circus and leave them there!
posted on 13/7/12
It seems they are incapable of answering straightforward question as well!
posted on 14/7/12
http://www.ja606.co.uk/articles/viewArticle/134756
Reiver I notice the banned guy is doing his usual trying to WUM the Rangers fans lol,........................
Cause he cant WUM on the N.I board cause he was banned for political comments lol.........................
AND he admits never to have being in "Da North" lol...................
Bet he has never been to Glasgow either lol....................
posted on 14/7/12
Ha ha je5u5 what age are you! Your like the school kid ratting on his class mates to the teachers! Plenty of Rangers fans have Wumned on the ROI board so I'm only giving it back! Get a life!
posted on 14/7/12
How did he manage to buy long baggy shorts back in the 80's is what intrigues me about Langans!
posted on 17/7/12
DAVE:
Talking about unsung heroes, what about Andy McEvoy and Willie Irvine. Two Irishmen, one from the ROI and the other from NI. At English football's zenith in the mid 60s these two boys dominated the top goalscorers list in the Elite division of English football(the old Div 1.). I believe McEvoy was top scorer in 66 and Irvine in 67. These two Irishmen were up against some of the best players in the World, eg. Greaves, Best, Law, Gilzean, Charlton, Hurst, Hunt, St John, Peters and they put them all in the shade. Sad thing is, today their remarkable feats are barely known or acknowledged in their homeland! Shame on Ireland!