Setanta woes to damage All-Ireland dream
Credit: Extratime Team (ETPhotos)
The imminent implosion of Setanta Sports could mean that the cross-border cup sponsored by the television broadcaster will now be adandoned.
The 2009 tournament is set to get underway on the 27th of August but if Setanta - who are losing what is believed to be £100million a year - enter administration later this week, the future of the cup will be taken into serious doubt.
Regardless of the sponsors’ financial difficulties, the competition had already been put into a perilous position due to the attitude of some IPL clubs, such as Glentoran and Linfield.
The two Belfast sides threatened to pull out due to the scheduling of the tournament, and therefore it has now been changed to suit teams north of the border.
If the cup goes ahead this season, which according to Milo Corcoran recently it will, games will also be played on weekends. This means that the five LOI sides will then have to move four league games to midweek causing disruption during the final stretch of the league.
Incredibly, the tournament would last until next may, three months into the 2010 LOI season. It would no doubt hinder preparations for five of the nine sides as well as damage the bit of integrity the competition has left.
If Setanta do go bust, TV coverage would obviously be lost but more importantly there would be a severe drop in prize money which would then bring the competition into doubt. The prize money was the most
Another major sponsor would then be needed to keep the cup, which Cork City are currently holders of, in existence. However, the current economic state would make the idea of another sponsor coming in to keep the competition running seem highly unlikely.
Not so long ago, there were dreams of an All-Ireland League becoming a reality sooner rather than later but that dream now seems oceans away.
The 2009 tournament is set to get underway on the 27th of August but if Setanta - who are losing what is believed to be £100million a year - enter administration later this week, the future of the cup will be taken into serious doubt.
Regardless of the sponsors’ financial difficulties, the competition had already been put into a perilous position due to the attitude of some IPL clubs, such as Glentoran and Linfield.
The two Belfast sides threatened to pull out due to the scheduling of the tournament, and therefore it has now been changed to suit teams north of the border.
If the cup goes ahead this season, which according to Milo Corcoran recently it will, games will also be played on weekends. This means that the five LOI sides will then have to move four league games to midweek causing disruption during the final stretch of the league.
Incredibly, the tournament would last until next may, three months into the 2010 LOI season. It would no doubt hinder preparations for five of the nine sides as well as damage the bit of integrity the competition has left.
If Setanta do go bust, TV coverage would obviously be lost but more importantly there would be a severe drop in prize money which would then bring the competition into doubt. The prize money was the most
Another major sponsor would then be needed to keep the cup, which Cork City are currently holders of, in existence. However, the current economic state would make the idea of another sponsor coming in to keep the competition running seem highly unlikely.
Not so long ago, there were dreams of an All-Ireland League becoming a reality sooner rather than later but that dream now seems oceans away.
About Alan Smith
Alan Smith works as a sub-editor for the Guardian newspaper in London. Originally from Cork, he freelances for several other newspapers and websites. Follow him on twitter @alansmith90. View Full Profile