Failed Statelet Premier League & Other Divisions 2021/22

[Jacksgranda]

Irish Cup draw - I must admit I haven't heard of some of these sides.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59505537

[Clockwork]

Irish Cup draw - I must admit I haven't heard of some of these sides.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59505537

Oxford Sunnyside are down in Lurgan@Jacksgranda the Bannsiders take on Windmill who play in Armagh, they ground share with Armagh City. My apologies that I haven’t kept things up to date whilst you’ve been off the board and hopefully recuperating.
Been away with work a wee while myself, but back on track this weekend. Looking for the Ambers to get something at home to the Glens and Ballyclare to sort themselves out at Dergview after a run of poor performances and results!
Thought Ballymena fully deserved their win against a fading Larne tonight. I can’t see Lynch getting a new contract at Inver Park come the Spring?

[Jacksgranda]

6 hours ago, Clockwork said:

Oxford Sunnyside are down in Lurgan@Jacksgranda the Bannsiders take on Windmill who play in Armagh, they ground share with Armagh City. My apologies that I haven’t kept things up to date whilst you’ve been off the board and hopefully recuperating.
Been away with work a wee while myself, but back on track this weekend. Looking for the Ambers to get something at home to the Glens and Ballyclare to sort themselves out at Dergview after a run of poor performances and results!
Thought Ballymena fully deserved their win against a fading Larne tonight. I can’t see Lynch getting a new contract at Inver Park come the Spring?

I couldn't find a link to watch it, so watched Ayr v Hamilton instead.

Ballymena are very inconsistent I thought DJ would have had that sorted long ago, and the defence tightened up a bit

Goals - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/59617469

Edited December 11, 2021 by Jacksgranda
Update

[A_Veitch]

FC zurich will become winter champions in Switzerland today if Basel fail to beat Servette which is no given. 

Big game on wedensday if it goes ahead as Basel play Young Boys. If Young Boys were to lose that it may be the end of David Wagner.

2nd tier (Challenge League) is almost as wide open as our Championship. Vaduz lead but after 17 games only have 30 points.

[LongTimeLurker]

Hope Neuchatel Xamax are doing well these days. A certain 5-1 scoreline still remembered fondly. Think you are a wee bit lost though in terms of which thread to post in.

[Jacksgranda]

1 hour ago, A_Veitch said:

FC zurich will become winter champions in Switzerland today if Basel fail to beat Servette which is no given. 

Big game on wedensday if it goes ahead as Basel play Young Boys. If Young Boys were to lose that it may be the end of David Wagner.

2nd tier (Challenge League) is almost as wide open as our Championship. Vaduz lead but after 17 games only have 30 points.

 

9 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

Hope Neuchatel Xamax are doing well these days. A certain 5-1 scoreline still remembered fondly. Think you are a wee bit lost though in terms of which thread to post in.

Switzerland may be many things, but it's hardly a "failed statelet".

[A_Veitch]

23 minutes ago, Jacksgranda said:

 

Switzerland may be many things, but it's hardly a "failed statelet".

Sorry I didn't mean to disturb your thread if this is the incorrect place to post this information.

We're going through a bad run right now with only two wins in ten and losing the last game 4-1. I think Vaduz (club from Liechtenstein) and Thun will finally finish top two i'm just unsure which one will win the league right now.

 

 

Edited December 12, 2021 by A_Veitch

[Jacksgranda]

6 minutes ago, A_Veitch said:

Sorry I didn't mean to disturb your thread if this is the incorrect place to post this information.

We're going through a bad run right now with only two wins in ten and losing the last game 4-1. I think Vaduz (club from Liechtenstein) and Thun will finally finish top two i'm just unsure which one will win the league right now.

 

 

Start a Swiss League thread and transfer your posts over.

[Jacksgranda]

Coleraine lose for the second time this week and are effectively out of the title race imo.

All the more annoying as the top two dropped points in draws with Portadown and Warrenpoint Town respectively, great point for Town at Windsor.

No luck @Clockwork, as Glentoran win 3-0 at Taylors Avenue.

Crusaders crush the Swifts 4-0 at Seaview to just about stay in touch.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59622270

Some highlights - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/59617475

Cliftonville top P 18 points 38, Linfield second P 17 points 36, ahead of Glentoran on goal difference, the Glens have also played 17.

Between these 3 I think, surprised Cliftonville have lasted the pace, tbh.

Fourth and fading are Larne P 18 points 32, fifth Crusaders P 17 points 31, two points ahead of the sixth placed Bannsiders, P 17 points 29.

Bottom half: Seventh Glenavon P 17 points 22, ahead of eighth placed Ballymena on goal difference played 17 too

Ninth Carrick Rangers  P 18 points 18, tenth Dungannon Swifts P 17 Points 12, play off spot Portadown P 18 points 9 and bottom are Warrenpoint Town P 17 points 7.

A bit of a gap between Swifts and Carrick but not unbridgeable, Ports and Point with a bit more to do.

[Jacksgranda]

League Cup semi finals tomorrow. Coleraine v Warrenpoint Town and Cliftonville v Ballymena United.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59637737

Mick McDermott extends contract at the Oval - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59622890      I like McDermott, he strikes me as a Stephen Baxter type character. although maybe more volatile.

[Jacksgranda]

Cliftonville and Coleraine both win easily to advance to the League Cup Final, Cliftonville 3-0 against a disappointing Ballymena and Coleraine 6-1 against Warrenpoint Town who were always up against it after going down to 10 men.

Jamie McLaughlin came on as a sub for the Bannsiders and scored after a long absence from injury

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59661376

Goals - Coleraine v 'Point  https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59661376

Reds v United  https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/59661677

[Ivo den Bieman]

Good to see a strong 3-way fight for the title. I always think the league's better when Cliftonville are firing on all cylinders and pushing Linfield. Must admit to being surprised to see Larne treading water, looks like the well-financed dream maybe breaking up a bit, and the squad perhaps needing refreshed. Agree also that DJ's reign at Ballymena seems to have gone stale. A pity as I thought under his tutelage the club would be much more competitive.

There was always the sense that Warrenpoint would fall away when Newry City got their act together and this looks like happening this season with 'Point's luck seemingly having run out, and Newry dominating the Championship title race. A great five-way fight for the play-off spot with just a point between Ballinamallard in second and Ards in 6th. Are any of the potential promotion candidates really better than either Portadown or Dungannon Swifts? Hard to see it.

Bangor may well be back in the second tier next season, between Armagh City and them at present in the Intermediate League.

[Jacksgranda]

34 minutes ago, Ivo den Bieman said:

Good to see a strong 3-way fight for the title. I always think the league's better when Cliftonville are firing on all cylinders and pushing Linfield. Must admit to being surprised to see Larne treading water, looks like the well-financed dream maybe breaking up a bit, and the squad perhaps needing refreshed. Agree also that DJ's reign at Ballymena seems to have gone stale. A pity as I thought under his tutelage the club would be much more competitive.

There was always the sense that Warrenpoint would fall away when Newry City got their act together and this looks like happening this season with 'Point's luck seemingly having run out, and Newry dominating the Championship title race. A great five-way fight for the play-off spot with just a point between Ballinamallard in second and Ards in 6th. Are any of the potential promotion candidates really better than either Portadown or Dungannon Swifts? Hard to see it.

Bangor may well be back in the second tier next season, between Armagh City and them at present in the Intermediate League.

I thought that, too. Thankfully it hasn't materialised...

[Jacksgranda]

Maybe not, but the top flight needs a shake up after the last 2 seasons. The Irish League has been completely transformed since I went to my first match in 1973, when it was a closed shop of 12. (Most leagues were the same, to be fair). As someone used to the Scottish Division One and the Highland League I was shocked at the lack of floodlights. covering and terracing, the Oval and Windsor excepted. (There was probably terracing and covering at Mourneview and Shamrock Park at that time, it was a season or two before I got there.)

Now the facilities, right down the pyramid, are excellent, Considering NI has a population only 1.5 times that of Birmingham the organised sports leagues (football/rugby/cricket/GAA) are a credit to the place and play to a relatively high standard.

Edited December 16, 2021 by Jacksgranda
Sleppnig

[Ivo den Bieman]

Yeah it's come on a huge amount in terms of professionalism & standards in the few years I've been following it closely. Think the top 8 in the top division could almost form a mini league on their own...bottom four tend to be gubbins outfits although even they are a lot stronger than ten-fiteen years ago.

On facilities, for those wondering about the 70s, here's Carrick's Taylor's Avenue in a famous Euro Tie against Mick VChannon's Southampton. You can see how basic the park is.

 

[Jacksgranda]

4 minutes ago, Ivo den Bieman said:

Yeah it's come on a huge amount in terms of professionalism & standards in the few years I've been following it closely. Think the top 8 in the top division could almost form a mini league on their own...bottom four tend to be gubbins outfits although even they are a lot stronger than ten-fiteen years ago.

On facilities, for those wondering about the 70s, here's Carrick's Taylor's Avenue in a famous Euro Tie against Mick VChannon's Southampton. You can see how basic the park is.

 

Yes, but anything less than 12 would have the danger of one of the "big" teams going down, granted both Glenavon and Portadown suffered that fate, although the latter was not entirely due to football related matters.

[Jacksgranda]

Glentoran v Glenavon and Larne v Linfield tonight.

[Jacksgranda]

Larne up against it now, down to 10 men and a goal down.

Linfield in control, but Larne could have been level

Full time Larne 0 Linfield 1.  I've seen better games.

Edited December 17, 2021 by Jacksgranda

[Clockwork]

Larne up against it now, down to 10 men and a goal down.
Linfield in control, but Larne could have been level
Full time Larne 0 Linfield 1.  I've seen better games.

Yep a scrappy affair tonight, think the Blues just about deserved the points. Harsh Red for Balmer, looked like he certainly clipped Manzinga but the Big Fella still had plenty to do for me.
7 on the bounce for the Glens, great to see another side very much in the mix at the top of the table.

[Jacksgranda]

Carrick lose again, 2-0 at Solitude, as the Reds sail on.

0-0 at the Coleraine Showgrounds which effectively ends Crusaders challenge too, which was slight anyway.

Ballymena win 2-0 at Stangmore to leave the Swifts struggling, and Portadown win at Milltown in the 6 pointer with Warrenpoint.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59710373