League back to 33-game format

A LENGTHY and at times argumentative meeting of the National League's management committee last night ultimately resolved to revert to the existing 33-game format for the Premier Division next season.

This is contrary to their decision last month when they decided to reduce both divisions by a round to a home-and-away 22 and 18-game format, with the League Cup expanded to two groups of 11.

So angry were many of the leading clubs with that proposal that six of them came up with an alternative proposal to revert to this season's system and ultimately prune the Premier Division to 10 teams for the 1998-99 season, when there would be 36 games.

This was agreed in principle last night, although how exactly it is put into place will be decided at this summer's a.g.m. of the National League, when proposals regarding the promotion and relegation format for the next two seasons will be heard.

It is also expected that the a.g.m. will ratify the big six's proposal that promoted clubs from the first division in the 1998-99 season and beyond fulfil certain requirements with their ground facilities.

The only other concrete decision made last night concerned the appointment of a new manager for the National League Olympic squad for their minitour of the US in the wake of Turlough O'Connor's withdrawal.

Though several other Premier Division managers had made themselves available, the management committee accepted a proposal by National League president Michael Hyland that the Dundalk manager Tommy Connolly inherit the job.

This was because Connolly had reputedly 'assisted' O'Connor in the selection of the 16-man squad for the tour, a curious scenario which effectively meant any other manager would have inherited a defensively weak squad not of his own choosing.

Connolly, in turn, will choose his own assistant as well as a replacement for the Cork defender Gareth Cronan, a subsequent withdrawal from the squad.