Founded in 1887 the Notre Dame Football team is one of the most popular and well respected teams in the NCAA today. Notre Dame is the only team in US history to have won 8 wire (AP or Coaches) national championships, and is the leading Division I-A team in terms of championships won. No one could have imagined that after facing an 8-0 defeat in their first ever game in 1887 the team would rise to such great heights. Notre Dame has produced players like Bryant Young and Lance Legree of the San Francisco 49ers.
Popularly known as the Fighting Irish, the mascot of the Notre Dame Football team is a Leprechaun. Over a period of time the Fighting Irish have made a name for themselves, and are one of the most popular college football teams in the US. Second only to Michigan in terms of overall winning percentage (the Michigan Wolverines have a .745 compared to Notre Dame's .744) the Fighting Irish are one of the most successful college football teams in US history. The history of college football is usually traced back by the coaches that have run the teams and the first notable coach of the Notre Dame Football team was Knute Rockne.
The influence of Knute Rockne on American Football as a whole is undeniable, not only is he one of the most successful coaches that the Fighting Irish have ever had, he is also one of the most notable sporting personalities of all time. Even a stamp commemorating the life of Knute Rockne was issued some years back. Knute was coach of the Fighting Irish from 1918-1930.
After Knute, the next praise worthy coach is Frank Leahy, Frank is one of the most successful college coaches in US football history, with a win percentage of .864 Leahy has the second highest win percentage for any college football coach till date. Under Leahy the team had a win record of 87 wins to 11 loses, and Leahy was coach of the Fighting Irish for 11 seasons. Leahy's record would have been even more impressive had it not been for his absence from 1944 to 1945 when he was serving in the US Navy. Leahy was coach of the Fighting Irish for 11 years from 1941 to 1953.
Ara Parseghian has made a place for himself in the history of Notre Dame Football for lifting the ?no bowl games? policy that the Fighting Irish followed, it was under Parseghian that the Fighting Irish won the McArthur bowl in 1964 and won two uncontested world championships. Many believe that Parseghian would have gone on to become the greatest college football coach ever had it not been for his untimely retirement in 1974 due to health reasons. Parseghian was coach for 7 years between 1966 and 1973. His record stands at an impressive 95-17-4 with a win percentage of .836, second only to Leahy.
Gerry Faust is perhaps the most popular football coaches ever, as a high school coach he was one of the most successful football coaches ever. Although his record with the Fighting Irish stands at a mediocre .535, Faust was responsible for leading the Notre Dame Football team to the Liberty Bowl and Aloha Bowl in the years 1983 and 1984 respectively. Faust has been lauded for his coaching capabilities, and was invited to speak to the team at the 2006 annual football awards banquet. Gerry Faust was the coach of the Fighting Irish for 4 years between 1981 and 1985. His overall win record stands at a mediocre 30'26?1. However as a coach there is no denying the impact he had on the Fighting Irish.
The future of the Notre Dame Football team is bright and every year the team is producing quality athletes that are becoming part of leading Football teams all over America. If you are interested in joining a forum or discussion group then you should visit Irishenvy a site dedicated to people who love the Fighting Irish.
The Premier League format that emerged in England and that was later replicated in Scotland has been a resounding success. In 1992 the top tier of English football broke away from the Football League and has flourished with the backing of Sky TV. Scottish clubs followed suit in 1998 to form the Scottish Premier League (SPL), with Setanta Sports currently providing improved terms to extend their deal.
A sports marketing firm, Platinum One, has unveiled plans for an All-Ireland Premier League. This is an attempt to provide an upturn in the fortunes of the beautiful game in Ireland. Many clubs, on both sides of the border, are struggling to survive due to poor attendances and sponsorship. Recently, Sligo Rovers, Cobh Ramblers and Galway United have all revealed that they are suffering financial difficulties.
Most concerning is the current plight of Sligo Rovers. A club statement warned on July 15th that "It is a matter of fact that if Sligo Rovers Football Club do not raise substantial funds by the end of August 2008 the club will no longer exist in football." This is a town that has previously boasted a passionate football tradition and a strong fan base. But club officials have resorted to admitting that they're struggling to get paying fans through the gates, and if they don't manage to conjure up a small fortune in the next month then Sligo Rovers will cease to exist as a football club.
It is important to consider that the financial problems being experienced by Irish football clubs are not peculiar to Ireland. The high profile demise of Gretna in the Scottish Premier League highlights a more global problem, with at least three clubs from the English leagues on the verge of extinction.
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) recognises that the financial problems have been brought on by over-ambitious chairmen, who over-extend themselves financially in their bid to bring success to their club. In an attempt to rectify the situation, the FAI have brought in a cap on players' wages, which should not exceed 65 per cent of a club's income. The salary cap could have the potential to restore a more financially stable league, but can the clubs afford to wait a season or two to find that out?
A United Irish League would result in removing the running of domestic football at the top level from the FAI and the Irish Football Association (IFA). The proposals include running the league under a five year license, which would be granted by the FAI and IFA. The league would be funded through sponsorship and television deals. The propose that infrastructure of the clubs could also be improved by unlocking government grants for stadium improvements.
The FAI's chief executive, John Delaney, recently declared that he was in favour of the idea in principle, but he felt it was "divisive" at the current time and said he remained committed to the association's own plan to develop the League of Ireland in its present form. The IFA have refused to enter initial discussions and chief executive, Howard Wells, has stated that the timing would not be right as the IFA was currently revamping its own league.
The plans for a United Irish League were created by Fintan Drury, chairman of Paddy Power and director of Anglo Irish Bank. The league would run alongside the Premier Leagues in England and Scotland and consist of ten clubs- seven from the republic and three from the north. Drury has invited Bohemians, Drogheda United, St. Patrick's Athletic, Galway United, Limerick 37, Cork City and Shamrock Rovers from the republic. Invites have also been issued to Linfield, Glentoran and Derry City from Northern Ireland. Drury sent a 62 page proposal to all the clubs and hopes the league could launch in August next year.
The SPL has the Old Firm derby, and the English Premiership has Sky's Grand Slam Sunday, maybe the Irish United League would offer the traditional north/south rivalry which could capture the public's imagination.
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