LEAGUE OF IRELAND clubs are understood to be examining the process of breaking away from the FAI as a deepening rift between key stakeholders could lead to a re-shaping of how the professional game is run in this country.
The 42 has learned that after a meeting today of the National League Committee (NLC), which is the governing body of the League of Ireland, clubs have sent a formal request to the FAI for all information presented to the Government regarding the future of academy funding.
This drastic step was taken following a dramatic period that has intensified over the last 24 hours.
The 42 understands that there is anger and dismay among the Premier Clubs Alliance (PCA) that their opposition to the FAI’s planned national development training programme for 250 of the best 14 to 17-year-olds was made public one day after they sent it to the FAI.
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In a letter sent to the association on Monday, one that was unanimously signed off on by members of the PCA and addressed to FAI chief executive David Courell, president Paul Cooke, chief football officer Marc Canham, and League of Ireland director Mark Scanlon, they described the proposed national training programme as a “poorly conceived” plan that “does not warrant any serious consideration”.
The PCA is the representative body of the 10 Premier Division clubs in the League of Ireland.
The 42 understands that if the clubs’ request to the FAI for information relating to academy funding and their dialogue with the Government is not forthcoming, they have not ruled out invoking the Freedom of Information Act to try and ascertain the exact details and parameters of talks between both parties.
Canham previously stated that a figure of €10 million per year “would completely transform player development in this country”.
This latest development comes after the PCA delivered their scathing assessment of the FAI’s new centralised coaching plan.
Their suggestion is to bring together 250 of the best boys and girls aged 14 to 17 over a 45-day period during various school holidays throughout the year. There would be 25 players in each age group with sessions being led by managers and coaches from the underage international teams, some of whom also have roles with the high-performance unit.
The PCA invited Canham and Assistant Director of Football Shane Robinson onto one of their bi-monthly video calls last Thursday to discuss their plan in more detail after elements of it first emerged in The Irish Examiner on Monday 3 March.
Sources at League of Ireland clubs and also within the FAI have informed The 42 that they were totally blindsided by details of this new plan and that the “secrecy” and manner of how it was communicated has fed into a feeling of increased distrust.
It is also understood that the FAI could not offer a definitive timeframe for how long this would actually last, with one source stating that the FAI even described it as a stop-gap solution rather than as something permanent or part of a coherent plan.
As reported earlier today, the PCA wrote to the FAI on Monday expressing their dismay at the level of planning and detail within the presentation
League of Ireland clubs insisted that their players would not be released by clubs to take part – and The 42 has learned of more reasons for concern at a time when the new Minister for Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, admitted that the Government’s pledge of academy funding was “not imminent.”
The FAI already ended their Emerging Talent Programme (ETP) last October, which is reported to have saved in the region of €700,000, and sources with understanding of the new centralised plan put the annual cost closer to €250,000. However, a chunk of that would be hotel accommodation costs for those male and female players who have to travel more than 50 kilometres to the National Training Centre at Abbotstown.
Those players within the 50km radius would either have to return home after training or make alternative accommodation arrangements closer to the west Dublin base, but they would not remain with the other players on the course each evening.
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Clubs were also left bemused by plans for mixed sessions among boys and girls, and angry at some of the figures presented which underestimate contact hours for players currently in League of Ireland academies and overestimate those within this new FAI training plan.
In that letter sent by the PCA to the FAI yesterday, they stated that “the clubs’ core position that the best route to increased contact hours is within club environments remains unchanged and this poorly conceived proposal is detrimental to this aim.”
It currently costs in the region of between €30,000 and €40,000 to run an academy side in the League of Ireland each year, and there is a growing fear that some clubs may not be prepared to finance their underage systems if the FAI were to be able to cherry pick key players at key times during the year.
Figures in the FAI had not responded to request for comment at the time of publication
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League of Ireland clubs examine process of breaking away from FAI
LEAGUE OF IRELAND clubs are understood to be examining the process of breaking away from the FAI as a deepening rift between key stakeholders could lead to a re-shaping of how the professional game is run in this country.
The 42 has learned that after a meeting today of the National League Committee (NLC), which is the governing body of the League of Ireland, clubs have sent a formal request to the FAI for all information presented to the Government regarding the future of academy funding.
This drastic step was taken following a dramatic period that has intensified over the last 24 hours.
The 42 understands that there is anger and dismay among the Premier Clubs Alliance (PCA) that their opposition to the FAI’s planned national development training programme for 250 of the best 14 to 17-year-olds was made public one day after they sent it to the FAI.
In a letter sent to the association on Monday, one that was unanimously signed off on by members of the PCA and addressed to FAI chief executive David Courell, president Paul Cooke, chief football officer Marc Canham, and League of Ireland director Mark Scanlon, they described the proposed national training programme as a “poorly conceived” plan that “does not warrant any serious consideration”.
The PCA is the representative body of the 10 Premier Division clubs in the League of Ireland.
The 42 understands that if the clubs’ request to the FAI for information relating to academy funding and their dialogue with the Government is not forthcoming, they have not ruled out invoking the Freedom of Information Act to try and ascertain the exact details and parameters of talks between both parties.
Canham previously stated that a figure of €10 million per year “would completely transform player development in this country”.
This latest development comes after the PCA delivered their scathing assessment of the FAI’s new centralised coaching plan.
Their suggestion is to bring together 250 of the best boys and girls aged 14 to 17 over a 45-day period during various school holidays throughout the year. There would be 25 players in each age group with sessions being led by managers and coaches from the underage international teams, some of whom also have roles with the high-performance unit.
The PCA invited Canham and Assistant Director of Football Shane Robinson onto one of their bi-monthly video calls last Thursday to discuss their plan in more detail after elements of it first emerged in The Irish Examiner on Monday 3 March.
Sources at League of Ireland clubs and also within the FAI have informed The 42 that they were totally blindsided by details of this new plan and that the “secrecy” and manner of how it was communicated has fed into a feeling of increased distrust.
It is also understood that the FAI could not offer a definitive timeframe for how long this would actually last, with one source stating that the FAI even described it as a stop-gap solution rather than as something permanent or part of a coherent plan.
As reported earlier today, the PCA wrote to the FAI on Monday expressing their dismay at the level of planning and detail within the presentation
League of Ireland clubs insisted that their players would not be released by clubs to take part – and The 42 has learned of more reasons for concern at a time when the new Minister for Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, admitted that the Government’s pledge of academy funding was “not imminent.”
The FAI already ended their Emerging Talent Programme (ETP) last October, which is reported to have saved in the region of €700,000, and sources with understanding of the new centralised plan put the annual cost closer to €250,000. However, a chunk of that would be hotel accommodation costs for those male and female players who have to travel more than 50 kilometres to the National Training Centre at Abbotstown.
Those players within the 50km radius would either have to return home after training or make alternative accommodation arrangements closer to the west Dublin base, but they would not remain with the other players on the course each evening.
Clubs were also left bemused by plans for mixed sessions among boys and girls, and angry at some of the figures presented which underestimate contact hours for players currently in League of Ireland academies and overestimate those within this new FAI training plan.
In that letter sent by the PCA to the FAI yesterday, they stated that “the clubs’ core position that the best route to increased contact hours is within club environments remains unchanged and this poorly conceived proposal is detrimental to this aim.”
It currently costs in the region of between €30,000 and €40,000 to run an academy side in the League of Ireland each year, and there is a growing fear that some clubs may not be prepared to finance their underage systems if the FAI were to be able to cherry pick key players at key times during the year.
Figures in the FAI had not responded to request for comment at the time of publication
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