BRANDON KAVANAGH WAS in flying form when he caught up with The 42 earlier this week.
Ostensibly a preview of tonight’s tantalising Premier Division clash between St Patrick’s Athletic and champions Shelbourne at a sold-out Richmond Park, the Dubliner was open and engaging on a number of different topics.
One element of the interview that ended up on the cutting room floor were some of his first memories of being reprimanded by an underage coach for not taking training seriously enough.
He reckons it was at around 12 or 13, in the astro cages at schoolboy club St Joseph’s Boys, when he and some of his teammates were messing around instead of paying attention to instructions.
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Mick Browne was the coach in question, a key figure in Kavanagh as well as several others’ development. So much so they are still in contact now and Browne remains a vital sounding board.
Kavanagh recalls Browne picking up the bag of balls and threatening to end the session. They were there to learn and work, to maximise every sinew of talent and do so through application and commitment.
Memories can play tricks on people, of course, but for Kavanagh it was imprinted in his mind, the first time he can vividly recall the phrase “don’t let your standards drop” being used and the sense that he could get much more from the game if he was willing to graft for it.
Discipline is vital to have any kind of successful career, and it was at the very start of his teens that the message really sunk in for Kavanagh as to what would be required to become a professional.
That was the environment Kavanagh and his teammates – several of whom went on to become professionals – operated within, and it was one that helped them thrive.
Schoolboy teams like that throughout the country have produced Irish footballers for decades, and while the onus has shifted to League of Ireland academies to be able to take on that mantle, it remains – and will do so for some time – an absolute necessity for players to get that first taste of the game at grassroots level where those demands are not as intense. That is why some of the introductions during the last Player Development Plan, instigated by former high performance director Ruud Dokter a decade ago, had such a positive impact on participation.
With no competitive games until U12 level, results are not kept and tables not produced. There are small-sided games with unlimited and revolving substitutes. That is where the initial love and enjoyment needs to be nurtured, allowing then for the natural paths to emerge for those of different abilities.
The fact a meeting took place last week between the FAI and government officials relating to that academy funding is a plus, where it leads remains unknown after so much of the momentum that built up over the last 12 months stalled in the early part of this year.
This week, a letter, seen by The Beat, was sent by The Schoolboys/Girls Football Association of Ireland (SFAI) to its members detailing how the “enforced aligned season” of leagues in the calendar year from the start of 2026 as part of FAI’s Football Pathways Plan has “uncorked overwhelming anger and created an atmosphere that’s impossible to work in”.
Signed by SFAI chairman Padraic Clarke, it details how “after multiple meetings, it is evident that no further progress can be made on the aligned season at this time.”
The letter continued: “We support the overall vision of the Football Pathways Plan. However, we believe that beginning with an enforced aligned season is counterproductive…
“Instead, we advocate for first investing in and developing the fundamental elements, making steady progress, and building confidence in the system.”
With regards to the marquee competitions for schoolboy/girl clubs – The Kennedy and Gaynor Cups – Clarke wrote how they had “encountered significant challenges in securing funding for both tournaments” from the FAI.
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It was explained how last autumn is when they began engagement, as usual, with the FAI’s “grants and funding department” ahead of the June start date.
The SFAI state that “progress on securing FAI funding support has stalled” with discussions focusing on the new Football Pathway Plan and its season alignment framework.
In the letter, it says: “The main questions raised include: What steps is the SFAI taking to align national competitions with the ‘calendar season’ model? How do we plan to implement the FPP as a whole? It was made clear that funding is contingent on addressing these points – there was no ambiguity around it all.”
If it’s accepted now that League of Ireland clubs must be the ones to properly invest in academy structures to try and produce the calibre of player required for the Premier Division and international teams, then it must also be vital to ensure the grassroots clubs which will give them their first experiences in the game are not left to feel isolated and ostracised.
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Grassroots says FAI has 'uncorked overwhelming anger and created an atmosphere impossible to work in'
BRANDON KAVANAGH WAS in flying form when he caught up with The 42 earlier this week.
Ostensibly a preview of tonight’s tantalising Premier Division clash between St Patrick’s Athletic and champions Shelbourne at a sold-out Richmond Park, the Dubliner was open and engaging on a number of different topics.
If you want a sense of his obsession with the game then an example of his shower habits summed it up.
One element of the interview that ended up on the cutting room floor were some of his first memories of being reprimanded by an underage coach for not taking training seriously enough.
He reckons it was at around 12 or 13, in the astro cages at schoolboy club St Joseph’s Boys, when he and some of his teammates were messing around instead of paying attention to instructions.
Mick Browne was the coach in question, a key figure in Kavanagh as well as several others’ development. So much so they are still in contact now and Browne remains a vital sounding board.
Kavanagh recalls Browne picking up the bag of balls and threatening to end the session. They were there to learn and work, to maximise every sinew of talent and do so through application and commitment.
Memories can play tricks on people, of course, but for Kavanagh it was imprinted in his mind, the first time he can vividly recall the phrase “don’t let your standards drop” being used and the sense that he could get much more from the game if he was willing to graft for it.
Discipline is vital to have any kind of successful career, and it was at the very start of his teens that the message really sunk in for Kavanagh as to what would be required to become a professional.
That was the environment Kavanagh and his teammates – several of whom went on to become professionals – operated within, and it was one that helped them thrive.
Schoolboy teams like that throughout the country have produced Irish footballers for decades, and while the onus has shifted to League of Ireland academies to be able to take on that mantle, it remains – and will do so for some time – an absolute necessity for players to get that first taste of the game at grassroots level where those demands are not as intense. That is why some of the introductions during the last Player Development Plan, instigated by former high performance director Ruud Dokter a decade ago, had such a positive impact on participation.
With no competitive games until U12 level, results are not kept and tables not produced. There are small-sided games with unlimited and revolving substitutes. That is where the initial love and enjoyment needs to be nurtured, allowing then for the natural paths to emerge for those of different abilities.
The fact a meeting took place last week between the FAI and government officials relating to that academy funding is a plus, where it leads remains unknown after so much of the momentum that built up over the last 12 months stalled in the early part of this year.
The discontent between League of Ireland clubs and the FAI over the matter has been well documented, and there is also growing frustration on the part of the governing body for all those grassroots clubs with the association.
This week, a letter, seen by The Beat, was sent by The Schoolboys/Girls Football Association of Ireland (SFAI) to its members detailing how the “enforced aligned season” of leagues in the calendar year from the start of 2026 as part of FAI’s Football Pathways Plan has “uncorked overwhelming anger and created an atmosphere that’s impossible to work in”.
Signed by SFAI chairman Padraic Clarke, it details how “after multiple meetings, it is evident that no further progress can be made on the aligned season at this time.”
The letter continued: “We support the overall vision of the Football Pathways Plan. However, we believe that beginning with an enforced aligned season is counterproductive…
“Instead, we advocate for first investing in and developing the fundamental elements, making steady progress, and building confidence in the system.”
With regards to the marquee competitions for schoolboy/girl clubs – The Kennedy and Gaynor Cups – Clarke wrote how they had “encountered significant challenges in securing funding for both tournaments” from the FAI.
It was explained how last autumn is when they began engagement, as usual, with the FAI’s “grants and funding department” ahead of the June start date.
The SFAI state that “progress on securing FAI funding support has stalled” with discussions focusing on the new Football Pathway Plan and its season alignment framework.
In the letter, it says: “The main questions raised include: What steps is the SFAI taking to align national competitions with the ‘calendar season’ model? How do we plan to implement the FPP as a whole? It was made clear that funding is contingent on addressing these points – there was no ambiguity around it all.”
If it’s accepted now that League of Ireland clubs must be the ones to properly invest in academy structures to try and produce the calibre of player required for the Premier Division and international teams, then it must also be vital to ensure the grassroots clubs which will give them their first experiences in the game are not left to feel isolated and ostracised.
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