THE GOVERNMENT WILL this morning make what it describes as “the largest-ever funding announcement for sports facilities” in this country.
A headline figure of €230 million in grants will be unveiled by Catherine Martin, Minster for Sport, and Thomas Byrne, Minister of State for Sport.
Paschal Donohue, the Minister for Public Expenditure, will also be in attendance at Cambridge Football Club in Ringsend.
A little later in the afternoon, around the corner in Dublin 4, FAI chief football officer Marc Canham will join grassroots director Ger McDermott in Aviva Stadium for an update on the Football Pathways Plan.
Yet, on the eve of an important juncture, The 42 has learned of confusion and frustration from key figures in League of Ireland academy circles about the progress of the plan.
Added to that, there is also a sense of drift with a permanent FAI chief executive yet to be confirmed almost six months on from Jonathan Hill’s exit.
The Football Pathways Plan was announced in February of this year and the 12-year pathway project is in conjunction with the FAI’s €863 million Facility Investment Vision and Strategy.
Both seek to modernise, indeed revolutionise, all aspects of the game in this country – and do so by 2036. Understandably, there have been some early problems.
For one, the Facility Investment Vision and Strategy was announced in June 2023 by CEO Hill and FAI chairman Roy Barrett. Both have since left the association.
When Canham stood beside Ireland internationals Gavin Bazunu and Aine O’Gorman as part of the photocall for the Pathways Plan, he also had a different title. Up until recently he was director of football, he has since been promoted to chief football officer as the scope of his role grew.
Sources in Abbotstown indicate that Canham’s influence has also strengthened, despite a prolonged manager search for both the senior women’s and men’s positions. He has been able to negotiate a promotion due to key FAI figures fearing he would leave for a role elsewhere.
Despite the fact there is no longer a director of football, Shane Robinson’s title has not changed and he remains assistant director of football.
David Courell has been in situ as interim CEO since 15 April and a permanent appointment has yet to be confirmed.
The 42 understands that Courell’s stock has risen during his caretaker stint and there is somewhat of a split among the decision makers as to what they should do next.
Sarah Keane is to stand down as Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI) president at the end of this year and confirmed while in Paris during this summer’s Olympics that she had been contacted by the FAI to apply for the job.
She did, and is understood to be favoured by some in the FAI.
Keane helped reshape all aspects of the Olympic Council of Ireland (including a rebrand) in the aftermath of Rio 2016 and the scandals that emerged.
However, while she is once again in the final mix after previously losing out, Courell is believed to have firmed up his credentials in the eyes of some yet could lose out to an external candidate in what appears to be a three-way battle.
Ian Flanagan was appointed CEO of Munster Rugby five years ago after previously holding the role of commercial director with Premier League club Leicester City.
He is the favoured candidate of some in the FAI but his credentials have not won over others.
This is important politicking taking place in the background while today Canham will once again be at the forefront of the FAI’s plans to modernise on and off the pitch.
A report in the Irish Times earlier this week explained how the FAI “plans to reroute money previously used in the disbanded Emerging Talent Programme (ETP) to increase coaching time for the best 14-to-18-year-olds in the country.”
And The 42 has learned that key figures in the League of Ireland academy system have voiced concerns about the FAI’s methods so far in delivering substantial change.
To give just one example of their concerns, part of the update scheduled for today is due to focus on plans to categorise academies with funding correlated to their status.
It’s understood that eight clubs will receive Category 1 status, but as of yet those clubs are not all aware of their status for 2025.
It was earlier this year that the FAI informed clubs that an audit of academies would take place in the second half of 2024, but sources have informed The 42 that no criteria has yet to be given and these audits have not been completed.
Some have not even taken place, and the academy season finishes at the end of next month.
Budgets with club boards and attempts to determine their own strategic plans for academy set-ups are in a state of flux with uncertainty regarding not just how much funding will be available but how it will actually be allocated.
The FAI knows that funding is coming from the Government.
It was in April that Will Clarke, the FAI’s academy manager, explained how €10 million per year would be required to fund the 24 academies throughout the country.
Minister Donohue, who will be present for that announcement of €230m in funding for sports facilities today, met with delegation from the FAI for a more detailed presentation on what is required to fundamentally alter the way Irish footballers are trained as well as the system that is now responsible for doing so.
Those meetings are understood to have been impressive and eye-opening, with the strength and depth of Clarke’s work highlighted.
Minister Donohue may not be alongside Canham at the Aviva Stadium today but his influence with the public purse will be pivotal to how the FAI’s plans are eventually implemented.
Slimani will no doubt help with analysis of the Leinster- Irish players particularly in the scrum and lineout. Smart by Galthie IMO
@Michael Corkery: not really hard to dissect the irish scrum. just tell the TH prop to survive the initial hit from porter, then porter will dig himself a hole and subsequent penalty concession after. no harm before the first scrum in highlighting to the referee or touch judge to keep an eye on his bind and make sure he is scrummaging square.
@Niall English: Thanks for that bracing insight
@Niall English: ok sherlock
@Niall English: hahaha funny and kinda true
@Niall English: and what about the Munster props contribution to Irish rugby over the last decade? Oh yeah less than zero. ‘Killer’ doesn’t even count at this stage. Hasn’t added anything to Irish squads in 2+ years
@adizlack93: Why bring Munster into this? Obsessed much…
@adizlack93: this does not mean I don’t think he’s top class in other facets of the game, he’s great in defence, ball carrying etc, just scrummaging at LH is not a strong point and his discipline could be improved a tad I.e. eradicate the brain dead penalties.
If only Ireland just capped Antoine Frisch when we had the chance….would have been a useful player to have access to!
@Andrew: actually don’t think he’d have got near Irish team on merit and his heart wasn’t really in it. Right decision not to cap him although it was bad for Munster
@Andrew: really? We’re already over loaded in the centre with players better than him.
@anthony davoren: we could really have done with Joshua Brennan though
@anthony davoren: most of them are inside centers. Ringrose is the only one playing regularly at outside center.
@Andrew: we have 4 top class centres and frisch didn’t want to play for Ireland just like Joshua brennan.
@Andrew: miles behind henshaw aki ringrose
@Michael Corkery: Me either but the French thought he was good enough! would have kept a very useful player here. They have two lads fro that Chris Farell case in the squad too I believe.
@Thesaltyurchin: 2 lads in the squad were accused of rape in Argentina last year. Are you thinking of that? The case was dropped, but an appeal is pending. I think it might have been the right thing to wait until the process is completed.
Any other nation in world baptiste serin would have 80 plus caps
@Gary Galligan: hilarious he cant make the squad, if he were irish i think he might edge out JGP
@Owen ODonoghue: wouldn’t go that far lol
With all 3 THs in international squads, looks like Leinster will need to borrow a couple from other Provinces. Hopefully that shouldn’t be a problem
@Kevin Ryan: Hahahahaha. Other provinces happy to “borrow” from Leinster, so surely they will. Big opps for McGuire and Sparrow perhaps. Unless TC gets released from camp to play if O’Toole is called up for example.
@Kevin Ryan: we’ll take Wilson from Ulster and Jager from Munster to see us through
@Kevin Ryan: We might need to borrow an entire front row as all 9 are called up for international duty.
The old way of picking the squad was way less controversial you were picked on the basis of what Mulqueen, Doyler and Neddy van Esbeck wrote about you and whether you could manage the obligatory 20 pints around ballsbridge the Thursday before the match.
Is there any irish fans who support ireland bloody hell negitiveity is all i see
@Shanie: ah cmon now, we’ve already seen with the Fri night games on during November that the irfu is really only interested in Dublin & the pale. Shur ye lads can shout for ‘ireland’
@munsterman: I feel sorry for people like you, you’ve done everything you can to make it impossible to enjoy a sport you’re supposed to like by making it political.
@PJ Smith: here here
Everyone overrated the french
What’s the story with Cameron Woki?
@Carmine Lorenzo: and baptiste serin
@Carmine Lorenzo: Way too much quality to go around, simple as that really.
@Gary Galligan: Meanwhile, on le42.fr, où est Nick Timoney?
@Gary Galligan: yeah serin is quality
@Ray Ridge: Perhaps that’s true alright. Woki, Willemse and Tuilagi missing.. and that is just from the row! Lebel and Rattez on the wing. Dumortier was another back who looked pretty good but not sure if he’s been called up in a while. Then you have lads injured. It’s astonishing depth of quality really.
@Carmine Lorenzo: Macalou another backrow of quality. No Dante in the centre either. Think he’s injured. Astonishing depth when you think about it.
@Justin Robinson: underrated comment.
@Ray Ridge: Yeah Macalou forgot about him, he’s quality. Was in their first choice 23 at the world cup and now can’t make the squad.
@Carmine Lorenzo: He’s a thug and a liability.
I would say it’s hard to believe that Hugh cooney is given more of an opportunity for Ireland than French international antoine frisch but really who would I be kidding
@munsterman: Not sure that you are willing to listen to this but the situation is completely different. AF had his centres pretty much nailed down before the WC and it would have taken something spectacular from anyone else to break their way into the squad. Some might say we needed a 13 but that’s not how AF saw it. Frisch’s age means that it would be a little bit harder for him to break his way into the team in this WC cycle than what it would be for, say a 21 year old promising up and coming centre. Frisch came along at the wrong time. Simple as that
@munsterman: Hot take – Hugh Cooney is an academy player, not a senior player like Frisch. Furthermore, he’s not in the outright squad he’s there for development purposes. See point 1 above. Lastly, and whisper it quietly, maybe they think he could be a better player than Frisch eventually? I know that might be hard to take but we’re here for you <3
@Carmine Lorenzo: if it was Hugh gavin I could understand it but Hugh cooney? Look.from the bit I’ve seen of him he looks a handy player like a lot of those polished kids that come out of the schools system in Dublin but when it comes to replacing ringrose, leinster will sign an niq before they’ll trust Hugh cooney
@munsterman: You do remember that AF was called up for the 2022 Emerging Ireland tour? Maybe he didn’t impress. It’s also possible that he is happier being in the squad for his actual country, rather than being locked out by a token Irish cap to keep him at Munster.
That said, I’m really surprised to see Cooney called up. I know it’s only as a Development player; but he’s hardly played at all for Leinster and, although he was called up for the 2024 EI tour, I don’t remember him having a major impact
@munsterman: Is Hugh Gavin injured? Haven’t heard much of him since he joined Connacht. Should really have joined Munster as he has great potential.
@Con Cussed: yes injured
@Con Cussed: why would he leave Connacht for Munster? He has been and is currently injured. Besides Munster have had a NIQ centre for nearly 25 years, Gavin would be up against it if he went there! Connacht is absolutely the right place for him to ply his trade in the academy.
@munsterman: Cooney really impressed on the EIntour all things told. I’d agree with you re Hugh Gavin but unfortunately he is injured and has been since November
@munsterman: Frisch was selected as a panelist and development squad just like Cooney, so actually your statement is 100% false. Frisch didn’t take his chance and has been persuaded that his future lies in France. For me he gave up too quickly and we don’t want or need players who are not willing to fight. McCloskey deserved his spot ahead of Frisch because he was willing to fight for it and eventually got it – 4 years later!!
@Paul Ennis: For the sake of keeping these players here, himself and Klien should have been run out, it was a miss no question, I don’t think either would be picked ahead of Ringrose or McCarthy but they would have been useful all the same. French dont have a problem doing it.