AMIDST THE HISTORIC Women’s FAI Cup celebrations, Athlone Town Director of Football Michael O’Connor made several impassioned pleas to the Irish Government to support domestic football.
While manager Ciarán Kilduff and his players conducted celebratory interviews on the Tallaght Stadium pitch, O’Connor used his platform to highlight a lack of funding and other issues.
“We are drowning,” he told FinalWhistle.ie, as he pulled no punches in a video that has been widely shared on social media.
The Midlands club legend criticised Minister for Sport Thomas Byrne, who was not present at the women’s cup final against Shelbourne, though did attend the Women’s World Cup in Australia during the summer.
O’Connor spoke to the written press separately.
“It’s huge,” he began on Athlone’s first Women’s FAI Cup final success. “It’s huge for the club, it’s huge for the women’s section of our club and I hope that maybe something like that sort of drives the Government to start funding the Women’s National League and the [League of Ireland] academy structure.
“Too many people have not said it, they’ll do interviews and [say how] great things are … no they’re not. These are athletes, they are being treated miserably by the Government. The League of Ireland clubs are trying to run academies, boys academies, keeping them off the streets, trying to run senior football and they’re not being treated properly.
“We’re paying for the sins that the FAI did years ago.”
The FAI’s funding for 2024 is uncertain following a vote earlier this month which rejected the Government’s 40% gender balance requirement.
O’Connor continued: “How can you cut funding for an academy structure when you’re not giving any? It’s not about sport or treating people properly. What about keeping kids off the streets, put them into a system that is disciplined where they’re allowed to nurture and expand, where people make a living out of sport, or go to England or go into the League of Ireland? What about the kids that get scholarships to universities or scholarships to college? Look at the lives we affect.
“Listen, our facilities in this country are a disgrace. Every year, people say they’re going to fix it – when do they stop? I saw the Minister went out to the World Cup in Australia. Well I’m thrilled, I couldn’t afford to go out. Most of the kids that play with us couldn’t afford to go out. But he was representing us? Why doesn’t he represent us back here?”
In a statement issued to The 42 on Monday, Minister Byrne said that “as Sport Minister, I do my best to make as many matches, tournaments and sporting events as possible but I was not in attendance at the Women’s FAI Cup final on Sunday.
“One of the earliest women’s matches I attended this year as Sport Minister was the inaugural President’s Cup held in Athlone in February. At that match, I engaged with members of the club to hear their plans for the future.”
Minister Byrne’s statement also detailed the “significant Government financial support” previously received by Athlone Town, dating back to a capital grant of €2.85m for the construction of Athlone Town Stadium, as well as €200,000 for an all-weather pitch in 2015, and €251,675 in 2021 “to provide suitable and appropriate accommodation for existing members of the club and in order to increase female participation”.
O’Connor has called on Minister Byrne to hold discussions with League of Ireland clubs, and suggested some solutions that are worth considering.
“Why can’t we parochialise a league and play in a local area? We travel to Derry, Finn Harps, Cobh, Cork. That costs €1,500 a pop to feed [a team], because they’re athletes. You’ve parents trying to fund it a little bit, the club trying to fund it a bit, we get some money from Uefa, solidarity, and that’s it.
“I’m baffled. It seems to me we’re at a table, and any scraps are left are going to the League of Ireland. Sure we don’t get anything.
“Let’s really say it, how much do we get for winning the cup? I think it’s €10k. Wow. We got new jerseys with their names on it and made them look right, buses coming up that we don’t ask the kids to pay for. Last year it cost us money because we finished second. How is that right? We paid for our own buses.
“I understand Mark Scanlon [League of Ireland Director] and the guys in the league office are pulling their hair out.They’re trying everything. We’re like the bad schoolkid that is made sit in the corner and behave yourself or you don’t get anything.
“I’m not part of the FAI, I’m just an ordinary guy who has to charge kids to play football, charge their parents. Some parents can’t afford it. If we don’t get it, we don’t sort of pursue people. But there is no funding coming in for it and there is more stuff going on, social things happening. Do they realise what League of Ireland clubs do socially for their area? Integrating with their kids, bringing the kids that may never have a chance in, to give them a chance.”
