FAI...June 2024 Friendlies v Hungary and Portugal

[seafoid]

Ambitious and no doubt an opening shot. But what struck me was 20% private funding. This is an organisation with no main sponsor. Where is this couple of hundred million coming from?

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2023/06/08/fai-request-517-million-of-government-investment-over-15-years/
FAI request €517 million of Government investment over 15 years
Association asked to improve chronically outdated facilities across Ireland

Gavin Cummiskey
Thu Jun 8 2023 - 17:33

The Football Association of Ireland launched a full-court press on Thursday afternoon, requesting Government investment of €517 million over 15 years to improve chronically outdated facilities across the country.

To improve everything, from community club houses to League of Ireland stadiums and training grounds, even the embarrassingly poor set-up on the National Sports Campus in Abbotstown, the association also seeks philanthropic investment via a new, independent foundation.

The FAI's honorary life president Denis O'Brien previously paid the salaries of the men's senior managers Giovanni Trapattoni and Martin O'Neill.

But first call this week was to the current Irish Government, at a meeting attended by the Minister of State for sport Thomas Byrne. Targeted funds would not come from the sports pot alone, with the departments of finance, health and education also loosening purse strings to ensure that the basics enjoyed by rival European football nations, like girls' toilets and an additional 1,000 grass pitches, can exist by 2038.


"Our research clearly demonstrates that Irish football needs funding, both private and public, to transform our facilities and infrastructure," said Jonathan Hill, the FAI chief executive. "We believe football facilities in Ireland have been underinvested for the last 25 years and that we have fallen behind our European counterparts."

No one person should be blamed for the FAI's malaise, stressed Hill, before noting a dramatic reduction of the association's debt from €63.5 million to €44 million.

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"This isn't the fault of any single entity, but it is a simple fact."

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the FAI's "facility investment vision and strategy" document is the finger pointing. Firstly, at themselves before highlighting the underfunding of sport by successive Irish governments, with high praise for how the GAA and the IRFU have gone about their business over the past 20 years.

Within the report, football's turnover of €54.3 million in 2022 pales in comparison to IRFU's €115.6 million and the GAA turnover of €96 million. The vast gap in how the Gaelic and rugby clubs "have performed extremely well in accessing funding" was laid out by the GAA receiving €431 million from the Sports Capital and Equipment programme since 2020, while the FAI received just €188 million.

FAI chairman Roy Barrett, who currently doubles as chairman of Sherry FitzGerald, repeated the stark warning he relayed to Government Ministers; the spike in population to over six million people by 2050 demands annual investment of €34.5 million from the exchequer to cater for demand.

Ideally, some of the €2.5 billion in additional corporate tax collected by the Government in 2023 would help to bring soccer stadiums and training centres out of the dark ages.

"There are significant surpluses and there will be next year," said Barrett. "The Government decides how it will spend those. It makes sense in any economy, when you have surpluses like that, to spend a chunk of it on improving infrastructure.


"We have lots of needs in this society, with the housing crisis, the housing needs, but we also have a sporting infrastructure deficit. I do believe putting money into facilities over the next 20 years is the prudent thing to do."

Comparisons to other European nations will be hard for politicians to stomach. The EU average expenditure on sport is 0.8 per cent but Ireland gives just 0.04 per cent, which ranks the current Government in between Malta and Bulgaria.

The overall investment required is €863 million split into three key areas – Grassroots (€426 million), the League of Ireland (€390 million) and enhancing international facilities at Abbotstown (€47 million) – with Government stumping up 60 per cent of this total.

The €34.5 million a year would come from six "funding vehicles," which includes the Shared Island Fund and Brexit adjustment reserve. The FAI will generate 20 per cent themselves, €173 million or €11.5 million annually, with help from Uefa and Fifa grants, and private investment. The final 20 per cent would come via local authorities, including the departments of Health and Education.

Revamping 20 League of Ireland stadiums needs an injection of €250 million over 15 years to get them up to basic Uefa standards. This is emphasised by just three football stadiums – the Aviva, Tallaght and Turner's Cross in Cork – being among the top 40 in Ireland in terms of capacity.

Ahead of next month's World Cup in Australia, Hill believes the growth of women's football "will suffer if we do not cater for facilities now".


The enormous overhaul of archaic facilities was described this week as "ambitious" by Minister Byrne, who added that "the appropriate level of sustained investment is a matter for careful consideration."

If the Government and a few soccer-loving, multimillionaire philanthropists play ball, work on pitches, stadiums and club academies can begin in 2024.

"The document is informed by the reality of our current situation so we believe the ask has been presented in the right way," said Hill. "Will we get the money? That's the reason we have put the plan together."

Where the money would be spent:
Grassroots - €426.4 million paid over 15 years (2024-38)

The reports highlights a lack of capacity, even at established clubs, "which means prospective players, especially women and girls, are turned away." Working off Uefa standards, Ireland is short 1,000 grass pitches to meet the demand of the projected population growth.

New and upgrades for 944 grass and artificial pitches: €126.4 million


Eight regional HQs: €48 million

32 community hubs/centres of excellence: €64 million

Clubhouses, changing rooms and floodlights: €188 million.

The League of Ireland - €390 million

Dalymount Park, Sligo Rovers proposed facility and Finn Harps Donegal stadium redevelopment would be top of the priority list as all three projects are "shovel ready."

20 academy and training centres: €140 million


Phase 1 - 10,000 capacity stadia x5; 7,000 capacity x5; 4,000 capacity x10 and new pitches, LED floodlights and big screen (2024-29): €130 million

Phases 2 – 10,000 capacity stadia x10 and 5,000 capacity stadia x10 (2029-34): €50 million

Phase 3 – 20,000 capacity stadia x10 and 6,000 capacity x5 (2034-38): €70 million

International facilities - €47 million

Report: "The current FAI national training centre is nowhere near the same standard of facilities at comparative European associations." There are no changing rooms for 18 international teams, local players and match officials. No medical facilities. No education facilities. "Very poor playing surfaces" and "zero security infrastructure to prevent the general public from gaining access to pitches."

National football centre building: €26 million

Fifa quality 4G pitches x3, with dome over one: €5.5 million

Fifa quality hybrid pitches x3: €3.5 million

Kit room, security and operating costs for 5-15 years: €12 million

[seafoid]

This is all political. The GAA received €431 million from the Sports Capital and Equipment programme since 2020, while the FAI received just €188 million according to the FAI's paper.
The state of most LoI  stadiums  is very poor considering how wealthy the country is. Hopefully the FAI can focus on infrastructure until it is delivered.

[Itchy]

This is all political. The GAA received €431 million from the Sports Capital and Equipment programme since 2020, while the FAI received just €188 million according to the FAI's paper.
The state of most LoI  stadiums  is very poor considering how wealthy the country is. Hopefully the FAI can focus on infrastructure until it is delivered.

Their stadiums are a mess as they spend their money paying players when such payments are not feasible. Are FAI saying that the sports capital grant is biased to GAA? Total rubbish. To get significant sports capital grant or leader funding you need to either own your own grounds or have a long term lease. Most GAA clubs have this in place, many soccer clubs reliant on handouts from the council. FAI will do everything but look at themselves.

[Rossfan]

Always the hand out and always a sour whingy face moaning about the GAA.

[Crete Boom]

Always the hand out and always a sour whingy face moaning about the GAA.

That's a very harsh take on the Roscommon county board in fairness!

[seafoid]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8wkqvky0Es

[Ash Smoker]

At least they've moved on from "but gah" to "but horses and dogs".

[Baile Brigín 2]

Always the hand out and always a sour whingy face moaning about the GAA.

Can you point to the mention of the GAA here,?

[Baile Brigín 2]

This is all political. The GAA received €431 million from the Sports Capital and Equipment programme since 2020, while the FAI received just €188 million according to the FAI's paper.
The state of most LoI  stadiums  is very poor considering how wealthy the country is. Hopefully the FAI can focus on infrastructure until it is delivered.

Their stadiums are a mess as they spend their money paying players when such payments are not feasible. Are FAI saying that the sports capital grant is biased to GAA? Total rubbish. To get significant sports capital grant or leader funding you need to either own your own grounds or have a long term lease. Most GAA clubs have this in place, many soccer clubs reliant on handouts from the council. FAI will do everything but look at themselves.

There are far more GAA pitches on public land then you would think.  The reality is twice  the number of soccer players than gaelic games players. But like the horses there is an assumption that soccer getting a fair slice means the GAA get less. The only country in Europe that doesn't fund soccer acadamies is...

That shite needs to stop. Sport in Ireland is the worst funded in Europe. Any squeeze on public money helps us all.

[seafoid]

The problem goes back a long time. The state was poor. Health and education were contracted out to religious orders. The Mater.  Some hospitals are still owned by religious orders.Sport depended on volunteers.

The state is ultra centralised. County councils have no power and no money. In other countries local authorities are responsible for sports infrastructure. Local taxes pay for swimming pools and  pitches. The FAI numbers look big because they are catching up with decades of the country doing things arseways.

I wouldn't be surprised if the final rugby concussion bill was in a similar ballpark.

[From the Bunker]

We still have a hangover legacy from the GAA ban on foreign codes which ran from 1905 to 1971. Most rural Soccer clubs were formed from the late '70's on.

While GAA clubs prospered and became part of the community during this period, soccer clubs were only formed in large towns. With the GAA's hold on the community it was impossible to start a Soccer club in any rural town even after the ban was lifted.  Schools (especially catholic Schools) promoted Gaelic Football and punished students who played soccer. Johnny Giles, Liam Brady and Martin O'Neill have horror stories about how they were treated.

I don't think there has ever been a country in the world that oppressed Soccer like the hierarchy did here before and since the foundation of the state. Although the ban ended in 1971, there is still an underlying although lesser disdain. 

[Rossfan]

MOPE.

[Baile Brigín 2]

The problem goes back a long time. The state was poor. Health and education were contracted out to religious orders. The Mater.  Some hospitals are still owned by religious orders.Sport depended on volunteers.

The state is ultra centralised. County councils have no power and no money. In other countries local authorities are responsible for sports infrastructure. Local taxes pay for swimming pools and  pitches. The FAI numbers look big because they are catching up with decades of the country doing things arseways.

I wouldn't be surprised if the final rugby concussion bill was in a similar ballpark.

Come on. The GAA got land from the free state others didn't. A tax was put on soccer and rugby tickets to fund GAA building of facilities. Berties government gave the GAA a billion. But they also were the first government to allow non GAA clubs access capital grants. How much are soccer and rugby players getting in grants from the taxpayer?

GAA facilities are not better because we are inherently better people than the soccer lads. They have been given unique help for over 100 years and soccer is getting organised enough to try and catch up

[seafoid]

The problem goes back a long time. The state was poor. Health and education were contracted out to religious orders. The Mater.  Some hospitals are still owned by religious orders.Sport depended on volunteers.

The state is ultra centralised. County councils have no power and no money. In other countries local authorities are responsible for sports infrastructure. Local taxes pay for swimming pools and  pitches. The FAI numbers look big because they are catching up with decades of the country doing things arseways.

I wouldn't be surprised if the final rugby concussion bill was in a similar ballpark.

Come on. The GAA got land from the free state others didn't. A tax was put on soccer and rugby tickets to fund GAA building of facilities. Berties government gave the GAA a billion. But they also were the first government to allow non GAA clubs access capital grants. How much are soccer and rugby players getting in grants from the taxpayer?

GAA facilities are not better because we are inherently better people than the soccer lads. They have been given unique help for over 100 years and soccer is getting organised enough to try and catch up

There is also a social class element to it. Rugby is a sport for well connected people. The GAA is the rural equivalent and is well networked . Soccer/Football is disadvantaged compared to the other 2. Also the ban shows how brutal the competition between the sports was. At the end of the day, whatever facilities are built will be for the use of Irish people who deserve decent facilities regardless of background.

[Baile Brigín 2]

The problem goes back a long time. The state was poor. Health and education were contracted out to religious orders. The Mater.  Some hospitals are still owned by religious orders.Sport depended on volunteers.

The state is ultra centralised. County councils have no power and no money. In other countries local authorities are responsible for sports infrastructure. Local taxes pay for swimming pools and  pitches. The FAI numbers look big because they are catching up with decades of the country doing things arseways.

I wouldn't be surprised if the final rugby concussion bill was in a similar ballpark.

Come on. The GAA got land from the free state others didn't. A tax was put on soccer and rugby tickets to fund GAA building of facilities. Berties government gave the GAA a billion. But they also were the first government to allow non GAA clubs access capital grants. How much are soccer and rugby players getting in grants from the taxpayer?

GAA facilities are not better because we are inherently better people than the soccer lads. They have been given unique help for over 100 years and soccer is getting organised enough to try and catch up

There is also a social class element to it. Rugby is a sport for well connected people. The GAA is the rural equivalent and is well networked . Soccer/Football is disadvantaged compared to the other 2. Also the ban shows how brutal the competition between the sports was. At the end of the day, whatever facilities are built will be for the use of Irish people who deserve decent facilities regardless of background.

You have changed tack slightly. The state made a concious decision to back one sports organisation over all others, and to an extent still do. You claimed the state was too poor to fund sport. They weren't- the problem was rule 42. Facilities were built but were not shared, which in hindsight was bonkers from an infrastructure perspective.

Soccer was badly run by it's top brass forever. Gobshites with no vision climbed to the top. Then Delaney, who was far from a fool, came in and started gettimg things done. We know how that ended. The new FAI seem clued in and playing catch up. But the obsession with English soccer hamstrings their ability to get their community to vote like the GAA en block