Ungrateful FAI Delaney

[T Fearon]

Indiana, you sound like a lad that didn't get his autograph book signed or something. Are you Roy Keane in disguise?

Of course mistakes were made by the FAI just as mistakes have been made by the GAA etc, and every organisation (from Church and State downwards) has tried to cover up its errors for the sake of credibility retention.

The FAI has produced underage European Champions at under age level, teams that have qualifid for three recent World Cup Finals and will host a major European Final next year, so it must be doing something right.

I prefer to accentuate the positive instead of dwelling on the negative. If you are typical of the Junior Soccer fraternity in the 26 counties why don't you get representation on the various FAI councils etc and effect change?

[INDIANA]

Indiana, you sound like a lad that didn't get his autograph book signed or something. Are you Roy Keane in disguise?

Of course mistakes were made by the FAI just as mistakes have been made by the GAA etc, and every organisation (from Church and State downwards) has tried to cover up its errors for the sake of credibility retention.

The FAI has produced underage European Champions at under age level, teams that have qualifid for three recent World Cup Finals and will host a major European Final next year, so it must be doing something right.

I prefer to accentuate the positive instead of dwelling on the negative. If you are typical of the Junior Soccer fraternity in the 26 counties why don't you get representation on the various FAI councils etc and effect change?

Mistakes weren't made Tony- where did the money go? Would you describe that as a mistake. I could think of a few other words for it.

The Irish u21 team can't beat Estonia or Armenia We haven't qualified for any underage tournament at any grade for a decade? The future looks bright alright.

The Junior Soccer people can't get representation. People make sure of it. Why do you think the same incompetents get elected.

[saffron sam2]

Its the same in the North, with Junior soccer more popular than senior soccer. The question is what can the FAI do about it, except disburse the limited funding it has as fairly as possible, encourage facility improvement, provide for better coaching, promotion, all of whoch they seem to be doing very well. Reading the international match programmes I am amazed to see soccer thriving oin places like Mayo, Kerry etc.

In short, tell us what more in your opinion, the FAI could and should do, and be realistic. Should the FA in England be responsible for Man Ure's vast debt? How then can the FAI be responsible if certain clubs live beyond their means, with double contracts etc unbeknownst to anyone. At least the FAI dealt severely and appropriately with Derry when their misdemeanours came to light.

By the way Indiana, I followed the great Dundalk team (Keely, Dunning, Muckian, Carlyle, Dainty, the Lawlors etc) of the late 70s and early 80s all over Ireland, and saw the likes of Liverpool, Celtic, PSV Eindhoven and Spurs all get pinned to their collars in European action at Oriel Park. Were you even born at that stage? I played Junior soccer up here for nearly 15 years, and have played with and against the likes of Nigel Worthington, Neil Lennon and Gerry Taggart. I think I know what I'm talking about.

I think you're the only one who thinks that.

[dublinfella]

Mistakes weren't made Tony- where did the money go? Would you describe that as a mistake. I could think of a few other words for it.

The grassroots. Just because people like yourself on GAA internet forums talk about the FAI lining their pockets doesn't mean it actually happened.

This thread has gone beyond demeaning and Indiana, you have excelled yourself here. Watch for your comments to be cut and pasted onto soccer forums as proof that good auld fashioned bigotry is alive and well in GAA circles. Take a bow.

[INDIANA]

Mistakes weren't made Tony- where did the money go? Would you describe that as a mistake. I could think of a few other words for it.

The grassroots. Just because people like yourself on GAA internet forums talk about the FAI lining their pockets doesn't mean it actually happened.

This thread has gone beyond demeaning and Indiana, you have excelled yourself here. Watch for your comments to be cut and pasted onto soccer forums as proof that good auld fashioned bigotry is alive and well in GAA circles. Take a bow.

Just taken a large bow.  How are the ultras these days?

[dublinfella]

Just taken a large bow.  How are the ultras these days?

How would I know? Why not go onto their forum and ask them? But then again, they presumably will chop your liabelous allegations of FAI theft and you will be back on here crying like a girl that the big bad soccer boys censored you....

[mountainboii]

I would have thought that soccer in Ireland is on a par with other European countries outside the five mega-leagues in England, Spain, France, Italy and Germany.  In the European competitions, the Eircom League teams appear to compete favourably with sides from the other leagues, regularly. 

I don't argue with the contention that FAI management could be better, or that the Aviva gamble has gone spectacularly wrong, but there is a following and a large playing contingent in Irish soccer.  They just don't (at present) choose to watch Eircom League soccer in comparable numbers to the GAA inter-county competitions.

LOI is the 30th best league in Europe according to UEFA. Irish League is joint 47th with the Faroese League.

[Premier Emperor]

By the way Indiana, I followed the great Dundalk team (Keely, Dunning, Muckian, Carlyle, Dainty, the Lawlors etc) of the late 70s and early 80s all over Ireland, and saw the likes of Liverpool, Celtic, PSV Eindhoven and Spurs all get pinned to their collars in European action at Oriel Park. Were you even born at that stage?

You've completely contradicted yourself there. 
A few posts earlier you were praising the FAI for raising the standards of the Eircom league.

Now you have highlighted that a few years ago Irish teams used to compete with the best, whereas nowadays everyone knows an Eircom League team would get slaughtered against good European opposition!

[Farrandeelin]

So a lot of people would agree with Roy Keane's assertion of Delaney then I take it???

[T Fearon]

er 1982 is nearly 30 years go, and its only comparatively recently since Eircom League sides became competitive in Europe again.

For a small country (or 3/4s of a country) were soccer has always played second fiddle to GAA an has suffered prejudice as well, the FAI have done quite a tremendous job overall

[From the Bunker]

Let us look to why we do not have an infastructure in Ireland for Soccer. Until 1971, Rule 27 of the GAA constitution stated that a member of the GAA could be banned from playing its games if found to be also playing, or even attending matches of other sports such as soccer, rugby or cricket which were in conflict with the interests of the GAA.
The rule read "Any member of the association who plays or encourages in any way rugby, football, hockey or any imported game which is calculated to injuriously affect our national pastimes, is suspended from the association."
The rule was examined by GAA committees in 1965 and again in 1971 and under the guidance of Tom Loftus was abolished later in 1971.
As we all know Catholic Ireland was the norm. The Parish priest and the GAA were one. The parish priest was part of the set up of the clubs and he ruled the parish. For a large proportion of the people soccer was a game only available in 'Towns'. You had the GAA and religion against you if you tried to set up a rural local team. Basically there was no chance of setting up a soccer club in rural Ireland in this era.
In any sport 'tradition' plays a large part in the progress and development of the infrastructures of a game. Most soccer clubs in rural Ireland are little more than 30 years old ( as most were set up post 1971) where as most Gaelic clubs are looking to centenary celebrations. Because of this Soccer is still in its infancy in most regions.
I am in my mid-thirties and most (if not all) of the generation before me have never played Soccer competitively, where as most of our Parents, Grand parents even Great grand parents have played Gaelic Football. They look on the soccer strangely when presented at a local level, even though supporting Man u, Liverpool etc on the telly (often with relative passion).
You may ask then how come soccer had success in '88, '90 and 94. This is because we piggy backed on the diaspora rule. Realistically a country like Ireland where Soccer played second or no fiddle to Gaa could not compete on an international level depending on local players from small pockets of the country.
The present squad of Irish players come from various parts of the country, we still depend on the diaspora rule to get the extra bit of qualty, but not like the late 80's early 90's.
The voice of rural areas in Soccer in Ireland is growing. And over time there will be more than a trickle of this voice in FAI headquarters

[Bord na Mona man]

As we all know Catholic Ireland was the norm. The Parish priest and the GAA were one. The parish priest was part of the set up of the clubs and he ruled the parish.

This wasn't fully the case. There are Catholic orders who maintain a good distance from the GAA.
Take the Jesuit and Holy Ghost Orders for example, who promote rugby primarily and also soccer.
To this day there are Catholic schools who play everything from rugby to soccer to tiddlywinks, but not gaelic games. And it isn't by accident either.

Also, the biggest boost that soccer in Ireland has ever received is from television. The current boom has little or nothing to do with any FAI initiatives, monies, strategies or coaching. Great players like John Giles, Roy Keane, Paul McGrath were produced by playing the game in their local streets and parks. I'd be surprised if they ever had any sort of interaction with any arm of the FAI until they were in their late teens and already on the road to greatness.

To laud the FAI for producing great players is stretching a bit.
The standard has actually dropped in our players who were born and reared during the Charlton era and beyond. Ireland has less world class player now, than a couple of decades ago.

[Billys Boots]

I would have thought that soccer in Ireland is on a par with other European countries outside the five mega-leagues in England, Spain, France, Italy and Germany.  In the European competitions, the Eircom League teams appear to compete favourably with sides from the other leagues, regularly. 

I don't argue with the contention that FAI management could be better, or that the Aviva gamble has gone spectacularly wrong, but there is a following and a large playing contingent in Irish soccer.  They just don't (at present) choose to watch Eircom League soccer in comparable numbers to the GAA inter-county competitions.

LOI is the 30th best league in Europe according to UEFA. Irish League is joint 47th with the Faroese League.

Yes, and accordingly UEFA rank the top English side, in the history of competitions since the late 1950s as, yes you've guessed it, Leeds Utd.

[T Fearon]

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/kerry-gaa-star-paul-galvin-hit-pupil-with-duster-14653330.html

Now, I'll bet you wouldn't see Robbie Keane or Richard Dunne carrying on like that.

[dublinfella]

You've completely contradicted yourself there. 
A few posts earlier you were praising the FAI for raising the standards of the Eircom league.

Now you have highlighted that a few years ago Irish teams used to compete with the best, whereas nowadays everyone knows an Eircom League team would get slaughtered against good European opposition!

It hasn't been the Eircom League for a fair few years....

Pats turned over a Russian team last year, Bohs were the bounce of a ball away from beating the Rapid Vienna side that are still in Europe having beaten Lazio and Villareal, in recent years Swedish, Dutch, Belarrusian, Latvian etc sides have been beaten consistantly as well as beating teams from countries you would expect.

Only a blinkered fool would say that European results haven't been consistantly improving. Years ago Irish sides got into the draw against the Real Madrids and Milans and sometimes gave it a good rattle. Today they beat teams of a standard that is slowly improving.

But the question that must seriously be asked is - what sort of results would be classed as 'good' for a nation of 4m?