Light at the end of the tunnel?

New blueprint on the table from League of Ireland clubs offers hope

LEAGUE OF IRELAND clubs have put a new blueprint on the table — and at SunSport we have got our hands on a copy.

Just 11 months since the FAI released the Conroy Report, the clubs themselves have decided to follow up with a plan of their own and it makes for interesting reading for football fans.

Ireland’s top-flight clubs are meeting tomorrow to discuss a new way forward after relations broke down in the past week following the decision of Derry City and St Pat’s to reject €5,000 on offer from the FAI as part of a strategic development plan.

This brand-new report was commissioned by the Premier Clubs Alliance (PCA) and written by Kevin Burke.

The PCA’s steering committee of Bray Wanderers’ Denis O’Connor, Frank Kinsella of Pat’s and Sligo Rovers’ Martin Heraghty are the driving force behind it.

But all 20 clubs in the league have received copies of the document and several meetings have taken place in the last month, with all of them involved.

Nothing was agreed while there, SunSport understands, and some clubs are unsure if the discussions have any future.

Yet the fact that the document exists at all highlights the clubs’ increasing unhappiness with the contents of the FAI-commissioned Conroy Report that is not yet a year old.

The new report is entitled ‘Pathway to International and Domestic Success — The Future of the League of Ireland’.

And its opening message makes it clear that it is a starting point rather than a set of recommendations.

The Pathway starts: “This is a discussion document” and acknowledges that some suggestions “may not be permitted under Uefa regulations, some may not achieve their stated aim, and some may simply not be practicable”.

But compared to the Conroy Report that is dismissively described as “too shallow in scope to make any sort of real impact on the LOI”, it offers ambitious plans to revamp the league and boost prize money.

The Conroy Report proposed two ten-team divisions and a late-season split into top half and bottom half.

To counter that, Burke argues for a 16-team top flight and regionalised First Division. Leagues in other countries were examined — which Conroy did not do — and Burke suggests that one Europa League place should be decided by a play-off involving 11 clubs.

The league champions qualify for the Champions League “to give the league integrity” while a second Europa League spot goes to the FAI Cup winners.

But the third and final Europa League spot would be between the FAI Cup runner-ups and the next ten league clubs, with seedings and byes determined by league placing, ensuring the season lasts a further three weeks.

Burke points out that Wales have a Europa League play-off involving four teams that provides a boost for their domestic game.

Local club Conah’s Quay trebled their attendance for play-off games although curiously, Newtown’s attendance dropped.

As for the make-up of the Premier Division, one team would be relegated automatically, with the second-from-bottom side going into a play-off against the three winners of a regionalised First Division.

The report acknowledges that this would prove tricky.

It would involve turning Irish football into a true pyramid system, with Intermediate leagues feeding into the three regional First Divisions.

Relegation from the First Division would be into Intermediate football with the suggestion that standards, presumably similar to licencing as it is now, would be set that clubs at each level must attain.

Given that such an idea would require leagues in Leinster, Munster and Connacht to join Ulster in switching to summer football and also cede power to the FAI, it seems to be a pie-in-the-sky notion.

A large portion of the plan focuses on raising standards on the pitch.

Devotees, fans and media alike enjoy promoting the fact that several Ireland players cut their teeth at home, including eight members of the national side’s squad at Euro 2016.

However, Burke’s report does point out that many of the ex-LOI players to line out for the Boys in Green in the last decade — such as Kevin Doyle and Wes Hoolahan — played at home at a time when the league was almost entirely professional.

That is no longer the case and as a result the chances of future Doyles and Hoolahans making the grade at the highest level of international football have been diminished.

The Pathway document argues, at length, that investment has to be made to make the league professional again as part of a development plan to improve the Ireland team.

Burke’s vision also delves into prize money and, unlike Conroy’s report, suggests figures that are costed based on estimates of the value of FAI contracts.

The PCA was initially set up by Premier Division clubs, who were unhappy with the lack of transparency regarding the FAI’s handling of the league’s dealings.

The Conroy Report highlighted how clubs wanted to know if the FAI made money from running the league from sponsors, Uefa grants, TV revenue, affiliation fees and fines.

And while Conroy said he believes that the league is a loss-making venture for the FAI, he reckons that trust should be built by opening the Abbotstown books to an independent third party.

To date, that has not happened, although it is anticipated that may change shortly.

Burke based his estimates on FAI accounts, which display its overall turnover and the often-repeated statement from the Association that it will be debt-free by 2020.

In total, it is suggested that a prize fund of €2.5million is attainable — €2.225m for the Premier Division with €200,000 for the winners and €100,000 for the bottom club.

The report argues that a more even spread of prize money would ensure “top clubs would be closer to supporting a professional structure”.

Burke also argues that young players are staying at home when the pay packet is good.

In return for a greater prize pot, clubs would have to put money towards debt reduction, improving facilities and supporters’ clubs, with the FAI having the power to fine clubs that do not do so.

The FAI, as is the case now, would collect all of the sponsorship and TV money.

But to help cover the increased prize money, the suggestion is clubs hand out over five per cent of their European prize money from the first round, ten per cent from further rounds and a portion of transfer fees.

The report concludes that the changes would ensure financial stability in the short-term, better players that could make it to the Ireland team in the medium-term and see the league becoming a revenue generator for the FAI in the long-term.

Clubs have already viewed the report and SunSport understands that the reception has been mixed, with points raised about the viability of many of the suggestions.

First Division clubs were invited to meetings to discuss it, having not been part of PCA talks since the Premier clubs joined forces to deal with the FAI late last year.

The FAI continue to talk regularly with barrister Michael Cush SC and the PCA, which led to the announcement that the Association would spend €100,000 to cover strategic development plans for all 20 clubs.

Derry City and St Pat’s rejected the offer and other clubs are annoyed that the proposal was accepted by the PCA and announced at the FAI AGM before clubs voted on it.

There was a club meeting on the morning of the AGM where it was brought up but not every delegate was in attendance.

Clubs other than Pat’s and Derry that have spoken to SunSport said that they would be taking the money.

They believe that ensuring every club has a strategic plan was a good starting point.

Key proposal



– 16-team Premier Division

– Regionalised First Division with promotion and relegation to local Intermediate Leagues

– One Europa League place to be decided by a 11-team post-season play-off series

– Increased prize money to bankroll full-time Premier Division outfits

– A portion of Uefa prize money and transfer fees to be paid to the FAI

– Clubs bound to pay off debts, invest in facilities and fan clubs