League prize fund cut

By Liam Mackey

Saturday, March 06, 2010

CLOSER to home, reality bites. The prize fund for the new Airtricity League, which kicked off last night, is down from last year when it broke the domestic game’s million euro barrier for the first time.

This year’s total, including €50,000 for live television rights, is €911,000, with the winners of the Premier Division set to pick up €200,000, a significant drop from the €280,000 which Bohemians received for winning the League of Ireland last season. In the First Division, the winners will receive €50,000, down €11,000 from last year.

Accentuating the positive, the FAI – which only announced details of the prize fund on the opening day of the season – said that, despite a 25% reduction in budgeted wage costs at clubs, this year’s prize fund would "maintain much of the increase that was made in 2009."

The association also pointed out that this year’s total is still 11% higher than in 2008 and 128% more than it was before the FAI took over the direct running of the league. They added that the prize fund excludes monies granted to clubs for marketing and community initiatives.

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Saturday, March 06, 2010