Joe Leogue: Commitment to football grass roots is laudable but devil is in the detail

Sports Minister Shane Ross’ decision to by-pass the FAI and directly fund the grassroots development of football across the country has been widely welcomed - though little is known about the details, writes Joe Leogue.

The fallout from the FAI’s turmoil in recent months has seen widespread reform of its governance structure. However, the perilous state of its finances coupled with the pace of the reforms means the beleaguered association still has some way to go before it wins back the government’s trust.