John Fallon: American pipedream typifies misplaced FAI priorities

The most popular game in the country is suffering from a reputational and leadership crisis at the top.

FAI chief executive officer David Courell and FAI independent chairperson Tony Keohane, left, during a press conference following the 2025 annual general meeting of the Football Association of Ireland at the Carlton Hotel. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Mentioning the phrase ‘high-net-worth individuals’ in the same sentence as Irish football is sure to trigger a collective rolling of eyes.

Delegates at Saturday’s AGM could be forgiven for thinking they had been time-tunnelled back 17 years when the wealthy were highlighted as being part of the cure for the game.