Eoin plays Hand in €1m cash boost for Irish clubs

SOCCER clubs at schoolboy and amateur level in the Republic of Ireland have benefited to the tune of a staggering €1 million plus in compensation payments from British clubs, thanks to former Irish boss Eoin Hand.

Since taking up his post as FAI Career Guidance Officer in 1999, Hand has worked in an advisory capacity on the training and development of young players hoping to move cross channel.

The results are impressive - to put it mildly. The 59-year-old Dubliner, capped 21 times by his country, and manager of the national side on 45 occasions, never forsook the game.

“Schoolboy clubs who train and develop their players from the age of 12 and who have since signed as a professional for a club outside our jurisdiction are entitled to compensation,” said Hand. “Many of these clubs may not be aware of the new FIFA rules established in 2001.”

To date, the biggest winners have been Cork club Douglas Hall, who have received a total of €160,000 for Colin Doyle. The Birmingham City stopper is currently on loan at Nottingham Forest and recently starred in the FA Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.

Dublin club Belvedere have also received €65,000 from Ipswich Town. Hand yesterday stressed that awareness of the FIFA compensation scheme needed to be highlighted.

“It has been great to encourage and facilitate so many schoolboy clubs in applying this new FIFA rule and gaining compensation from some of the major British clubs for the investment in grassroots training and development of our schoolboy players,” said Hand.

“I have no doubt that greater awareness of the regulations will benefit many more schoolboy clubs in the future and a greater transparency for all.

“I was one of the lucky ones. There are so many young lads nowadays who join English clubs at a young age only to be disappointed when they are shown the door after a few years. With these new regulations, the only winners will be the eircom League sides as English clubs will only look for the cream of our young players and we will not have the ridiculous state of dozens and dozens of players being signed by them - and then suddenly told they can go home,” said Hand.

“The Robbie Keanes, Damien Duffs and Shay Givens will always come through. But I feel English clubs will think twice when they become more aware of these new regulations before signing any Irish players.”