Grassroots overhaul may take 15 years
The Dutchman made the stinging declaration yesterday as he provided an appraisal of his findings since taking on the daunting challenge of modernising the game on August 1.
Anyone expecting Dokter to deliver tangible yields in the lifetime of his current contract — such as a flow of technically better players for the senior ranks — are sadly mistaken.
People may have sniffed at Niall Quinn’s recent suggestion that a six-year plan was required to bring about results so this prognosis from the man at the controls is certainly a brutal and frank eye-opener.
The former Dutch Football Association coach education coordinator has spent his first five months at the helm traipsing the country meeting leagues and coaches.
Unsurprisingly, he’s inherited a system from his predecessor and compatriot Wim Koevermans whereby the underage structures are outdated, the FAI’s emerging talent programme starts too late at U14 and there’s scant option for prospective professional players other than emigrating.
“There is not a common pathway for players in Ireland,” he told RTÉ Radio One.
“Changing that is never a quick process, it is more about looking at 10-year plan. I am going to start with a national plan showing what we have to do. We will involve and consult people before we agree that this is the way. That process might take 10 or 15 years but ultimately it will improve the game in Ireland.”
Dokter wasn’t required to delve far back in order to deliver a template on the success of such a long-term vision.
He was a student of the late great Rinus Michels, the Dutch mastermind responsible for introducing the concept of ‘Total Football’ in Holland.
“I was very lucky to work as a Development Officer under Rinus Michels,” he said, “so I’ve seen it, done it and know what it takes.
“It takes a consistent, sustainable policy that is stuck to. One that doesn’t change from year to year.”
His latest assignment, however, is in a country rampant with political factions across the football landscape, each protecting their interests for fear of ceding control.
Cooperation between underage and League of Ireland clubs is the exception rather than the norm, a result to a large degree of huge compensation on offer from English clubs for nurturing and exporting elite talent.
Dokter, the ultimate optimist, is relying on unity of purpose prevailing — and plans to appoint a technical committee early in the new year representing all strands of the game.
“Every country has politics but this is not rocket-science,” he professes. “I have to make people collaborate rather than doing their own thing.
“When we benchmark Ireland against other countries, look at Iceland and Croatia. They are small counties but produce elite players — so why shouldn’t Ireland?
“The Emerging Talent Programme is working well but we need to influence players younger, from the age of 11 to 16.”
That expansion, of course, requires investment at a time when the FAI is paying an interest-only mortgage on their Aviva Stadium debut.
Dokter concedes the level of funding available will have a bearing on his vision. “That’s the second question,” he said. “We need the ideas first but money must be taken into account. The question is ‘how do we fund it’ and maybe you have to adjust the plan.”
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