‘This could end up being a great day’

The head of the players’ union in Ireland has heralded the news that the FAI board is planning to step down as an opportunity for real progress in the administration of the game here.

But Stephen McGuinness, who is general secretary Professional Footballers Association of Ireland (PFAI), has also warned about the danger of a power battle developing.

“I think today could end up being a great day,” Mr McGuinness told the Irish Examiner yesterday.

“I’ve had a huge amount of messages from players saying: ‘This is the start’. In our statement the other day, we talked about the need for rebirth.

Well, this is the rebirth. Whether we end up going the whole hog and even see a change of name to the Federation of Irish Football, or whatever, I think we’ll look back on today and see it as the start of a new organisation.

“A new organisaton, I hope, that will listen to what people have to say, people in the game who have been absolutely ostracised for the last 15 years for no reason bar they had an opinion.

“With that board gone and that dictatorship model gone, there would be a real opportunity to bring the game forward in this country. But what we have to be careful of is that it doesn’t turn into a battle for power and everybody tramples each other.

“There needs to be a clear understanding of where we’re going and the key people need to be involved to help bring the game forward.”

McGuinness welcomed, in particular, the suggestion by Sports Minister Shane Ross that footballers should have a voice on a new FAI board.

“Players, both male and female, and other sections of the game, should be part of the future running of the game,” the PFAI boss said.

“Our office has always been battling for a voice for players and I don’t think that’s ever been taken seriously. We’ve been in that building (in Abbotstown) for 12 years and not once has the FAI knocked on our door and said: ‘Let’s work on a programme together’.

“The players have to be at the centre of this. Everybody says that the development of 13s, 15s, 17s and 19s leagues is fantastic. And yes, it is good, but the reality is that at the very top of our game we have two teams in the Premier Division and all they have are five professional players. So what do we want the kids to aspire to? The league needs to be the absolute pinnacle of the game here.

We’ve had a culture for way too long where the people at the top of the game are only interested in the senior international team or in the grassroots and have never cared one iota for the league.

"In 2007, the prize money was €225,000 and today it’s €110,000 — 50% less. It’s an absolute scandal and the people at the top with responsibility for our league should be embarrassed.

"It’s an absolute disgrace the way our league has been treated.”

While Sport Ireland were appearing before the Oireachtas Committee yesterday, McGuinness was also in Leinster House to discuss the future of the domestic game with Labour Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, at a meeting which also heard from Niall Quinn, supporters, and other representatives of the game here.

Said McGuinness: “Niall Quinn has been working on a plan to make the League of Ireland the centre of the game of this country, looking at how we can make it better and how we get the infrastructure around it so that young kids can aspire to play in a league where they can be paid as a professional, where they can be educated and can have a career here.

"And I think Aodhán Ó Ríordáin is looking at holding a football summit to keep this going and have all the key people involved.”