John Fallon on Football: Equal pay deal must only be the start

Katie McCabe, left, and Denise O'Sullivan of Republic of Ireland celebrate following the UEFA Women's 2021 European Championships Qualifier match against Montenegro last year. Picutre: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

To quote Bob Geldof, in relation to the FAI’s heralded equal pay accord — Is that it?

Geldof was asked by a kid outside Wembley after the marathon Live Aid gig in 1985 and so titled his autobiography a year later.

Pay parity for women’s footballers is no global drive to feed the starving millions but in its own realm, it was a landmark development on Monday.

And not before time.

A trend had developed in recent years of equalising the fees international players get and once England granted the same rights to their women’s team this time last year, the onus was on the FAI to resolve the matter.

Money or success on the field is not the issue here; if representing your country is the greatest honour, as male players routinely declare, then sharing the riches across genders was the right and belated thing to do.

The move isn’t a guarantee to end the wait for a first major tournament qualification. Three weeks on Friday, Ireland will open their World Cup campaign in Georgia, yet it is the sterner tests of Sweden and Finland that will determine their success or otherwise.

Despite a radio interviewer preaching to a player live on-air: “you’d better deliver now”, that’s irrelevant.

The glib comment provoked shades of John Delaney’s response to the embarrassing climbdown in 2017 when he preferred to highlight the pursuit of qualification rather than the basic rights the women’s squad needed strike action to obtain.

It had been a softly-softly approach by the FAI, taking their time to involve the men’s players in the overall agreement, but doubts were raised about its feasibility in February when women’s manager Vera Pauw cited the lack of commercial pull in the women’s game.

Now, all senior international players are to receive an appearance sum of €2,000 per match.

For the men’s squad members, whose average weekly wages at their clubs are north of €10,000, that’s a bonus, whereas the 300% increase will make the everyday lives of the women easier.

Pauw’s squad is a mix of full-time professionals, semi-pro, and amateurs. Even those operating in the English Super League are modestly paid and the majority operate on 12-month contracts.

While the infamous industrial action that went global yielded fundamental rights, it went short of gaining full equality, especially around the area of compensation for the home-based cohort taking time off work for international duty.

Of the eight national league players called up for the double-header friendly in Iceland, six of them didn’t get a minute on the pitch. It was a 10-day camp.

“I’m working at the Santry Sports Clinic,” said one of those players, Shelbourne’s Ciara Grant, a junior doctor. “I’m on contract and don’t get holiday pay, so I pre-loaded my shifts before going to Iceland. That couldn’t be sustained into the future.”

That disparity addressed at international level, plenty more action on the domestic front is essential for the game to reach its potential.

The recent Champions League meeting of the Irish and Serbian title-holders — Peamount’s 5-2 defeat to Spartak Subotica — was a reality check. Although their national team are well beneath Ireland in coefficient terms, the Serbian Super League has left the WNL behind in their professionalism policy.

A roadmap to introducing employment contracts will be expected when FAI chief executive Jonathan Hill unveils their strategic plan later this year. Amid desperate times, grandiose proposals can be floated but Hill will be advised to parse the last blueprint for the women’s game, covering 2015-2018.

Among its various lofty targets for the end of that phase was progression every year by the WNL champions to the last 32 of the Champions League. Alas, it hasn’t been achieved since 2014.

For the WNL to make any sustainable progress, financial support from Government and sponsors is a must. But, as league veteran Grant points out, that’s a pipedream until the FAI details the mechanics of getting there.

“We’re trying to work on the football side but there needs to be a business model to attract investment,” adds the Donegal native.

“That has to happen before football can progress. We can only do so much when we’re all working full-time jobs.

“My aim is to help Shelbourne win the league this season to qualify for next season’s Champions League but we saw the massive jump during Peamount’s tie.

“To compete against full-time professionals is very difficult. We are pushing on here but there’s still that gap to the level and even the likes of Scottish teams.”

The equal pay deal makes the FAI more marketable to sponsors. AIG prides itself on their dual sponsorship of Dublin GAA, as SSE Airtricity and DMG Media do about the League of Ireland competitions they support but they have to be interpreted as the starting, not finishing, points.

Dundalk season now rests in FAI Cup

FAI Cup giant-killing victories are something of a rarity in recent years but Cobh Ramblers are bucking the trend.

Saturday night’s 3-2 defeat at Leinster Senior League side Maynooth Town was the fifth time they crashed out to non-league opponents since joining the LOI in 1985.

Only Dundalk and Monaghan United, no longer in LOI, have been scalped on one more occasion by the underdogs.

Switching the early rounds of the Cup to later in the summer, when intermediate leagues are back in match action, has definitely helped make ties more competitive.

St Mochta’s threatened to deepen Dundalk’s crisis by taking the lead at Oriel Park, only to fade in an eventual 4-1 defeat.

The absence of star player Gary McCabe from Kilnamanagh’s trip to Waterford due to a stag party clash does, however, underline the difference in the amateur game.

Of the eight teams in last night’s quarter-final draw, only two have made it to the Aviva Stadium for an FAI Cup final.

Dundalk, Cork City, and Shamrock Rovers are the only finalists since St Pat’s lifted the 2014 Blue Riband. City and Rovers eliminated last week, leaving Dundalk as the last standing of the finalist mainstays. Judging their league form, the holders will need to retain the trophy to avoid missing out on European qualification.

Tragedies leave Irish football in mourning

Sam Oji’s passing at the weekend at the age of just 35 marked a horrific two-week period in Irish football.

The Englishman embedded himself in the cultures of Galway and Limerick during his League of Ireland spell, making friends which were meant to last a lifetime.

Sam Oji in action for Limerick FC in 2014. Picture: Ray McManus

He was particularly close to Stephen Folan, whom he played alongside in defence for both clubs. The defensive partners were so close off the pitch too, as Oji performed the best man’s duties for Folan’s marriage.

A former Arsenal trainee, Oji was last with Highgate United and was settled back in England with his wife and children before succumbing to a short, aggressive illness.

Another former player in the league, ex-Waterford defender Roy Butler, had his life cut short at the tragically young age of 23 the previous week.

That unwelcome news followed that of David Conroy, the Drogheda United underage coach who was killed in a car accident. A father of five, Drogheda have vowed to support his family and fundraising efforts have already generated €63,000 to alleviate their hardship.

Finally, there was the heartbreaking death of Samantha Willis. The daughter of popular and diligent Derry press officer Lawrence Moore was taken by Covid-19 just days after giving birth.