'Phased' implementation of summer season agreed by FAI board

SUMMER SEASON: FAI President Paul Cooke. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

The FAI board has approved the game’s full switch to summer football, albeit on a phased basis.

Marc Canham’s Football Pathways Plan launched in February revisited the thorny topic, aiming to align schoolboys/girls and amateurs with the League of Ireland format.

Whereas the professional league has operated a summer season since 2003 the grassroots game has preferred to stick to the traditional campaign synchronised with the school calendar.

Canham’s predecessor as director of football Ruud Dokter introduced the broad change in 2018 but it was deemed a failure by leagues and soon reversed.

January 2026 was declared as the starting gun for a full realignment but the nationwide roadshows consulting with those responsible for implementing the concept met resistance.

In particular, the provincial bodies governing adult football in Leinster and Munster reported opposition from their constituents, citing GAA clashes, scarcity of pitches and referees along with holidays as the obstacles.

Indeed, the Carlow League outlined their position in the strongest possible terms, adamant it remains indefinitely.

An email to the 135-strong General Assembly of the FAI, sent on Tuesday by President Paul Cooke, read: “At a board meeting this evening, a proposal for a phased implementation of an aligned football calendar as part of the Football Pathways Plan (FPP) was agreed by the FAI board and will now go to the General Assembly for endorsement, given its importance to the football community, before the board reflect the changes into the regulations.

“The proposal was developed following extensive consultation with representatives from Irish football around the country in recent months and is one of eleven actions as part of phase 1 of the FPP.

“In giving their approval, the FAI board have reiterated their full support for the plan that will bring about transformational change for Irish football.

“A date for the next General Assembly Meeting will be confirmed in due course.” Cooke confirmed under questioning at a meeting in May that the final say would rest with the General Assembly.

Speaking recently, Canham also admitted a split implementation approach could unravel, whereby the underage game would first move en-bloc, followed by the adult sector beyond the original timeframe.

That’s understood what the recalibrated roll-out looks like. It’s envisaged that the February to October format will apply to the youngest age-groups of 6-11 before expanding to age-groups between 12 and 16. 

The final segment, from 17 upwards to adult, will be the final part of the jigsaw.

What this compromised template also does is cast doubt over the proposed third tier of men’s League of Ireland, pencilled in for 2026. Canham and his grassroots director Ger McDermott acknowledged the viability of this depended on the expressions of interest from clubs and third-level institutions.