THE FAI’S CHIEF Football Officer Marc Canham says he “hopes” long-awaited State funding for League of Ireland academy funding will arrive later this year, but says there is no “magic wand” that will immediately transform Ireland’s player development troubles.
The FAI have asked the government for €8 million per year to invest in professional academies and kickstart elite player production, made urgent by post-Brexit rules. Though the new Programme for Government includes a commitment to explore this funding, new sports minister Patrick O’Donovan last month told The 42 that this funding is “not imminent.”
Speaking to the media yesterday, Canham says the FAI’s chief funding priorities are academies and infrastructure, and will raise them in a meeting with the sports minister next week.
Some State funding has been allocated to the creation of a part-time role at the FAI overseeing an imminent audit of all professional academies in the country, which is the first step in establishing the criteria and distribution mechanism of the money whenever it does come. Canham says the audit will be completed in the “coming months.”
Several LOI clubs are growing impatient with the rate of progress, however.
“I understand the frustration,” said Canham. “We would have loved the funding by now, but we have to respect the process we are in. We want to work even more closely with clubs so they can help that process. The clubs want to help to get the funding and we know it is critical to get the level and quality of our player we need for our league but also our national teams moving forward, so I genuinely understand the frustration.”
While the FAI continue to say the funding is a priority and they are having “positive conversations” with the government, critics point to their own lack of movement. While internal FAI figures recognised the EU’s Brexit Adjustment Fund as a potential source of revenue for academies as early as 2022, the FAI had missed the deadline for applications by the time they got around to a submission.
Asked yesterday how the FAI are actually showing academy funding is a priority given this missed opportunity, Canham declined to answer.
“We have already talked about that,” he said. “Someone has asked me about that the last time we were together. As I have already said, the clubs need FAI and FAI need clubs. That is crystal-clear to me and I see it in other environments. We remain committed to funding we need. The conversations were ongoing during that period of time, so there were conversations about academy through that time.”
Canham said even when the funding arrives, it could take approximately 18 months for the academies to hire staff and resource themselves as they need. In the mean-time, and as part of the FAI’s Player Pathways Plan, the FAI have suggested an additional centralised coaching programme for elite talents between 14 and 17 to be held at their Abbotstown campus, to increase coaching contact hours. The plan, which has yet to be formally published by the FAI, was revealed by the Irish Examiner earlier this month. The plan proposes that players would receive an additional 45 days’ training during school holidays, while remaining registered with their League of Ireland academy.
Canham says he sees this as a “a short to medium term initiative”, but it has been met with fury by the LOI’s Premier Division clubs, who wrote a letter to the FAI board criticising the standard of consultation and communication over the plan and promising to oppose it.
Canham insists the development of players in Ireland will be club-led, but that something must be done quickly to address the shortfall in contact hours. He defended the consultation levels with clubs, saying he has spoken with all LOI academy managers about the plan, and also cited the 16,000 hours of consultation that went into the original, overall Pathways Plan. (These hours were completed across the whole game, not just with LOI clubs.)
Canham says the FAI are sticking by the plan but its launch is on hold until the clubs are happy with it, and its final details are now subject to negotiation, with Canham promising “tweaks” having taken feedback on board.
Meanwhile, Canham has played down comments made on the Late Late Show by WNT manager Carla Ward. Speaking in an interview along with Heimir Hallgrimsson, Ward said she found FAI board member Packie Bonner – part of the interview panel for both successful managerial candidates – “terrifying”, adding she meant it “in a good way because he was probably the only one that was talking football.”
This begged the question: did Marc Canham, the FAI’s chief football officer, not discuss football too?
“When you’re sat down around a table, whether it’s in person or online, you have different people there asking questions,” said Canham. “Naturally myself and Packie took a lead from a football perspective and in the scenario that was referred to, the line of questioning was tough but Carla did a good job, but I was also in the room talking about football.
“But there other people made up of the board and executives that took a lead on leadership, communication and stakeholder management. That is really normal for a an interview process.”
Canham was also asked as to how much influence Bonner – who also chairs the FAI’s high performance committee – exerts over football, and whether the impression Ward gave on TV that Bonner is the power behind the throne football-wise, is accurate.
“The board and the executive team work closely together,” said Canham. “I take the lead on football areas of the business and there are other structures inside the business that looks after the different areas of the business. It’s really important for the board and the executive and all the FAI staff to work together so that conversation is regular. We have monthly updates at board meetings and we continue to do that. Ultimately I take the lead role in terms of football direction and matters and decisions for the association.”
Canham also added that Bonner, and all the board, have been supportive of his work.
Canham was also asked if he approached Bonner to clarify Bonner’s comment in 2023 that Celtic should consider buying an LOI club as a “feeder” operation. This policy does not form part of any of the FAI’s strategy documents of recent years.
“We didn’t talk specifically about that,” replied Canham.
Asked for his opinion on Bonner’s comments, Canham said, “I don’t want to talk specifically about individuals. I think he and the board are very supportive of what we’re trying to do and everything in the Pathways plan and all the things we’re trying to do around academies, and ultimately the board want the best thing for Irish football.”
Canham also responded to speculation that he is no longer living in Ireland by stating he continues to live in Malahide with his family.
“I’m here full-time,” said Canham. “It doesn’t mean I don’t have friends and family in the UK and go back and see people but I live in Ireland and I’m here all the time.”
Asked whether he sees himself remaining at the FAI in the medium-term, Canham said, “I don’t look too far. In terms of our plan and our vision, it’s 12 years and there are loads of things to do but in terms of my own self, I don’t look too far in the future in terms of that respect.
“I really, really enjoy the role, working and living in Ireland. I enjoy working with the people in Irish football and around the FAI. I genuinely believe in what we’re doing and I have a lot of confidence in myself, a lot of confidence in our plan and a lot of confidence in what we’re trying to do and believe it will be a success.”
Can’t disagree with his point but just hard to take when we’ve a pick of a 21/2 mile radius. How can we ever match the Dublin clubs.
In reality it’s up to the player himself, my own opinion would be to play with my home club if I could. I wouldn’t be a fan of lads who would transfer to a bigger club or a higher level but it’s their choice of they want to do that.
It’s a tough one. Lads have careers & families and may not be able to commit to the travel involved if they are living in Dublin and playing with their hometown club. Playing with the club 5 minutes away is more practical.
In saying that, no reason why these players have to play in the Provincial championships. Let them play league and ch’ship in Dublin, but you use home-grown players beyond that.
How can we ever match Dublin clubs? €€€€€€ is the only way…..
You can disagree, they signed former dub eamonn fennell from o’tooles who are five mins away from Vincent’s. And another of their better players came from o tooles.
Parnells got awful stick for imports, it didn’t work out for them and they are back to the right way now. Plunketts vinnies ballymun shipping lads in!
All the top clubs are the same, Kerry club Dr.Crokes centre back Alan o sullivan is an import and rumor is the Crokes have approached this years kerry minor Clifford to transfer and he probably will if the terms are right!!:-):-):-):-
Does Eamon Fennell still play?
Not sure saw him on crutches though