Grassroots clubs and Sligo Rovers losing out because of FAI mismanagement - Cllr claims

SLIGO Rovers and local soccer clubs in Sligo and across the country are losing out in investment by the Irish taxpayer because of poor levels of transparency and accountability within the FAI board it has been claimed by a Sligo County Councillor.

Members of Sligo County Council were told that Sport Ireland is right to withhold public monies from the FAI for what Cllr Thomas Walsh described as the FAI’s “lack of compliance”. In a stinging attack on the FAI, Cllr Walsh tabled a motion at the December meeting of Sligo County Council where he raised issues in relation to recent and historic payments by the FAI. Calling for the FAI to “get its act together,” Cllr Walsh said: “We have seen now for more than a decade the complete madness in terms of their payments to their chief executive and to staff. Two weeks ago, we saw where they paid their chief executive €20,000 in lieu of annual leave.”

For contrast he detailed the monies received by teams who win major trophies: “To win a league in this country, a Premier Division title the team receives €125,000, First Division champions get €36,500 and the women’s Premier Division champions get €12,000.

“I think Sport Ireland is right to withhold public monies from the FAI because of their non-compliance. Cllr Walsh said he wanted to urge Government to appoint someone to the board of management of the FAI to ensure “there is an improved level of transparency and accountability within the board”.

He said it was clubs at the grassroots level who were suffering: “The problem is, it is the grassroots soccer clubs who continue to suffer through the lack of management and integrity from, not all of the board of the FAI, but from some of the board over many, many decades.”

He said the FAI had seen significantly less funding compared to other sports because of “complete mismanagement” by the FAI: “Since 2020 the FAI have been allocated €188 million for soccer from the Sports Capital programme. Other sports have been allocated €400 and €500 million and it is because of the FAI that soccer has not been invested in by the taxpayer, because of complete mismanagement, lack of integrity, transparency and accountability which is why we see the lack of grass pitches across the country.

“The independent report recommended another 1,000 grass pitches to serve the projected population in the country,” he said.

Cllr Walsh continued: “The FAI are right to say soccer has lacked investment in this country for decades. We know this. Every independent report including the most recent one this year shows there is in the region of

€800 million required for soccer and for investment in facilities.

“I would hope that Government would appoint someone to the FAI board to ensure it is managed with a bit more integrity than we have seen in the last few weeks and over the last two decades.”

Cllr Gino O’Boyle, People Before Profit, said they had seen in the last few decades the “falling asunder of the FAI”.

He said one of the problems was that “the backroom management stay the same, the people on the committee stay the same, it was just the front man, John Delaney, was the fella who got his name stuck in the mud and after him Mr [Jonathan] Hill, Chief Executive, the same issue.”

He added: “The problem is the people behind them [Hill and Delaney] never change, these people have been there for 25 years and have no interest in going anywhere else. It’s a ‘money for the boys’ job.”

He appealed for money to be put into facilities such as Sligo Rovers. “Trying to get investment for local teams like Ballygawley which Thomas [Walsh] would be familiar with is like trying to get blood from a stone, it is not going to happen,” he said.

He said a massive investment was needed for all the leagues. “Unless there is major investment and a major restructure of the League of Ireland and the FAI it is going to be the same thing ten years down the line. All our best players are leaving to play in England.

“Money has to be invested to get the best return from our talent.

“Every week we have boxers, footballers going abroad. Harry Kane, grandparents from Connemara, Jack Grealish, Declan Rice, they played underage for Ireland but turned their allegiance to England because it is a better standard over there.”

The full wording of Cllr Walsh’s motion, which was adopted unanimously without further comment/ discussion by the Council is as follows: “That Sligo County Council call on the FAI’s Board of Management to get its act together and to start investing in the League of Ireland and soccer clubs across the country.

“In addition, we encourage the Minister for Sport to appoint a member to the FAI Board of Management and to begin a phased investment in soccer.”