Coronavirus wipeout came at worst time possible for FAI

DUNDALK fans will welcome talking about football, rather than the prospect of football, for after Uefa Executive Committee confirmed last week that the 2020/21 European campaign will begin on August 18/19th, the players, and backroom staff now have, at long last, a date at which they can aim.

Whether they will play any competitive fixtures before that remains to be seen, for the long drawn negotiations to entice a number of reluctant League of Ireland (LOI) clubs to resume playing still have a way to go.

Unfortunately Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdown of all sport could not have come at a worst time for the FAI, for the legacy of the John Delaney tenure in charge of the Association, has meant that there were little or no funds to compensate clubs for the loss of revenue during the lockdown.

It didn’t help either that some with vested interests in maintaining the status quo saw fit to continually snipe from the sidelines at those who were doing their level best in difficult circumstances to get the domestic game up and running again.

Throughout all of this, when all involved in the game should be pulling together, Dundalk FC showed great dignity, calm and leadership in playing a very active role behind the scenes to get the League started again.

It will be argued of course that Dundalk had a vested interest in getting football started again because of their qualification for the Champions League and the financial rewards that participation brings, but the offer by chairman Bill Hulsizer and the company he heads, Peak6, to make funds available to the LOI to help was a genuine offer.

The offer may have been made as a result of complete frustration at the lack of progress by the FAI, and the knowledge that Ireland was amongst the last countries in Europe to set a date for the resumption of football.

It has been difficult too for manager Vinny Perth, his backroom staff and players that they had to resume training two weeks ago in a complete vacuum, not knowing if they would be involved in a competitive game again this year.

At that stage there was no more than a hope, not a guarantee that Uefa would approve the Champions and Europa Leagues for next season, while it was not until last Friday when the government put a €70m. package on the table to help with the resumption of sport, that it became likely that the LOI would resume.

Now at least there is some certainty with the qualifying legs of the European competitions being played over one leg with the first team drawn out of the hat given home advantage.

The schedule for subsequent rounds was also mapped out and hopefully Dundalk can advance in the Champions League to the play-off round which will revert to the traditional home and away format on September 22/23rd, and 29/30th.

Should the Lilywhites be eliminated from the Champions League, they will enter the Europa League. The second and third qualifying round will take place on September 17th and 24th respectively while the one-legged play-off round is scheduled for October 1st.

The biggest problem now facing the coaching staff and players is the lack of competitive football, for if the LOI does resume in some format it is likely to be early August, giving Dundalk one, possibly two competitive matches before they face European opponents, possibly away from home, and who have the advantage of having a number of games played in their own leagues.

Undoubtedly Dundalk will endeavour to arrange a series of friendly matches with English, Scottish and Irish clubs, but travel restrictions may be a hindrance in arranging such matches against quality opponents.

In addition friendly matches are no substitute for the competitive edge and that was obvious to many in the first series of games played in the Premiership in England where players lacked match sharpness, even though all had played two or three friendly matches.

Unfortunately Dundalk, and other LOI sides competing in Europe, Shamrock Rovers, Derry City and Bohemians, will be asked to perform under the same handicap and this is a major blow to the game in this country, for progress in Europe is fundamental to the development of the game, not just for the finance it provides, but for the experience it gives players.

No wonder the players, many attracted to Dundalk by the prospect of playing Champions League football, are very frustrated as Patrick McEleney is widely quoted as saying this week “it just looks like we’re settling for mediocrity”.

The original idea in opting for summer football in the LOI was to give Irish clubs a better chance of doing well in Europe, the reasoning being that they would be playing their European fixtures in the middle of their season, unlike many of their opponents who would be only starting their season.

That aspiration has been blown away by the arrival of Covid-19, but a more destructive force in Irish football has been the mismanagement of the game during the Delaney era with the compliance of those to allow it happen.