The game here can flourish if it learns from horse racing

THERE was much hand-wringing concern in Cheltenham this week, as the Irish winners kept coming. Such is the dominance of our horses that the Prestbury Cup is no longer competitive. But it has never been a fair fight. The odds have always been skewed towards this side of the Irish Sea, given the level of state support that the sport gets. As one wag suggested on Twitter, Ireland is the Manchester City of horse racing. It wasn’t meant in complimentary terms. We all know the statistics that racing throws at us, about how important its industry is to the economy and who didn’t overflow with national pride watching Patrick Mullins ride his father’s 100th festival winner.

The thing is, it is possible to appreciate what racing does for this country, delight in Willie Mullins’ genius and still believe that the sport gets disproportionate state support.

We can cheer as Rachael Blackmore skilfully steers Slade Steel to victory and still feel that some of the state funds that go to horse racing and greyhounds should be diverted to football.

Even the most ardent racing fan can’t argue that football shouldn’t be given a substantial piece of the betting tax.

The FAI were meant to bring that reasonable point up the last time they were welcomed to Leinster House, but everyone got sidetracked by an absurdly redacted email.

Belgium come to Lansdowne Road next Saturday which will lead some to wonder again if we can learn anything from how such a small nation has transformed itself into a footballing powerhouse. But it is time to stop trying to mimic what worked in other countries.

That our young kids also play GAA, or rugby, should be considered an advantage as studies now prove that the more sports children play at a young age, the more adept they will become at one.

The FAI’s ambitious €863 million infrastructure plan was an answer to the chronic under-funding of the world game here. The neglect around football should be a national shame and it is not simply because of the rapacious behaviour of a previous chief executive or the fiefdoms that have constantly battled each other in the game here.

But we have reached a place now where almost everyone agrees that state support is needed to create an infrastructure and industry around the world’s most popular sport. And Irish football needs to come together to fight their corner.

Surely, even the most one-eyed politician, with mud on his shoes and greyhounds at home, has to accept that Irish football needs money to bring its academies and facilities up to an acceptable level.

The success of the horse racing industry is based on many factors. But the two most important were concentrating on what we do well and state support.

Football can flourish, if they focus on those aspects, too.