2.4 Million investment for FAI

[ForzaHoop]

The FAI will receive the largest portion, with €2.7 million going to the football governing bod

http://www.the42.ie/sport-ireland-gaa-fai-irfu-investment-2876023-Jul2016/

[nr637]

The FAI will receive the largest portion, with €2.7 million going to the football governing bod

http://www.the42.ie/sport-ireland-gaa-fai-irfu-investment-2876023-Jul2016/

Does that cover FAI chief executive John Delaney's salary of €360,000 a year which keeps him in charge of Irish football until 2020.

[marinobohs]

Hooray, more junkets, ehh I mean fact finding missions for our gallant blazers.

[ger121]

Hooray, more junkets, ehh I mean fact finding missions for our gallant blazers.

Delaney - "Yes the fact finding mission was indeed a success. We now know for sure that others leagues are far better run by their National Associations."
Reporter - " So Mr Delaney, will you be now spending that grant money on the LOI to bridge the gap?"
Delaney - "Erm, what money?"

[Hitman]

Come on now, the man can only do so much.


Delaney says he still backs the report’s recommendation for a revamped SSE Airtricity League to be in place for next season. “My own view is you would like to have a new structure next year but it’s not something John Delaney is going to force through,” he said. “It’s something the clubs have to step forward with us and agree that path with us.”

More immediately, Delaney hopes solutions can be found to the problems at cash-strapped Athlone Town and Waterford United. “I’m waiting on reports from Peter McLoone and Ned O’Connor in terms of Athlone and Waterford and their situations. The FAI can do so much and wants to take the next step with the clubs but when there are issues locally — when a chairman decides he wants to leave a club and no longer fund it, it’s very difficult for the Association to deal with that.

“But hopefully, the findings from both those men show a pathway forward for both clubs. Like what I did in Galway a couple of years ago when we met all the different stakeholders and found a path for Galway football.”

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/soccer/conroy-report-findings-too-slow-says-john-delaney-410263.html

[ForzaHoop]

I know Finn Harps are still waiting on monies for the stadium from the Government and FAI to actually get the new stadium finished after such a massive amount of work a few years back

[vinnie]

Has there been any new progress on the new stadium up there ForzaHoop ?

[nigel-harps1954]

Has there been any new progress on the new stadium up there ForzaHoop ?

Lol, no.

[ger121]

Not sure where to post this

http://www.fai.ie/domestic/news/fai-announces-strategic-plan-funding-for-sse-airtricity-league-clubs

Discuss... Sits back with popcorn.

[White Horse]

Not sure where to post this

http://www.fai.ie/domestic/news/fai-announces-strategic-plan-funding-for-sse-airtricity-league-clubs

Discuss... Sits back with popcorn.

A few of things come to mind.

The FAI are going to give up to 5 grand to clubs to get some smart arsed consultant to come in and write 20 pages of waffle about "community links" and "digital marketing".

The five grand would be better used if clubs well allowed to buy new portaloos, preferably ones clean of cholera and the like.

Clubs should already have strategic plans in place of course, though I dare say the objective of most plans is that clubs don't go bust.

[outspoken]

Clubs like Athlone shouldn't get the 5k, it will only help keep those creatures running the club at the helm for longer when clear change is needed. If they go bust we are f*cked for next season with no big gate game.

[pineapple stu]

Clubs should already have strategic plans in place of course
Most don't though. So this probably can't hurt, even if it's hardly a panacea.

outspoken - Athlone don't get the €5k; the consultant does. Athlone get a report on how not to screw up their club further (in theory)

[ger121]

A few of things come to mind.

The FAI are going to give up to 5 grand to clubs to get some smart arsed consultant to come in and write 20 pages of waffle about "community links" and "digital marketing".

The five grand would be better used if clubs well allowed to buy new portaloos, preferably ones clean of cholera and the like.

Clubs should already have strategic plans in place of course, though I dare say the objective of most plans is that clubs don't go bust.

I'm one of those smart arsed consultants :-p You'd be lucky to even get 20 pages for €5k, seriously! Never mind a 5 Year Strategic Plan.

The FAI - creating fiction even Stephen King would be proud of.

[pineapple stu]

ger - I would have thought a lot of these reports should be largely generic?

Like a football club is a football club; there should be a lot of similarities across all 20 clubs. Take a starting point of lots of things a club should do, and for club-specific reports, just delete what's already been done.

A problem is I don't know if we know what a good 5-year strategic plan actually is. I'd say it should include plans for increasing non-matchday income, reducing debt (and associated repayments, which is a waste of cash-flow) and improving facilities partly with a view to reducing non-essential expenditure (like training ground hire costs, when a full facility could include training venues)

Before the report starts, other leagues in similar-sized countries should be investigated to see what they're doing that we're not.

You could look at community stuff, etc, as well, but I think that's somewhat secondary to the above.

That's obviously hugely generic, but I wouldn't have thought you'd be looking at 20 reports each being prepared from scratch.

[Longfordian]

Most don't though. So this probably can't hurt, even if it's hardly a panacea.

outspoken - Athlone don't get the €5k; the consultant does. Athlone get a report on how not to screw up their club further (in theory)

Haven't the FAI already paid someone to do a report on Athlone?

[pineapple stu]

True (and Waterford)

Though isn't that more a "What happened?" report rather than a "What will happen?" report?

[White Horse]

Most don't though. So this probably can't hurt, even if it's hardly a panacea.

outspoken - Athlone don't get the €5k; the consultant does. Athlone get a report on how not to screw up their club further (in theory)

Strategic plans make a lot of sense for some clubs, those with money to invest.

Cork and Dundalk come to mind. Will they use the large rewards from Europe to improve infrastructure and put in place plans for long term success.

Other clubs, those who haven't a pot to p1ss in, have little use for a strategic plan. Anything they would want to do takes money and labour. Those clubs can't afford to do anything other than survive day to day. Unless the FAI wants to help them, of course.

[pineapple stu]

Well, true. But even smaller clubs could look at more grant outlets for improved facilities, jobbridge-type schemes to bring more people on board or extra fundraising suggestions. I don't know if it'd breach confidentiality to say "x club are doing this - works well for them. Why don't ye try it?" Even if it's just a case of ensuring clubs are exploring all the options available to them, it'd be a start.

Obviously agree the FAI need to be doing more to help clubs of course.

[Calcio Jack]

€5k will easily cover the cost of a report for Rovers - allthe Consultant needs to do is ask the Rovers Board to write up a report of what Rovers has done for the last 5 years and then add a single line at the end stating "... Do the opposite of all of the above .."

[Longfordian]

True (and Waterford)

Though isn't that more a "What happened?" report rather than a "What will happen?" report?

You'd like to think the reports would include some proposed solutions but maybe I'm being naive!

[ger121]

ger - I would have thought a lot of these reports should be largely generic?

Like a football club is a football club; there should be a lot of similarities across all 20 clubs. Take a starting point of lots of things a club should do, and for club-specific reports, just delete what's already been done.

A problem is I don't know if we know what a good 5-year strategic plan actually is. I'd say it should include plans for increasing non-matchday income, reducing debt (and associated repayments, which is a waste of cash-flow) and improving facilities partly with a view to reducing non-essential expenditure (like training ground hire costs, when a full facility could include training venues)

Before the report starts, other leagues in similar-sized countries should be investigated to see what they're doing that we're not.

You could look at community stuff, etc, as well, but I think that's somewhat secondary to the above.

That's obviously hugely generic, but I wouldn't have thought you'd be looking at 20 reports each being prepared from scratch.

Depends on a few things Stu. Will the same consultancy firm be used for all clubs. Do the FAI get the Strategy created as one overall plan comprised of 20 sections, one per club which provided input into the plan. In other words the actual cost is €100k to produce but they equate that to €5k per club.

Doesn't actually read like that. The way it is worded, they are getting €5k to help create a Strategic Plan. That won't go very far at all. Even if it is the former combined approach, I've seen Advisory services fees for just Functional Areas' 5 Year Strategic Plans,start at close to 6 figures and up to €200,000+

Maybe they have a deal with whoever produced Conroy Report but based on experience, would be sceptical what may be produced at that price for 20 different clubs, who mostly have no experience or resources to support in the creation of the plan.

[pineapple stu]

Having read the Conroy Report, I wouldn't be in favour of them getting more involvement in the LoI...

[disgruntled]

Not much sense in having reports if they're not acted on.
We have reports coming out our ears but all they do is take up space.
Its not reports we need. Its people who will carry out what's in them.