from the indo
Licencing own goal makes league a laughing stock
WITH the eircom League title race just six weeks from its conclusion, a similar deadline, with far greater relevance looms - the return of completed UEFA licence application forms to the FAI.
Just four weeks later, the FAI will receive through their letter-box a detailed resumé of financial documentation.
The club licencing scheme, UEFA's blueprint for ensuring that its member clubs are organised on a sound financial and sporting basis, has severe qualification procedures - especially in the context of this league.
The sanctions are equally strict - elimination from the league is a realistic possibility.
The FAI, in a startling detour from usual practise, decided that it wanted to be one of the first to implement the scheme.
In broad terms, then, by the end of this year, the 22 clubs in the League are supposed to have satisfied the FAI that:
1:
their grounds are completely safe and convenient for all spectators.
2:
that they are in possession of a tax clearance certificate.
3:
that there are no outstanding monies payable for either transfer fees or for the salaries of any employees.
And that's just for starters. Stop chortling down the back.
If you support an Eircom League, take a moment at this weekend's matches to ask a representative of your club how far down the road they are to securing a UEFA club licence.
In most cases, it would be safe to assume that either a spluttering evacuation of bluster or else deadly silence will greet your enquiry.
Ask a few more questions, if you're brave enough. Does your ground have at least 1,500 covered seats? Or 500 if you follow a First Division club? Are your floodlights strong enough? Are the toilets clean and fully equipped with sanitary devices and cleaning equipment, with male, female and disabled toilets on both sides of the ground?
Are there qualified stewards and first-aid personnel in attendance at each match? Are the press facilities adequate? Is your pitch at least 60m wide by 95m in length (five metres longer required in the Premier Division)?
Will any, or all, of the above be in place in the near future - i.e., six-eight weeks at every ground? Hmmm, not likely.
The edict from on high to introduce the UEFA club licencing scheme here - "the fourth quickest to do so" squealed the FAI earlier this year - seems to have been thoroughly ignored by all.
With six weeks to go before the process of submitting licences begins - and just four months before clubs are either retained or rejected by the FAI - it is difficult to square so many circles. Grey areas abound.
Take, for instance, Shamrock Rovers. Currently, they have no home and, regrettably, seem no nearer being able to tell the world when they will have one. Thus, they are currently using Tolka Park, home of Shelbourne.
Dublin City, who have NO seats in their Whitehall ground (let's leave aside the rest of the obstacles in their way) also want to use Tolka Park. So do Belgrove and, naturally enough, Shelbourne. Well, that's that solved then.
Another one. Does anyone know whether the FAI are serious about Drogheda United re-instating their former holding company before being allowed to complete the season? Or even start the next? No, didn't think so.
Let's talk about Limerick FC. Erm, on second thoughts, let's not.
At least four clubs contacted by this column yesterday admitted that they would not come within the proverbial roar of an ass in their quest to obtain a UEFA club licence. Between them, they named three more in similar positions.
Think of any ground you have visited recently and try to recall the extent of building work being carried out to construct fencing, to remove loose surfaces, to construct separate entrances for players and officials ( and also for home and away fans), to build covered facilities for disabled spectators. Not much evidence, is there?
Yet clubs react with indifference and incomprehension when questioned as to the ultimate sanction which will be imposed by UEFA for failing to fulfil the criteria set down to obtain a club licence.
There is no acceptance of the fact that at least half of the clubs currently in the eircom League will not be able to take their places on the starting block for the 2003/04 season.
The League and FAI vapidly promise their full support, but until now their best effort has been to offer each club a a timely €300,000 loan to help meet the UEFA critieria. Talk about papering over cracks.
One club even went so far as to tell me yesterday that they "didn't give a damn" about the fact that they had to lengthen their pitch. "Sure what's going to happen to us," was the response.
Perhaps the FAI might like to address this particular point and inform us just how the brave new world of UEFA club licencing has transformed clubs across the land.
We wonder how they'll squirm out of this one with all those UEFA blazers peering over their shoulders.
dkelly@unison.independent.ie
