No Club got a licence

No Club earns Licence

The initial stage of the 2005 UEFA Club Licensing schem has concluded with none of the 22 eircom League clubs receiving a licence. The Club Licensing Committee, made up of independent experts in the fields of finance, safety, legal, sporting administration and infrastrucutre, evaluated the date submitted by the clubs in the five categories at their day-long meeting on Friday.

While a number of clubs came extremely close, no club reached the required standards in all five disciplines to achieve a licence. The clubs have had a number of months to submit their applications together with all the relevant data and have been supported by the FAI's Club Licensing department in assisting with their submissions. However, in some cases the required information was not submitted by clubs, and in other cases, not provided in time for assessment.

Clubs now ahve the right to appeal the decisions to the Club Licensing Appeals Committee, made up of a separate panel of independent experts, and have five working days to lodge their appeals.

Commenting on the overall picture, FAI Chief Executive John Delaney said: "This represents a real disappointment at this stage of the process. However, there is still time to attain the required licences so we must wee what the appeal part of the process holds." The FAI is urging clubs to re-examine their submissions in tandem with the feedback from the Club Licensing Department.

Mr Delaney also said he believed it would prove impossible for eircom League clubs to receive any further Government funding without a licence granted under the UEFA scheme. "Given the willingness of the Department of Sport to support the club's efforts under the Club Licensing scheme to date, it would be a huge setback if this much needed revenue was not available going forward," he said.

While it is acknowledged that clubs have made real progress in the last year, no club made the standard for 2005.

The above is from www.fai.ie

Not looking good.

I think that its better that no club got a licence then just saying 'ah well, you gave it a shot, here you go'. Its one of the few times that I can remember the FAI actually imposing high standards to all. Im sure most clubs will get it on appeal (and anyway most clubs had to appeal last year anyway).

Not sure about this though: "Mr Delaney also said he believed it would prove impossible for eircom League clubs to receive any further Government funding without a licence granted under the UEFA scheme. "Given the willingness of the Department of Sport to support the club's efforts under the Club Licensing scheme to date, it would be a huge setback if this much needed revenue was not available going forward," he said."

Has any club actually got cash in the bank from Bertie and the lads since the licencing system came into place? I know that we were promised money but not so sure that it actually arrived.

last season no club from Kazakhstan met the licence requirements. Result - UEFA did not let any of their clubs take part in european competition.

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Originally Posted by Troy.McClure

Has any club actually got cash in the bank from Bertie and the lads since the licencing system came into place? I know that we were promised money but not so sure that it actually arrived.

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yeah The GAA and thats about it

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Originally Posted by Troy.McClure

Not sure about this though: "Mr Delaney also said he believed it would prove impossible for eircom League clubs to receive any further Government funding without a licence granted under the UEFA scheme. "Given the willingness of the Department of Sport to support the club's efforts under the Club Licensing scheme to date, it would be a huge setback if this much needed revenue was not available going forward," he said."

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I saw that alright. Basically, no club got the licence requirements, so we won't be giving you any money to meet the licence requirements. If the Department of Sport have been giving grants, then they've been very quiet about it altogether.

This is the biggest problem with licencing. Great idea and all, but no-one seems willing to put their money where their mouths are. UCD need E1.9m to upgrade Belfield Park to requirements; our turnover according to that article in the Star shortly after Christmas was E400k. I don't imagine we're unique either. Clubs simply can't afford to upgrade to all requirements without financial aid, which the FAI is now saying may well be stopped?! Disgraceful.

Our European reps won't be allowed play in Europe unless they get premier division licences on appeal. Presumably Shels, Bohs, Cork and Longford can't be too far away as they were all in Europe so had premier licences last season.

It is difficult to imagine 22 clubs getting licences on appeal so there may be casualties.

Isn't there a European licence over and above a Premier Licence? Even more work to be done if so.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

I saw that alright. Basically, no club got the licence requirements, so we won't be giving you any money to meet the licence requirements. If the Department of Sport have been giving grants, then they've been very quiet about it altogether.

This is the biggest problem with licencing. Great idea and all, but no-one seems willing to put their money where their mouths are. UCD need E1.9m to upgrade Belfield Park to requirements; our turnover according to that article in the Star shortly after Christmas was E400k. I don't imagine we're unique either. Clubs simply can't afford to upgrade to all requirements without financial aid, which the FAI is now saying may well be stopped?! Disgraceful.

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I think your wrong on that one. The grant money is for infrastructure, but the criteria for infrastructure are not as stringent as last year and plans I believe are acceptable - like there is no point in Harps or Drogheda putting in 1500 seats if their moving. Its the other areas the Gov want clubs to sort out before they will give the money for the infrastructure - sporting, legal, fiancial and admin.

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Originally Posted by Ronnie

I think your wrong on that one. The grant money is for infrastructure, but the criteria for infrastructure are not as stringent as last year and plans I believe are acceptable - like there is no point in Harps or Drogheda putting in 1500 seats if their moving. Its the other areas the Gov want clubs to sort out before they will give the money for the infrastructure - sporting, legal, fiancial and admin.

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We passed on infrastructure so plans must be acceptable.

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Originally Posted by Ronnie

I think your wrong on that one. The grant money is for infrastructure, but the criteria for infrastructure are not as stringent as last year and plans I believe are acceptable - like there is no point in Harps or Drogheda putting in 1500 seats if their moving.

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Apologies - that's what I meant. The ground is the one which will cost the most money (E1.9m in our case), which is why grants are needed. I think concrete plans to move to a new ground are acceptable substitutes for the ground requirements, but again, you need money. Which isn't coming.

But yeah, there seem to be a fair few clubs who have failed items other than the ground. Bar finances (which are being dealt with by most clubs, and again that should be taken as good enough for the licence), that's inexcusable, really.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Isn't there a European licence over and above a Premier Licence? Even more work to be done if so.

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Think the difference was infrastructure only. Say UCD qualify for europe, and have a premier licence, they can switch to Tolka/Dalyer for the match.

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Originally Posted by Troy.McClure

I think that its better that no club got a licence then just saying 'ah well, you gave it a shot, here you go'. Its one of the few times that I can remember the FAI actually imposing high standards to all. Im sure most clubs will get it on appeal (and anyway most clubs had to appeal last year anyway).

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To be honest ... i think this is a valid point ... Damn if they do, and damned if they dont. The licensing is inplace to improve the league, its is trying to do that and we give out. Whats up with that ??

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Originally Posted by Macy

Think the difference was infrastructure only. Say UCD qualify for europe, and have a premier licence, they can switch to Tolka/Dalyer for the match.

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That's assuming that the only differences between the European licence and the Premier licence is the ground requirements then? That should be alright, I suppose.

On the Galway forum, they're saying that Galway failed the legal aspect because their holding company's Memo and Arts (company's constitution, basically) weren't up-to-date. There's a mention of Sligo failing for completing their form in red biro! Does anyone know for sure if there was a notice sent to clubs of what was wrong before the announcement went out? If there wasn't, then a lot of this bad press could have been avoided, it seems. If there was, then the clubs have only themselves to blame.

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

On the Galway forum, they're saying that Galway failed the legal aspect because their holding company's Memo and Arts (company's constitution, basically) weren't up-to-date. There's a mention of Sligo failing for completing their form in red biro! Does anyone know for sure if there was a notice sent to clubs of what was wrong before the announcement went out? If there wasn't, then a lot of this bad press could have been avoided, it seems. If there was, then the clubs have only themselves to blame.

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And City are saying it's becuse of copies of documents not originals. IF these things are true, why couldn't Delaney give the clubs a week more to sort out this kind of stuff, instead of the PR disaster of today?
That f*cker is delighted to be able to announce bad news about the league, he can continue on destroying it now.

I suppose in a way, the small things are examples of the lax way the clubs are being run and have been run for years. This is the FAI's way of giving them a root up the hole and making sure they get these things right in future. Harsh, but arguably fair.

this is what is confusing me.

If City and others had small errors like this then surely a little phone call telling them about it and giving them a day or two to get the matter sorted is the way to go rather than just failing the licence application.

Sure even the great Derry City didn't get a licence. It just looks a little bit funny that no club got a licence and I don't buy it that all 22 clubs didn''t put in the effort - the system is clearly flawed in some way that a situ like this can arise.

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Originally Posted by Troy.McClure

I think that its better that no club got a licence then just saying 'ah well, you gave it a shot, here you go'. Its one of the few times that I can remember the FAI actually imposing high standards to all. Im sure most clubs will get it on appeal (and anyway most clubs had to appeal last year anyway).

Not sure about this though: "Mr Delaney also said he believed it would prove impossible for eircom League clubs to receive any further Government funding without a licence granted under the UEFA scheme. "Given the willingness of the Department of Sport to support the club's efforts under the Club Licensing scheme to date, it would be a huge setback if this much needed revenue was not available going forward," he said."

Has any club actually got cash in the bank from Bertie and the lads since the licencing system came into place? I know that we were promised money but not so sure that it actually arrived.

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As far as I'm aware, the only openly stated block to government funds coming into Irish football has been in response to the FAI's own internal shenanigans. That situation has only been partially resolved to-date - until the newly advertised posts are filled satisfactorily, the government is witholding money from the FAI.

The irony of Delaney then saying the clubs themselves are jeopardising government funding. That man...

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

That's assuming that the only differences between the European licence and the Premier licence is the ground requirements then? That should be alright, I suppose.

On the Galway forum, they're saying that Galway failed the legal aspect because their holding company's Memo and Arts (company's constitution, basically) weren't up-to-date. There's a mention of Sligo failing for completing their form in red biro! Does anyone know for sure if there was a notice sent to clubs of what was wrong before the announcement went out? If there wasn't, then a lot of this bad press could have been avoided, it seems. If there was, then the clubs have only themselves to blame.

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I heard not. Last year clubs got info on what was missing before the first hearing, I heard that didn't happen this time around. Although Sligo failing for red biro seems bizarre! Only club in the coun try with everything upto scratch but excluded for using the wrong colour pen.....Ah now!

Most clubs failed on the legal section seemingly..The person assessing that section never reported back before Friday to allow the Licensing manager to get back on to clubs and sort it out, most of it is minor stuff sending in new copies of everything