Debate - Future of Youth Development in Irish Football

‘We’ve the fundamentals in place to produce better footballers’ – John Delaney


The FAI boss was speaking at the announcement of over €2 million funding for the organisation.


FOR THE FIRST time during his spell in charge of the purse strings, funding for Irish sport — specifically the three main sporting bodies — has not been cut with the Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring TD today announcing a €7.4 million investment in rugby, football and Gaelic games through the Irish Sports Council.

The FAI will benefit to the tune of €2.36 million with Chief Executive John Delaney emphasising his organisation’s focus will be on the development of the underage and ladies games.

For kids in particular, this can not only benefit their physical and mental well-being, but also the quality of players who come through at senior level in the League of Ireland and for the national side.

“We’ve a player development plan with 700 people attending the workshops around the country a couple of months ago and we received very positive feedback,” Delaney said.

“It’s not rocket science. Give kids more time on the football, more fun, more flexibility, learning to love possession of the football, not just kick it away. Not to, if they mistake, think they’ve done something wrong but to learn from it.

“I’m a firm believer in the principal that kids should move from 5v5 to 7v7 to 9v9 with no competitions below 12, no keeping of tables, etc. All that’s really common sense.

“I mean, if you play on smaller pitches and have to control the ball better and pass the ball quicker, those are the fundamentals.

“We have a clear pathway through for players now with the U17 league coming in August, the U19 league, the senior league.

“All those will only give us the opportunity to produce better players.”

Another area Delaney told The42 he and his organisation are particularly passionate about is continuing the growth of the women’s game here.

“It is one of our priorities. I’m a father of twins, I’ve a boy and a girl and it’s very important my daughter gets the same opportunity to play sport as my son. I feel very strongly about that, as the FAI does.

“I think Steph Roche’s goal brought more attention to women’s football in this country that we’ve never previously seen. It was a fantastic moment in time and great for her and I wish her the best in her career.

“That helps us to advertise the sport but what we’ve to do is build on the development of the game.

“Looking back on it, a couple of years ago we’d about 8,000 registered women players and now we’ve about 25,000.

“The fact is our U17s got to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 2010 where they were beaten by the eventual winners and they could qualify for the Euros today all going well. I think they’re tangible examples of how the ladies’ game has improved here.

“I fundamentally believe the principal that every woman has the right to play sport in this country.”

And inclusiveness is something Delaney is keen to stress, citing the FAI’s support for the Irish amputee footballers who participated in the recent world cup and the Night Leagues run by the organisation that are aimed at reducing crime in disadvantaged areas.

“Football is a very simple game, it’s easy to learn and it’s easy to play. Because of that simplicity it adds to increased participation. If you go into a housing estate in a disadvantaged area and bring a football, the kids are more inclined to play sport instead of getting into trouble.

“The FAI’s late night leagues have made a difference in many housing estates around the country, I think the Gardai will verify that.”

Unfortunately I found football very difficult to play, but at least I persevered.

Journalist needs to review principal/principle.

I've heard all this type of talk before, I know lots of people involved in the youth development side of the game.
What's said in the media, all these great plans and funding, soon disappear, in preference to what the suits feel are more important to them instead of giving it the time and money it needs.

We have many gifted young sports participants in Ireland, give them a sound development and talent identification programme and we will see vast levels of improvement in both technique and our standards of play in all sports.


I firmly believe that.

Not to be in agreement with the doc but there is truth in his broad generalisations.

An example in point is the national academy. Talk of an academy was mentioned back in 2006/2007 as a priority. This article dated July 2008 http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland...fai-67142.html hopes an academy is up and running within 3 years. Delaney states in that article "We’ve submitted our plans in terms of the training pitches, the dressing rooms, the seven or eight pitches that we want. €120 million is set aside for phase one, that would encompass the plans we’re putting forward.”

Fast forward to September 2013, Delaney says the following: “Over the last seven years, we have invested over €60 million into the development of the game. A big part of this includes a national emerging talent programme, involving weekly sessions for 3,000 of our best young male and female players, replicating the work undertaken at big academies. The appoint of our new High Performance Director, Ruud Dokter from Holland, and the development of our new National Academy in Abbotstown are very important pieces in this work. I can see where Martinez is coming from in the sense that elite development structures are required to compete in modern international football."
" I’m confident that we have a good base, improving facilities and already, new young, talented players are coming through our Elite pathway. We have a coaching network that many similar countries would wish for so the investment in the future development of players is being made. There is always more to do, but we’ve definitely made a good start in recent years and Ruud’s appointment will take it on to the next level.” http://www.independent.ie/sport/excl...-29579507.html

This article from October 2013, puts Delaney's above comments into perspective and reveals the original 7/8 pitches desired by the FAI in 2008 has been cutback to 2 pitches http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/s...es-246255.html "Six years later the latest academy plan is for two full-sized pitches and dressing-rooms. €388,852 in Fifa funding was promised last year, along with a €500,000 government grant. The project remains “in development”, according to the FAI website."

The first sod turning took place last March - plans for 4 pitches and 1 artificial. This was to be completed the end of 2014. Work is still ongoing. http://www.independent.ie/irish-news...-30059192.html

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Originally Posted by ifk101

Not to be in agreement with the doc but there is truth in his broad generalisations.

An example in point is the national academy. Talk of an academy was mentioned back in 2006/2007 as a priority. This article dated July 2008 http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland...fai-67142.html hopes an academy is up and running within 3 years. Delaney states in that article "We’ve submitted our plans in terms of the training pitches, the dressing rooms, the seven or eight pitches that we want. €120 million is set aside for phase one, that would encompass the plans we’re putting forward.”

Fast forward to September 2013, Delaney says the following: “Over the last seven years, we have invested over €60 million into the development of the game. A big part of this includes a national emerging talent programme, involving weekly sessions for 3,000 of our best young male and female players, replicating the work undertaken at big academies. The appoint of our new High Performance Director, Ruud Dokter from Holland, and the development of our new National Academy in Abbotstown are very important pieces in this work. I can see where Martinez is coming from in the sense that elite development structures are required to compete in modern international football."
" I’m confident that we have a good base, improving facilities and already, new young, talented players are coming through our Elite pathway. We have a coaching network that many similar countries would wish for so the investment in the future development of players is being made. There is always more to do, but we’ve definitely made a good start in recent years and Ruud’s appointment will take it on to the next level.” http://www.independent.ie/sport/excl...-29579507.html

This article from October 2013, puts Delaney's above comments into perspective and reveals the original 7/8 pitches desired by the FAI in 2008 has been cutback to 2 pitches http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/s...es-246255.html "Six years later the latest academy plan is for two full-sized pitches and dressing-rooms. €388,852 in Fifa funding was promised last year, along with a €500,000 government grant. The project remains “in development”, according to the FAI website."

The first sod turning took place last March - plans for 4 pitches and 1 artificial. This was to be completed the end of 2014. Work is still ongoing. http://www.independent.ie/irish-news...-30059192.html

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Good post, I generalised as not to open up discussions that Tetsa would be banning for having no documented proof.

Your post touched on some of those matters, there are others but as I've said can't be posted.

Promises promises, but in all honesty if it's a 2 week freebie for the suits or a new under age pitch to help player development, there's only going to be one winner.

In 5 years time we will still be hearing the same old lines from the "I'm all right Jack" suits

Sad but true!

The facilities at Abbotstown will apparently be opened in May or June, finally: http://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/socc...elaney-5528382

Some interesting answers here to the question "why do many soccer players not make it to the top level": http://www.quora.com/Why-do-many-soc...-the-top-level

Not sure if this was posted elsewhere on the forum, apologies if it was
Merseyside clubs still searching for gems in Ireland
Liverpool FC Academy Chief Scout Dave Moss and Everton Academy coach and former Ireland star Kevin Sheedy give their views on how are young Irish players viewed by the people who man Premier League academies: http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/s...nd-337618.html

Was looking at YBIG yesterday and one guy on there had attended some of the FAI camps and was very complimentary about the skills and ability of some of the 8 and 9 year olds who attended. He mentioned that he felt the future might be bright for Irish football. Can anyone on here elaborate on his comments, possibly someone who attended these camps? I would love to feel a bit more optimistic about where Irish football is at.

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Originally Posted by gastric

Was looking at YBIG yesterday and one guy on there had attended some of the FAI camps and was very complimentary about the skills and ability of some of the 8 and 9 year olds who attended. He mentioned that he felt the future might be bright for Irish football. Can anyone on here elaborate on his comments, possibly someone who attended these camps? I would love to feel a bit more optimistic about where Irish football is at.

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At this stage, it's more about individual clubs doing something about it. There's a number of very progressive clubs out around the country at the minute.

Any leap in Irish football is not down to the FAI and their camps, but the forward thinking of a few clubs.

Something I've wondered about a little, and not in a concerned way either, but something I've noticed at an extremely elite group of kids across in England, and two seperate groups of kids here, one good (ish) the other extremely good, is the focus on developing the players "skills" - i.e. flicks, tricks, step-overs etc.

I appreciate that it looks beautiful and the kid with the step-over, the pace to get round the back, will always stand out, but I've wondered about the lack of straight-forward coaching that I've seen with my own eyes.
Something I've yet to see coached in any shape or form, is defending. He's still part of the ssg's so I'm sure the emphasis is more on getting the ball and creating rather than stopping and destroying.

In reference to my point, and the YBIG post above, there have been 2/3 players I've seen that have been extremely skillful in terms of flicks, but their general play such as passing shooting and moving has been atrocious.

It's July 2015. Right now, immediately under this Youth Devolpment thread are threads on Robbie Keane and Damien Duff. Says it all!

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

It's July 2015. Right now, immediately under this Youth Devolpment thread are threads on Robbie Keane and Damien Duff. Says it all!

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Well the Robbie Keane one I can understand - Duff, not so much - but i appreciate your point


Anyway hear JD hit back at his critics.........
http://www.balls.ie/football/john-de...-policy/301450

All I read there was "Emma, my partner". FFS.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

All I read there was "Emma, my partner". FFS.

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TBH i was the same - it was the first thing that jumped out at me

And I thought why the hell does he have to mention her in such matters? But thought maybe i was been too harsh on JD - glad to see I wasnt the only one

Delaney’s big vision for the FAI seems to focus on the local

No mention of his partner Emma?

He seems to be saying to all the local fiefdoms "you do your job, I'll do mine, and we'll all get along just grand".

The term "joined up" is a bit of an overused piece of modern corporate-speak but this scenario seems to be the very antithesis of joined up.

For it to work you'd think there'd need to be a lot of FAI coach / coach assistance involved at local level to ensure the message from the top reaches the lower levels. The FAI hasn't the resources for that,

Quinny for CEO

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

Quinny for CEO

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I mentioned this to Stutts a few years ago about him being the ideal man.