FAI AGM

uch

Leroy42 wrote: »

If everyone did it though. Imagine the LOI clubs refusing to play the league or cup?

Imagine if nobody bother to go to the Ireland games. He would be gone in no time.

But instead, everyone complains and then meekly go with whatever they ask. Take the supporters. Complain they can't get tickets to the Scotland game, but you can bet they all still paid to go to the Aviva game.

LOI clubs complain about too high entrance fees, not enough prize money etc, but they still turn out every year.

The FAI know all this and so are basically free to do whatever they like as they have a captive audience.

Not necessarily, an alternative Football association was setup on this Island once before, maybe it's that time again. The FAI can't exist without a national League.

Leroy42

uch wrote: »

Not necessarily, an alternative Football association was setup on this Island once before, maybe it's that time again. The FAI can't exist without a national League.

This is exactly my point. People are to quick to condemn the FAI and JD, but nobody has set out an alternative.

LOI is continuing to struggle and the national team is fast becoming nothing more than mid table fodder. Heck even mid table teams pull off a surprise now and then but Ireland seem totally incapable.

We seem to have very few top class underage players coming through and in the past simply waiting for the UK clubs to do that for us, but that is no longer the case.

At what point do people turn around and say that this simply is not working. Could someone do better? The consensus, based on no issues being raised at the AGM, is that nobody thinks there really is any other way and that JD & FAI are doing fine.

Oat23

uch wrote: »

Not necessarily, an alternative Football association was setup on this Island once before, maybe it's that time again. The FAI can't exist without a national League.

The FAI are the national association that is part of UEFA. They can easily set up their own national league and invite whatever teams don't back the LOI sides is this hypothetical 'strike'.

Then we have a case similar to the one in Indonesia a few years ago. Two 'top tier' leagues. Only one that is eligible to play in UEFA competitions: The FAI one.

Corholio

Leroy42 wrote: »

At what point do people turn around and say that this simply is not working. Could someone do better? The consensus, based on no issues being raised at the AGM, is that nobody thinks there really is any other way and that JD & FAI are doing fine.

People have been dizzy turning around sand saying it's not working, in relation to the LOI. Getting rid of the ridiculous 'entrance' fee for clubs, better relations with clubs in terms of how they are actually funded, better advertising for the league etc. Yet none of this is ever really forwarded in any way whatever JD comes out and defends himself as he seems to have to do multiple times a year. Are you really basing there being no issues on what was raised at an F.A.I 'dinner'?

You list all the things thats wrong, the decline of the national team, no underage players coming through, the struggle of the national league. These are their responsibility, on no planet would JD and the F.A.I ever be considered to be doing fine.

ch750536

Great work by the FAI.

Personally, that one document undoes all the bad for the last 25 years. Huge step in A direction even if it does turn out to be the wrong one (which I am sure it won't)

Leroy42

Corholio wrote: »

People have been dizzy turning around sand saying it's not working, in relation to the LOI. Getting rid of the ridiculous 'entrance' fee for clubs, better relations with clubs in terms of how they are actually funded, better advertising for the league etc. Yet none of this is ever really forwarded in any way whatever JD comes out and defends himself as he seems to have to do multiple times a year. Are you really basing there being no issues on what was raised at an F.A.I 'dinner'?

You list all the things thats wrong, the decline of the national team, no underage players coming through, the struggle of the national league. These are their responsibility, on no planet would JD and the F.A.I ever be considered to be doing fine.

Again, this is my point. Lots of people are saying it but apparently nobody is willing to actually do something about it. Why aren't the clubs protesting at the AGM. Why aren't fans demanding better results from the national team?

JD is not immune from criticism, but it seems that nobody is actually interested in continually bringing up these issues in a way that he simply can't defend them. We see it time and again, until fans start to actually take action, like not turning up or buying the jersey etc, teams are pretty happy to continue on. Look at Newcastle in EPL. Fans always complaining but they turn up every second week and pay over good money and then wonder why he stays!

I'm not suggesting he is doing a good job, the members of the FAI are doing that. They seem happy to continue to pay him, happy to continue to play along with the current set up.

JD says that the LOI is not his area, they must take responsibility themselves. He says that the national team takes up only a small amount of his time, he puts in place the stadium and manager its up to them. That all sounds great, but then what is he there for? Clearly we aren't doing well at grassroots, the lack of quality senior players is testament to that.

The money side of the association is a mess, and whilst the FAI as far from the only people to get burned by the recession, ultimately that is a large part of his job, you get paid the big bucks to get those things right.

Corholio

Leroy42 wrote: »

LOI clubs complain about too high entrance fees, not enough prize money etc, but they still turn out every year.

The FAI know all this and so are basically free to do whatever they like as they have a captive audience.

Where are LOI clubs supposed to go exactly, the supporters etc? If supporters stopped turning up the only ones who would suffer are the clubs.

You mentioned later about Delaney saying that the LOI isn't his 'area'. The league is run by the F.A.I., they were more than willing to take the plaudits for increased attendances a few seasons back when they took over the league so they should be held responsible for the running of the league, what they are actually there to do.

Your point about fans not turning up for the national team is valid though, its not for LOI teams because the league as whole is dealt with off hand by the F.A.I. and the only one who would suffer would be the clubs, not the association. But not funding the national team is a different story, I'd agree that fans should take issue with him on this platform.