What an own goal.
The FAI had an opportunity to lead the way, to provide a pioneering path to rehabilitation.
But when it came to their dealings with Shelbourne coach Alan Quinn, they found the ball at their feet, turned and smashed it into their own net.
Former Ireland international Quinn was found guilty of being in breach of the FAI’s gambling regulations and was suspended from all footballing activity for four months.
It’s not that long ago that the association’s counterparts across the Irish Sea dished out an eight-month ban to Brentford striker Ivan Toney.
The absurdity of the all-stick and no-carrot approach peaked when, just this week, his club revealed their brand new jersey for the 2023/24 season.
Their front-of-shirt sponsor? Hollywoodbets. One of the many gambling companies that we will see splashed across jerseys and pitchside hoardings in English football next season.
It would be hilarious if it wasn’t so sad.
Imagine how Toney - after admitting to a gambling addiction - will feel when his ban is up and he has to pull on that shirt again.
One of the biggest criticisms of the FA’s response to Toney’s breach of their gambling rules (they initially called for a 15-month ban) was that it was all about the punishment.
The FA noted in reducing an 11-month sanction to eight, after Toney was diagnosed with a gambling addiction, that the striker was “determined to address his gambling problem with therapy.”
But the governing body of a sport that is awash with gambling money could and should have done more.
Just as the FAI should have been more sympathetic towards Quinn, who was brave enough to admit to his own problems with gambling.
In his statement, issued through the PFA Ireland on Monday night, the Shels coach said as much.
“My belief is that the focus in this and related instances should be less on excessive punishment and more towards education and rehabilitation,” he wrote.
There will be those who will disagree and say that if he broke the rules, he should pay. End of.
But as we understand more about addictions, we learn that stigmatising just doesn’t work.
Most of the replies on social media to Quinn's statement were supportive of his call for a stronger focus on education and rehabilitation.
Quinn should be sanctioned, yes, but he should also be helped.
The FAI recently approached the government and asked for a slice of a massive betting tax pie, acknowledging that a significant portion of that money comes from punts on football.
If they are happy to look for the cash, they should be willing to help people like Quinn and show the footballing world a new way to deal with a problem that is not going to go away anytime soon.
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