Outgoing FAI Chairman Roy Barrett has put the heat on Government bigwigs to allow soccer to operate on a level-playing field with rival sports, GAA and rugby.
Barrett has signalled his intention to quit his role in 2023 after three years in charge when he has helped the FAI rebuild its reputation after the disastrous John Delaney era.
But there is still so much work needed to get soccer onto a higher level and Barrett didn’t shy away from challenging the leading figures in Leinster House to give soccer a helping hand.
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He said: “The most obvious area the organisation needs to focus on now is the whole infrastructure within the game.
“The reality is there has been chronic underinvestment in Irish football for the last 20 years or so. People can look at all the reasons as to why that has happened, but the only thing we all agree on is that it is a fact.
“If I put it in context: Since 2000, and we can argue whether it is right or wrong, but the fact is that the GAA have got about €430 million in government grants, football has got €118 million, rugby has got €57 million.
“If you look at that per club, GAA has got €208,000 per club, rugby €280,000 per club, and football less than €100,000 per club.
“We have 1200 different clubs, the facilities are grossly inadequate for where we are and where we are going.
“There’s 220,000-odd registered players, 43,000-odd registered volunteers, and it’s a huge community sport.
“Football needs a huge amount of significant investment from a governmental and other perspective. Where the focus should be is clearly on bridging that gap.
“That’s just where the state of facilities are. We have five million or so people in the country now, 500,000 more than we thought from the last Census, and by 2040 it is due to grow by a million more.
“That will be the natural birth rate and also people who are immigrants to the country, and by definition there will be a more significant bias among that cohort for the game of football as it’s the only significant international sport we play and is supported. Whatever chronic need there is now, there will be a greater need in the future.”
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