News

Niall Quinn’s Football in Ireland Visionary Group have laid out an ambitious plan for a complete overhaul of Irish football, with a fully professional League of Ireland by 2026 and a 7.5% year-in-year increase in participation among the aims.

The group’s submission to the Governance Reform Group of the FAI – which has been seen by RTE Sport – calls for a UEFA style governance structure for the association and the harnessing of new commercial revenue streams to create a sustainable Irish football industry, with greater support from government, the education sphere and regional bodies.

Chaired by former Republic of Ireland striker Quinn, the nine-strong group’s other members include former League of Ireland footballers Kieran Foley and Gerry Muldowney and the CEO of Sunderland’s Foundation of Light, Lesley Spuhler.

The group make the case that a reorganisation of the FAI is required to allow it to ‘adapt more flexibly’ and suggest a UEFA/FIFA style structure with age and term limits of board members and responsibility for operational and commercial issues to lie with an administration team that answers to the board. 

Speaking at the Irish Football Stakeholder Forum at the Mansion House in Dublin today, Ireland’s Minister for Transport Tourism and Sport Shane Ross has called on the FAI to review the appointment of former FAI employee and current UEFA staff employee Noel Mooney to the post of interim General Manager.

The Minister stated his belief that the appointment is not consistent with the drive for reform and independence necessary for the restoration of government funding to the FAI. Mr Ross further revealed that following conversations he held with UEFA President Alexander Ceferin, it was his understanding that the appointment was an FAI one and not a UEFA one. Mr Ross further added ” we don’t want to see, and prefer not to see, people from the past, we want to see people who are completely new, fresh and independent of links with the past”.

Mr Ross further added ” Noel Mooney’s appointment does not seem to us to be consistent with the drive for reform with new independent faces. we are very keen for funding to be restored as soon as possible. How far is up to the FAI, if they get their corporate governance in order the funding will be restored. It doesn’t help matters, Noel Mooney being appointed, of course it doesn’t. That’s a decision which the FAI has certainly provisionally made. Hopefully it’s one they’ll change their mind on”.

The FAI said they welcomed the Stakeholder Forum and that it “remains committed to change and the Governance Review Group awaits the feedback from the Department following today’s Forum.”

Regarding the appointment of Mooney, the FAI added: “The employment of any person by the FAI is a matter for the FAI and the Board welcomes the Minister’s acknowledgement of the autonomy of the FAI in this regard.”

 

The Airtricity League Premier Division continued on Friday evening with just three contests taking place while international call ups  caused the postponement of the two remaining fixtures.
Following the postponement of the Waterford v Shamrock Rovers match, the RTE 2 cameras switched to Richmond Park to bring live coverage of the contest between St Patrick’s Athletic and Cork City which saw the hosts earn a point with an equaliser four minutes into added time. Current leaders Dundalk crushed Sligo Rovers by four goals to nil in Oriel Park while third place Bohemian, who were without left back Darragh Leahy who is on international duty with our U21 side, scored an entertaining five three success over Finn Harps in Dalymount Park

                            P   W  D  L   F   A   G/D  Pts
Dundalk                    20  14  4  2  37  11   26    46
Shamrock Rovers            19  14  1  4  30  10   20    43
Bohemian                   20  10  4  6  23  15    8    34
Derry City                 19   8  6  5  28  19    9    30
St Patrick’s Athletic      20   7  6  7  16  18   -2    27
Sligo Rovers               19   6  6  7  18  25   -7    24
Waterford                  18   6  5  7  26  26    –    23
Cork City                  20   6  5  9  16  23   -7    23
UCD                        19   3  1 15  13  34  -21    10
Finn Harps                 20   2  4 14  19  45  -26    10

All ten Airtricity League First Division sides were in action on Friday evening.
The top two, Shelbourne and Longford Town locked horns in Tolka Park with the hosts scoring the only goal for victory. Drogheda United secured a two one victory at bottom side Wexford. Cabinteely, who have stuttered of late, journied West and were held to a scoreless draw by Galway United in Eamonn Deacy Park while a seemingly resurgent Bray Wanderers travelled South to face Cobh Ramblers in St Colman’s Park where they suffered a one nil defeat. The meeting of Athlone Town and Limerick ended in a one all draw to complete the programme.
The previously postponed meeting of Longford Town and Galway United tool place on Monday the 3rd June with the hosts prevailing by two goals to one at the City Calling Stadium.

                            P   W  D  L   F   A    G/D  Pts
Shelbourne                 15  10  1  4  23  12    11    31
Longford Town              15   9  3  3  19   8    11    30
Drogheda United            15   9  2  4  31  19    12    29
Cabinteely                 15   8  3  4  19  18     1    27
Bray Wanderers             15   8  1  6  20  12     8    25
Limerick                   15   7  4  4  17  14     3    25
Cobh Ramblers              15   4  3  8  18  23    -5    15
Galway United              15   4  1 10  16  20    -4    13
Athlone Town               15   3  2 10  15  33   -18    11
Wexford                    15   2  2 11  15  34   -19     8

The draw for the finals of the eight nation UEFA European U19 Championship took place at the Marriott Hotel in Yerevan, the capital of host nation Armenia, at 9am (Irish time) this Friday morning.

The Republic of Ireland will be joined in Group B by the Czech Republic, France and Norway, while the hosts Armenia will be joined in Group A by Italy, Portugal and Spain.

The top two in each Group will qualify for the semi-finals.

The finals will take place between the 14th and 27th July 2019 at three venues in Armenia.
Republican Stadium (14,527)
Banants Stadium (4,860)
FFA Academy Stadium (1,500)

 

Republic of Ireland managers Mick McCarthy and Stephen Kenny continue preparations with their respective Senior and U21 squads for the competitive tasks they will both face in the coming weeks.

A thigh strain has forced the withdrawal of Luca Connell but there are no further injury reports for the senior squad with the trio of Conor Hourihane, Glenn Whelan and Richard Keogh who were involved in the Championship play-off final at Wembley yesterday set to join the Group when they re-assemble on Saturday. Josh Cullen, who was excellent for his loan club Charlton Athletic as they won promotion to the Championship on Sunday, has already linked up with the squad. 

A hamstring injury has forced the withdrawal of UCD winger Neil Farrugia from the U21 squad and he will be replaced by Josh Barrett of Reading.

The respective Senior and U21 sides played each other in a closed door training match on Thursday afternoon. The senior side led through a goal from Scott Hogan early in the second half but the U21s responded with two goals from half-time substitute Jack Taylor of Barnet.

Mick McCarthy gave all of his available players a run-out with the centre back pairing of John Egan and Kevin Long completing the full ninety minutes together with midfielder Josh Cullen, whom McCarthy  described as the best player on the pitch.

The senior side did create several scoring opportunities but were thwarted on a number of occasions by UCD goalkeeper Conor Kearns. Fellow goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher missed the game as he has been named in the extended Liverpool squad for the Champions League meeting with Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid on Saturday evening. He will link up with the U21 squad in Toulon on Sunday.

 

 

 

The quarter-finals in the 2019 EA Sports Cup took place this Monday evening.

Bohemian 2-0 Cork City
Bray Wanderers 0-1 Waterford
Derry City 2-1 Finn Harps [aet]
Dundalk 3-1 UCD

The semi-final draw has produced the following pairings:-
Derry City v Waterford
Dundalk v Bohemian
The ties are set for Monday the 5th August 2019.

Championship
Aston Villa regained their Premier League status with a two one  Championship play-off victory over Derby County this Bank Holiday Monday afternoon in Wembley Stadium. Villa included Conor Hourihane in their starting eleven with Glenn Whelan an unused substitute  while Richard Keogh captained the vanquished ‘Rams’ with eighteen year old midfielder Jason Knight unused on the substitute bench. Hourihane, in the holding midfield role, was excellent throughout while Keogh led his side in exemplary fashion. 

League One
There was a dramatic ending to the League One play-off final between Charlton Athletic and Sunderland at Wembley Stadium this Sunday afternoon with the ‘Addicks’ scoring the winner with just seconds remaining at the end of added time. Having fallen behind after just four minutes to a calamitous own goal Charlton recovered and equalised prior to the half-time break and overall deserved their victory.  West Ham United loanee Josh Cullen started for the victors and his quality shone through. Cullen is a an excellent passer of the ball and while slight of frame, this season in the robust atmosphere of League One will have enhanced his development. Aiden McGeady was introduced from the ‘Makems’  bench with some fifteen minutes of normal time remaining but made little impact while Burnley loanee Jimmy Dunne remained unused on the substitute bench.