2 weeks Ago By Owen Cowzer
FAI grassroots director Ger McDermott says the Aligned Football Calendar is designed to ensure kids from all over Ireland get a chance to play.And the Abbotstown chief stressed that the Schoolboys/girls Football Association of Ireland’s claim that their efforts to gain funding for the Kennedy and Gaynor Cups have stalled because of the switch is not the case.McDermott held a media briefing yesterday primarily to outline the latest steps in the Aligned Football Calendar plan that will see all seasons take place during a calendar year.
But he also took the opportunity to address the SFAI’s assertion that support for the prestigious schoolboy and schoolgirl competitions has suffered because of the planned changes.McDermott said that all grant applications to the association are graded on affiliates’ work towards agreed FAI policies — and that now includes the Aligned Football Calendar.With that in mind, the SFAI were asked about their work towards moving their seasons to a calendar year — by next year in the case of Under-12s football — which will be part of the assessment.
McDermott explained: “Our strategy has changed but why and how we pay out money hasn’t changed.“That’s always been the case, alignment with FAI strategy.“Any grant that we pay out, there is an element that’s scored based on alignment with strategy.
“Naturally as the governing body, we want our affiliate members — i.e. the leagues and the clubs — to embrace policies.
“On this particular topic, the calendar year, the most important point is that it was democratically brought in by the game.“So it is important that as a member organisation, it is implemented.” Asked if how leagues, and by extension parents, may have to pay if there is a shortfall, McDermott confirmed that would also be part of the consideration for the grant.
But the underage football supremo stressed how important it is to implement an aligned calendar throughout football by 2028.Currently, Ireland is the only country in Europe of its size without a pyramid football system at senior level, or one calendar season for all levels.In some parts of the country, seasons last just 20 weeks of the year with stats showing 60 per cent of games between November and February are postponed.
But while McDermott acknowledged that has led to a narrative that the FAI are trying to implement summer football, he insisted that is not the case.He explained: “There’s a narrative around summer football, whereas what we are saying is, ‘Align the registration period and play football when you know you can play football’.“That piece is getting a bit lost — clarifying that is important when we sit down with the leagues.
“It’s a blank calendar with an aligned registration period and let’s start filling it in together.Alongside director of football Marc Canham at the unveiling of the FAI’s Football Pathways Plan in February 2024“For the children’s game where we’re not providing anywhere near enough football, we have an obligation to provide opportunities for kids to play.“Having months of the year where there is little to no football provision, that’s not good for participation or for the overall development of Irish football.
”McDermott said that it cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach either as he admitted that Gaelic games can take players in some areas away at different times of the year.But the FAI man said that flexibility and adding small-sided games and blitzes — similar to what happens in Switzerland — are options at different times of the year.McDermott added: “Just because you happen to grow up somewhere else in the country, you have a lot more opportunity to play .
. . “If you take those two seven-year-old kids and put your own child in that situation, that doesn’t feel right.
“And when there is enough evidence there on the amount of football we are providing or lack of clear pathways, it is time to get it done.”.
