The resignation of the FAI’s chief football officer Mark Canham presents more questions than answers, but provides a crucial opportunity for change, according to Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly.
Deputy Farrelly, who’s the party’s Sports spokesperson, said:
“The reputation and credibility of the FAI is in tatters at a time when the football community is crying out for support from its governing body.
“How many fresh starts does an organisation need to get its house in order?
“Confidence is at an all time low – grassroots leagues, clubs and players aren’t consulted when decisions which affect them are made.
“The resignation of Chief Football Officer Mark Canham presents an opportunity for self-reflection, the result of which should be to appoint a replacement capable of steadying the ship in what should be an era of great ambition, someone willing to listen to those at the coalface of Irish football.
“It’s no surprise that his leaving the Association comes after local leagues and their teams were threatened with defunding if they didn’t accept a half-baked plan for altering the seasonal calendar, a move which affects over 100,000 children across 32 leagues.
“This decision was made despite 85% of local organisations having no desire to commit to a unified timetable due to a fear that it might place unmanageable stresses on volunteers, coaches and referees.
“Clarity must be provided on what will happen to reforms proposed by Canham during his three year tenure, most notably the football pathways plan – too often, we’ve seen projects fall by the wayside after vast amounts of effort and funding was pumped into them.
“The uncertainty resulting from the CFO’s resignation must be replaced by a renewed vision for Irish football.
“When formed, the Oireachtas Sports Committee must prioritise a meeting with the FAI which may serve as a follow-on from the Public Accounts Committee’s examination of other matters relating to oversight and governance by Sport Ireland and the Department’s funding of the FAI.
“I’ll be meeting with the FAI’s grassroots director Ger McDermott next week to raise issues on behalf of grassroots stakeholders ahead of the organisation’s briefing to government and opposition TDs, and I’ll be writing to the Sports Committee upon its formation to ensure the Association makes an urgent appearance.
“I will continue to seek Dáil speaking time on this matter, as I have been for a number of weeks – I’ve written to the Minister for Sports to have a constructive conversation on how we might go forward, where I hope to represent the concerns of leagues, clubs and players around the country.”
22nd April, 2025