FAI to consider financial proposals

Directors of the Football Association of Ireland look set to be presented with two very different interpretations of yesterday's meeting with the Government when they gather in Dublin next Friday week for the next instalment of the long running Eircom Park saga.

Proposals put by the Government side to a delegation of the association that included chief executive Bernard O'Byrne, treasurer Brendan Menton and president Pat Quigley, are to be confirmed in writing next week with a further meeting between the two parties scheduled to follow on March 5th. However, it seems even after that, there may be little noticeable movement within the respective FAI camps.

Central to the differing opinions likely to be offered by the association's officers will be the question of how closely the anticipated provision of dramatically improved grant aid to the sport over coming years will be linked to the FAI's decision on whether to abandon its own stadium project in favour of the Government's.

At yesterday's meeting in Government Buildings the officers of the association were given broad outlines of the sort of financial terms they would be offered for the use of the proposed Stadium Ireland.

Basically the FAI would be allowed to retain a higher percentage of their gate, advertising and television revenues than is presently the case at Lansdowne Road although the figures involved would only become significant if attendances topped Lansdowne's capacity of 33,000 when the benefit involved could potentially be in excess of £500,000 a game.

More crucial to the deal that appears to have been on the table yesterday is the political goodwill that might flow from switching to Abbotstown and thereby providing the Government with the guarantees it requires that such a massive development would be used for significant events on a regular basis.

Although no direct link was made between such a move and improved grant aid the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, Minister for Finance Charlie McCreevy and Minister for Sport Dr Jim McDaid made it clear yesterday a radically improved public funding regime could be just around the corner for the game.

This would include sympathetic assessments of all requests for grants currently with the Government, broad

support for the sport at all levels in the future and help for the association with special projects such as the establishment of training or coaching centres around the country.

Speaking on RTE radio yesterday after the meeting, Dr McDaid was adamant the Government had offered the association "nothing" in return for their co-operation although a move by the football authorities to Abbotstown "would make things easier for everybody".

He said the Government intended to dramatically improve the whole area of sports funding in this country and the FAI is "integral" to those plans. To what extent that claim is substantiated next week when the Government forward their proposals in writing may have a substantial bearing on the reaction of the FAI's Board of Management in two weeks time.

Proponents of Eircom Park will argue they are entitled to vastly increased public funding by simple virtue of the enormous numbers playing the game in the Republic. However, they will have to persuade the association's directors on Friday week that Merrion Square will not be so impoverished by its involvement with Davy Hickey and Eircom Park over the next two decades that it will be unable to help the clubs and leagues.

Certainly on the basis of yesterday's events the two camps appear to be no closer to reaching a consensus on how best to proceed for the good of the game.

Jason McAteer, meanwhile, has pulled out of the Republic of Ireland squad for next Wednesday's friendly against Denmark in Lansdowne Road. McAteer, has been struggling with a thigh strain.

Hibernian goalkeeper Nicky Colgan has been called into the panel following the withdrawal on Thursday of Dean Kiely while Nottingham Forest's John Thompson has been promoted from Don Givens' reserve list to the under-21 squad for the injured Brian O'Callaghan of Barnsley.