LEAGUE OF IRELAND NEWS:LEAGUE OF Ireland director Fran Gavin yesterday dampened down speculation on an All-Ireland league by insisting the current Participation Agreement would run its five-year term.
Fintan Drury, chairman of Platinum One, the company promoting the establishment of an All-Ireland League, said in The Irish Times last Saturday they would be bringing their plans "to the next stage" over the next six weeks, arguing that radical changes had to be made urgently given the perilous financial state of the game on both sides of the border.
But, stressing it's not going to happen without both governing bodies' support, Gavin was dismissive of the proposal at a general league briefing in Abbotstown yesterday. "The bottom line here is it's a players' agent looking to run a breakaway league, that's what we have," said Gavin. "We have to balance up instant gratification with long-term sustainable development of football. It's not just a quick fix. We've a responsibility to all the clubs. We want to do it inclusively. It's not just about a few clubs, it's about all the clubs.
"The Participation Agreement binds us to the clubs and the clubs to us. We've a responsibility to the clubs to adhere to that and they have to us. And that's what we're going to stick to. It's five years and we're into the second year now and it will run its term."
On the financial front, the FAI's internal compliance officer Pádraig Smith said all clubs have so far met the 65 per cent wage cap introduced at the start of the season, with Premier Division salaries somewhat surprisingly reportedly stable on last season while wages in the First Division are down on 2007. "We have a great system in place. All Premier Division clubs send in monthly management accounts in a structured format and quite a number of the First Division clubs are now providing that," said Smith.
"The projections we have at the moment are that we will add, as a direct result of the salary cost protocol, €6 million to the bottom line of clubs this year . . . Adding €6 million to the profit and loss figure is a huge step forward and that is as a direct result of the salary cost protocol. The First Division salaries have come down and the Premier Division salaries have stayed relatively stable, but that then drives the revenues up. What that means then is there is increased funding available to put back into the clubs."
Clubs exceeding the cap will be issued with a transfer embargo and summoned to explain how they propose to rectify it.
Club promotions officer Noel Mooney reported that, over the first five series of games, attendances were up marginally on the same period last year at 8 per cent.
