All-Ireland League

The following is the full document from Platinum One in which the company's proposals for a new all-Ireland league are spelled out in detail. It has been circulated to clubs north and south of the Border.

Prologue

Since news first broke last December that PLATINUM ONE was exploring the potential to address the problems besetting domestic football in Ireland - North and South - there has been considerable debate on whether or not the proposed organisation of the club game on an all island basis could work.

This document aims to identify the reasons why such a development is essential and set out what would be required for professional football on the island to be given the necessary oxygen to grow and develop.  The idea is borne out of the principal's knowledge of football in Ireland and overseas and a belief that as long as the local professional game is in the charge of administrators whose primary concern is the welfare of the two national teams and the broader development needs of the sport our domestic professional game will not thrive.

The key responsibility of each association is the management of the national teams and the overall development of the game.  In recent years there has been a marked improvement in many development aspects but the one area that has not progressed to any extent is the professional club game in either Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.  This needs to be addressed because the overall development of the game in any territory is hugely influenced by the standard of its domestic game.

The island of Ireland has been transformed, politically, economically and socially in recent years.  Within sport, soccer remains the most popular code from both a participative and spectator perspective.  The lack of a properly structured and well funded domestic professional league is a significant failure.  Addressing it now in a substantive manner would provide fans, sponsors and broadcasters with a more attractive product that, in time, would lead to more of our talented young players forging a career in the game in Ireland rather than in the lower divisions of the English and Scottish Leagues. This is achievable.  It has to be.

The promoters of the All Ireland Premier League believe that radical action is required.  Any such action must be predicated on a single focus on those clubs that would be prepared to commit to a full-time professional league.  This is the only potential source of a new beginning.  It is how professional sport works because it establishes a product that would be attractive to the critical determinants of success in professional sport - spectators, sponsors and broadcasters.

This is problematic for the associations.   .  The associations have a difficult balance to achieve - they must cater for the needs and interests of all clubs but they have also a responsibility to meet UEFA's demands for a professionally managed domestic league.  This balance has not been struck and as this document will show the clubs with the ambition and ability to establish a full-time professional set-up are being held back by the majority which cannot (and in many cases should not)take that step.

The country's best run sporting organisation has developed its amateur sports to such a degree that the professionalism of the GAA means that club championships and national leagues are providing all year competition for the three vital ingredients - fans, sponsors and media - to the success of any modern sporting endeavour.  Rugby, for so long the poor relation that could attract neither fans nor sponsors for anything other than the national team, has been revolutionised and now offers a compelling offer to each of those key determinants of success.

The operational underperformance of our soccer leagues has been compounded by a massive capital under-spend.  It is not surprising.  In any endeavour, if the product is failing the likelihood is that the infrastructure will fall behind too.  In football our stadiums are under developed and lack even the most basic requirements for spectators in the 21st century.  This is the fault of clubs themselves, the national administrators and government - no serious consideration has been given to the implications and drawbacks associated with such a failure.  If it is hard to attract people to the game it is harder still to get them to return if the stadium is unsuitable and it is completely dispiriting if club achievement on the field yields qualification for Europe and the "profile match" has to be played in some other stadium in some other town!

These are just some of the issues we address in this document.  The need is acute.  When the late Dr. Tony O'Neill resigned from his position as General Secretary (CEO) of the FAI in 1990 he did so completely defeated by the political morass within the Association and the lack of interest within the FAI in the fate of the domestic game.  Important strides have been made by the FAI on developing structures for the game in the modern era.  The real area of neglect has been with our national leagues where nothing substantial has changed.  This should have been the priority and the failure has to be seen in the context of an Ireland that has been completely transformed.  There is no more time to waste.

Some have expressed reservations about the whole concept of organising the club game on an all island basis.  Much of this fear is groundless and the worries are expressed largely by those who want the project to fail - the standard line being that such a move would undermine long established territories.  They need not be concerned - these particular eggs have been broken before and as often happens, what is seen to be ground breaking, if not revolutionary, is merely a re-enactment of an already played out scene.

In 1895 Bohemians of Dublin played in the IFA Cup Final in Belfast against Linfield suffering an embarrassing 10-1 defeat!  Six years later in 1901, a team called the Dublin Freebooters lost the final to Cliftonville and a year later Bohemians joined the Irish League.  Twelve months later, in 1904, Shelbourne joined the Irish league and turned professional.  Even in 1920 when political events meant clubs from the south left the Irish League they continued to play in the IFA Cup.

It is often said that history has a habit of repeating itself.  That is less the point than the  need to remove any mystique around what is being proposed early in the 21st century as, for different reasons, there had been no obstacle to organising the club game on an all island basis at the start of the last one.  It is also just interesting to reflect on the historical backdrop for what is being proposed!

What follows in this document is intended as a frank and straightforward presentation of the problems besetting the club game in Northern Ireland and the Republic.  It sets out the stall for the All Ireland Premier League and is - in effect - a "call to arms" of all of those for whom the resolution of the acute problems we identify should be a priority.

Underpinning all of this is a belief that the top clubs have a right to determine their future.  They should feel no compunction about pursuing this with complete self interest They should feel no obligation to think of anything other than their own right to participate in a professionally run football league established for those clubs that are committed to organising themselves on a full time basis.  That is the source for the success and the sustainability of a professional football league in Ireland.

There are too softer issues around the development of a new league which are worthy of consideration.  Football is played in every corner of this island.  It is played and followed by people of different backgrounds, age and gender.  As this league develops it will rekindle the interest of many whose interest in the club scene in Ireland has dwindled and it will attract new people to support the local game and to travel within Ireland to follow their team.  It will not stop people travelling to the UK to watch football in England and Scotland but it will, in time, reduce the frequency with which people do so and will make it increasingly attractive for more football fans to get behind the domestic game.  There will be economic and socio economic benefits from the establishment of an All Ireland Premier League.

The motivation of PLATINUM ONE as promoters of the AIPL has been called into question.  There may be justifiable concerns about a private business driving this initiative.  Our motivation is the establishment of a professionally run league that is geared towards the particular needs of the biggest football clubs on this island at the start of the 21st century.  We work in professional football in Britain and on the continent.  We cannot do so in Ireland because there is no industry here.  This is professional sport so profit is the primary motivation.

There is a personal perspective too.  This is about football for football's sake.  Football in Ireland needs to have a professional league that reflects the strength of the sport relative to others in what is a developed and sophisticated economy and society.  The top league needs to be the font of inspiration for our young footballers who aspire to playing professionally and it needs to become a source of strength for the teams representing the two national associations on the island.  Achieving these wider football objectives is wholly dependent on a league being established that is centred on the interests of the member clubs.

RTE.ie 12-04-05

Examiner appointed to Shamrock Rovers

The High Court today appointed Neil Hughes, a founding partner of Hughes Blake Chartered Accountants, to be examiner to financially-stricken eircom League club Shamrock Rovers.
The homeless Dublin club, which is ultimately hoping to move into a new ground in Tallaght, has debts of over €2.36 million.

UEFA.com 09-06-05

Omagh have folded after 43 years' existence (Uefa.Com).

The club was relegated at the end of the campaign, following 15 years of top-flight football, and with a lack of finance and insurmountable debt, the board have decided to fold. "Regretfully, Omagh Town has to declare that it cannot continue operating," the club stated. "The board simply cannot sustain the club."

ELEVENASIDE.com 17-06-05 

Crisis club Waterford prepare fire sale to secure future

Troubled Premier Division club Waterford United would be forced to put all their players on the market during the summer transfer window in a bid to ease the debt which threatens the club's future, it has emerged this week.

BBC 10-08-05

Coleraine given survival chance

Coleraine FC has received a last-minute reprieve from being wound up for its failure to settle debts of £364,979 owed to the Inland Revenue

EUFOOTBALL.BIZ 07-10-05

Bohemians confirms financial difficulties

The Eircom League club is experiencing serious cash flow problems and they also owe the Inland Revenue more than EU 500,000 but deny their bank account has been frozen owing to their outstanding tax liability. The club's debts are believed to exceed the EU 2m but are due EU 750,000 in compensation from a builder who apparently wants to renege on an agreement to build a stand at one end of the club's Dalymount Park ground.

EUFOOTBALL.BIZ 25-02-06

Athlone Town reveals "frightening losses"

John Comber, the treasurer for Irish Eircom first-division club Athlone Town didn't give an exact number, but he labeled the club's losses last season as "frightening" during a speech at the club's 117 AGM.

SUNDAY BUSINESS POST 02-07-06

High Court petition to wind up Cork City football club

They have brought a High Court petition to wind up the club after an intensive audit of its financial records. During the audit, it emerged that Cork City owes the Revenue about €160,000 in outstanding taxes. The Revenue is seeking to dissolve Cork City Investment FC, the holding company behind the club.

SUNDAY BUSINESS POST 13-08-06

Dublin City Football Club, the Eircom League club that closed down last month, has gone bust with debts of almost €1.5 million.

UEFA .com 20-02-07

Debts cost Shelbourne dear

Irish champions Shelbourne FC will not be defending their league title in 2007 after they were relegated from the top division for financial reasons. Despite winning the title for the third time in four seasons in 2006, the Dublin side have been sent down to the second tier in Ireland.

IRISH INDEPENDENT 01-06-07

Mathews may quit as Longford woes mount

Struggling Longford Town are facing the hammer blow of further sanctions after failing to meet another FAI imposed deadline.
The Midlanders had committed to paying monies owed to both current and former players by the close of business yesterday.
However, the Irish Independent understands that Longford failed to come up with the cash in time although they are hoping to have the finance in place by today.

BELFAST TELEGRAPH 24-11-07

Ards pull out of running for new league

"Ards have taken the decision not to continue with the process this season due to the increasing costs involved and taking into account the club's low provisional ranking for membership of the new league."

SUNDAY WORLD 25-11-07

Law moves on director of bust club Coleraine FC

Fraud Squad detectives were called in following a complaint from the Sports Council who were unhappy that lottery funding was used to pay players' wages at the cash strapped club.

STATEMENT JANUARY 2008

"This club can no longer continue as a senior club in the professional game.  It is with great regret that Kilkenny City must withdraw from the League but we lack the support and the financial resources necessary to continue at this level"

Jim Rhatigan, Founder Killkenny City FC

Executive Summary

Domestic football in Ireland is beset by grave financial difficulties.  The prospects for the game are completely hopeless.  Without an urgent and radical overhaul the game on both parts of the island will continue to fail.

Clubs are haemorrhaging money.  Those clubs at the top of the game, which aspire to improving standards, cannot lift income levels to match their commitment.  Most of the smaller clubs are similarly "stretched".

Initiatives to improve matters already taken or planned by the two Associations have had little or no effect.

The game can only support one professional league on the island combining the best run and supported clubs from the Irish League with the appropriate mix of clubs in the Republic in an all island league.

The proposed All Ireland Premier League would start in August 2009 with 10 full time professional clubs invited to participate.

In year three two more clubs - one from each jurisdiction - would join the AIPL.

This league would be the top of the professional game in Ireland.  The remaining clubs would compete in the League of Ireland and the Irish League and could, as and from year three, qualify to play in the AIPL.

The new league would provide a full-time professional competition for players, spectators, sponsors and broadcasters.

Most critically the new league would attract many of our better players to stay in Ireland even if the very best talent continued to go to big clubs in Britain.

It would also mean that more of the better players who are good enough to play at the top level would go to Britain later than they do currently.

The AIPL would be an independent entity run by a private company under licence from the FAI and IFA each of which would have a representative on its board.

The independence of the AIPL would mean the autonomy of the two associations would be protected.  No other aspect of the game in Ireland - North or South -would be affected by this move.

All revenues generated by the AIPL would be put back into the clubs

Clubs would need to meet very strict Licensing criteria as set by UEFA through the Associations Club Licensing Departments, to qualify for the AIPL including meeting financial demands that would protect the League against unanticipated difficulties.

Four European places would go the League.

The AIPL clubs would remain affiliated to their respective associations and would play in their annual Cup competitions.

Players would be registered with their Association and approved to play in AIPL

AIPL clubs would be obliged to play in an AIPL underage league that would provide the natural link between the schoolboy and the professional games.

The critical determinant of success with any professional sporting endeavour is the reaction of fans, broadcasters and sponsors.  We know that the current offering is failing to generate enthusiasm with any and all of these audiences and without radical and speedy change the professional game here is doomed to fail.

Summary of the Stakeholders Views

The promoters of the All Ireland Premier League believe the case for a complete restructuring of the game, with one fully professional league on the island, is supported by all the key stakeholders in the game.

The Associations

The FAI and IFA have privately and, in the case of the FAI, publicly acknowledged that the establishment of an all island league represents the logical way forward for the domestic game.  Their issue - more particularly that of the FAI - is that it cannot happen before 2012 on account of the Participation Agreement it has entered into with its member clubs.  The Associations have suggested that the other "stumbling block" is that it would have to be done under their sanction.  This is clearly the preferred outcome of the promoters but there is an imperative to move forward and to do so now.  That sanction cannot be unreasonably withheld.

The Clubs

All the clubs on the island will not share the same view on something as radical as what is being proposed.  Those with a full-time professional staff and those with the potential to have such a set-up are completely committed to the AIPL and want to see it introduced immediately.  Others - though by no means all - view it as a threat and are understandably nervous about what its introduction would herald.

The Players

Professional players on both parts of the island are committed to the introduction of a full-time league and believe that the proposal to establish such a league on an all island basis would give them and future generations of players much better prospects than pertain now.

The Sponsors

The sponsor community has largely ignored domestic football in Ireland over the last number of decades at a time when other, less popular, sports have increased their levels of financial backing very substantially.  The corporate sector, including those that have had a relationship with the domestic game, has a clear preference for an all island league in place of the status quo.

The Broadcasters

Currently media partners pay lip service to the current leagues.  We know that they would have a strong interest in a properly resourced and managed league which would create an important additional source of sports programming in Ireland.  The AIPL would represent just such a product.

The Fans

We recognise that as with the clubs, cannot be treated as one group.  Fans of the clubs that would be expected to participate would welcome it whereas those who have loyally supported their club, irrespective of its performance, might well feel betrayed if its potential to play in the top league against the best opposition is being curtailed.

The Media

The football media is in favour of the AIPL.  Most privately view the current position as unsustainable.

The Political View

There is considerable political will behind the initiative.  This is critical to the success of the project.  It is important that the move to establish the new league - while supported by the two associations - is independent of them in order that the football community in Northern Ireland can have confidence that support of this concept would not represent a move towards any wider form of integration.  The autonomy of each must be protected and the way the promoters have developed the initiative would ensure that is the case.

Government in the Republic is not without fault in the failure of the domestic game.  It has provided considerable funds to the FAI and it has not exerted sufficient influence over how that money has been spent.  It has not had a strategy or plan with the Association to bring the stadiums of the more important clubs up to a standard commensurate with their ambition and with the need of the country to have a network of well equipped small stadiums that could host spectator numbers of between 8 and 12,000.  The public finances are no longer as robust and the availability of funds is less than it was but the two governments must prioritise investment in the stadiums of clubs that are involved at the top level in professional sport.

The Governing Authority

UEFA cannot stand over a position as it pertains today where clubs are licensed by the national association to play professional football while, in many instances, they appear to be in breach of UEFA regulations.  The current organisation of the professional game on the island is chaotic with the primary cause the number of clubs and the uniform approach taken to all of those clubs irrespective of location, their resources, their tradition and their potential.

This has wider implications than the ongoing difficulties facing clubs playing professional football here - it is directly affecting the development of the game at both underage and at international level - when UEFA and FIFA advocate the importance of a strong professional domestic league for the development of the sport in each jurisdiction.

1. The Realities of Club Football in Ireland

The island of Ireland has a population of 5.6 million.

Soccer is the most popular sport and yet our domestic game attracts little or no support.  Only a tiny percentage of the population attends matches in the relevant leagues.   We have 38 senior clubs - 28 of them playing in the top divisions on the two parts of the island - vying for support, commercial backing and players.  Unlike Scotland, which has had a professional set-up for decades, not only do these 38 clubs have to compete against professional rugby franchises for those critical ingredients of success but they also have to contend with the massive influence of the GAA in every corner of the island.

Since football entered the professional era in the UK the best Irish players in Northern and Southern Ireland have plied their trade in Britain.  With one of the best and well funded leagues on their doorstep Irish players have naturally gravitated towards England and Scotland to the detriment of the domestic game in Ireland.

In the fifties, sixties and for a time in the 1970's the leagues in Ireland were able to attract quite large attendances.  However, with the "explosion" in the potential of the club game in England and the massive penetration of televised football coupled with the failure of successive generations of administrators in this country to react and confront the threat of televised football and the growth in popularity of other sports, interest in the domestic game waned.

Recent efforts to invigorate the club game here have been sporadic, largely limited to initiatives around one or two clubs at a time and have nearly always ended with those involved feeling disillusioned by the experience.

2. The case for an All Ireland Premier League

2.1 The League of Ireland

The League of Ireland has started to attract outside investment.  The reasons vary.  What does not is that the newcomers are alarmed by the experience.  Without exception those who have recently invested in clubs here believe that major change is needed if the difficulties facing the clubs playing in the professional league are to be addressed.

2.1.1 Quality of the Football

The standard of play is reasonable.  The best players living in Ireland are spread through about 10 clubs that provide them with full-time or strong part-time employment. The better players still gravitate towards playing their football overseas.  There is no prospect of this changing in the medium term.  Irish players who are performing in the lower Leagues in Britain still regard a move home as a backward step.  There is no prospect of this changing in the short term.  The player pool therefore comprises the 'best of the rest' - a recipe for mediocrity that renders the establishment of a successful league difficult.

However, a full time professional league with obvious safeguards put in place plus, in time, new and refurbished stadiums with proper training facilities and investment in Academies would certainly entice players to stay at home.   Enhanced coverage of the games would also make a marked difference.

2.1.2 Infrastructure

There has been some improvement in the overall facilities over the last decade.  A high standard of football requires, first and foremost, top quality pitches.  Advances have been made in this regard.  Otherwise, despite some important improvements, much of the club infrastructure remains way below standards of other major sports in Ireland with profound consequences for the development of the domestic game.  The failure of the top clubs to extract anything approaching their fair share of sports capital funding from government over the past decade is the greatest blight on the professional game.

For players, the quality of training facilities tends to be mixed and there is no central location for club activities.   For fans, the stadiums do not cater adequately for their needs and are not attractive - making it easier for them to stay away.  While football clubs in Ireland have put new seats into old stands, repainted the entrance and replaced the cup of Bovril with franchised caterers, over the same period the fans experience of every other form of entertainment has moved to a much higher plane!

Most Clubs barely scrape through the Infrastructure Criteria as set out in Club Licensing. The CIDP (Club Infrastructure Development Plan) is submitted by twenty-two clubs within the Eircom League. The CIDP is then used as a guide for Government grant aid to these clubs, which does not allow for the massive strategic investment needed to be injected to the real market place.

2.1.3 Administration.

The maiden season with the League under the management of the Football Association was not a success.  All the clubs signed the Participation Agreement committing themselves to its management of the League and to a set of rules and regulations for a 5 year period.  The first season under this new dispensation was not productive from a club perspective.

The FAI exerted control in a dictatorial manner.  Clubs were fined for even the smallest breach of the rules.  The other side of the balance sheet failed to measure up - the percentage of TV, sponsorship and other revenues going to the clubs was far too low.  There was a lack of transparency that leads to deterioration in the relationship between clubs and the FAI.

The management of the League in 2007 was poor.  Any professional sport needs excitement and controversy in order to compete for media space and public attention.  The administration of the league in year one post the merger was so autocratic that any intrigue and mystery was limited and an important means of generating interest in the league was lost.

2.1.4 Marketing and Promotion

The product is average so the development and implementation of a highly sophisticated marketing campaign is not the panacea.  Allowing for that, it remains the fact that the League is not well promoted.  With a different approach and with a significant investment in media space much more could be done to take the game to the dormant support base for Irish soccer in most parts of the country.

Better media relations are a must.  The FAI is autocratic and pompous in this respect - with clubs constantly warned about any behaviour that is seen to "draw the game into disrepute".   As with all professional sports, controversy helps to create excitement and hype around the product.  A separate entity will enable the AIPL to work freely with the media and develop an innovative and colourful approach.

2.1.5 The Clubs

Not all fault for the current problems lies with the FAI.  The clubs themselves are to blame too - they acquiesced to the demands of the Association and committed to the Participation Agreement, ceding huge powers over their own future to an Association that some of them inherently mistrusted.  The ownership of the clubs themselves is also a factor.  Some are member clubs and others are privately owned making it difficult to establish a consistent approach to the problem.  A common outlook is vital.  Clubs have lost potential investors because of the unprofessional nature of soccer in Ireland.

2.1.6 The FAI

The Association wields all the power.  It controls the clubs participation in the League.  It sources and negotiates all the sponsorship deals centrally most of which are deals that incorporate the League as part of a macro deal involving the national team(s) as well as the Association itself.   This means the clubs do not know how much of any such deal has been allocated to the League. The same broad principle applies to its negotiations with broadcasters for TV coverage of the League with similarly unsatisfactory results.  Finally, the FAI allocates the budget for promotion of the League which has been distinctly uninspiring and has not had the desired impact.

Despite improved prize money the overall image of the League has not improved under the stewardship of the FAI.

2.2 The Irish League

Whatever problems beset the League of Ireland its sister league in Northern Ireland faces much greater challenges.  There is little or no private investment in the clubs.  No more than 4 of the clubs are covering their costs and however poor the investment profile in the domestic game in the Republic, the North of Ireland is even further behind.  There are though a number of very powerful brands in the Irish League and it is believed that some of these clubs would find the means to become involved in a fresh start for the professional game in Ireland.

The Irish Football League has had some major controversies over the past three or four years with Omagh Town FC going out of business and Coleraine FC on the verge of being "wound up" on a number of occasions. While these problems have also arisen in the Eircom League it is a well-established fact that most of the 14 clubs (excluding Linfield and Glentoran) in the IFL need the visit of the Belfast "big two" to survive.

The promoters of the AIPL have examined the affairs of many clubs in the Irish League and have researched the views of key stakeholders in the game in Northern Ireland.  It would appear that only three clubs are managing their affairs in an appropriate manner.    Some players are being paid cash; others get a mix of cheque and cash payments while there are others who are being registered as amateurs and getting paid.

The accumulated losses of the top 6 clubs in Northern Ireland in the season 2006/2007 are estimated at £1.75m.  An examination of the filed accounts of clubs in the league would suggest that the real figure is considerably higher.

The extent of the plight of the game in Northern Ireland must be known to the IFA.

3 The Facts

3.1 The Republic of Ireland

All League of Ireland/Irish League clubs are running at a significant loss - it is our belief that c. 80% of the clubs in the domestic leagues are in dire financial difficulties and the majority are technically insolvent.

Last year, the four most successful clubs in the Eircom League - Drogheda United, St. Patrick's Athletic, Bohemians and Cork City - had aggregate losses in excess of €7million.  It is important to note that while these clubs are paying the highest wages in the league and have a full-time set up involving managers and coaches they are not paying any of these people excessively.  The problem is with the income side of the balance sheet which is completely stagnant because the three determinants of success - spectators, sponsors and broadcasters - do not rate the product.

There is a major infrastructural deficit in terms of stadiums and - while the extent of the problem varies - generally speaking club facilities need immediate and drastic attention.  This cannot happen on the scale and at the pace that is required without government intervention.  To date government support has not been properly targeted and the top clubs which, in theory, should be setting the standard are getting a tiny percentage of the overall government investment in soccer facilities around the country.   There is no evidence that the FAI has been aggressively pursuing this issue.   It is paramount that we improve the spectator experience and make the grounds of the bigger clubs suitable for top level competition.

In the Republic, by accepting the terms of the Participation Agreement each club handed over its fate to the Association.  Responsibility for this lies with the clubs themselves but it is incumbent on the Association to manage the League with the interests of the clubs at heart.

Across a range of areas the administrators have failed the clubs.

* The cost of participation is not matched by what the FAI administration of the league does in the management and promotion of the League

* The lack of transparency by the FAI in its management of the League is a matter of great concern to most clubs

* It is the privately owned clubs that have most to lose from the current League structure

* Sponsorship of the League is sold as part of an overall "package" with Irish football including the national team - relegating it in financial and perception terms as less important than it would otherwise be

* TV monies paid to the clubs represents no more than 50% of the total income raised by the FAI through its television contract for the Eircom League
 
* The Association is obsessed with fining clubs for even the most innocent misdemeanours

* The central marketing and promotion of the League by the FAI is poor so, while the product may not be that attractive, no serious effort is being made to promote it

* There has been no significant increase in attendances in fact the evidence is to the contrary - less than10,000 people attended last year's FAI Cup Final

The domestic game remains unattractive to Irish players who have failed to make it at the top level in the UK and are playing in its lower leagues. Summer soccer makes it more difficult to attract players to our League either on a permanent or temporary basis.

3.2 Northern Ireland

The Irish League Clubs are not run on sound commercial principles.

The only significant attendances at matches are the ones involving Linfield and Glentoran.

Most stadiums in Northern Ireland including Windsor Park are in very poor condition.
Two Irish League clubs will have to play their home European games in 2008/09 season in other clubs grounds because their own stadiums do not meet UEFA requirements.

When Sky TV televised  Cliftonville v Linfield and Glentoran v Linfield matches earlier this season floodlighting had to be hired, for each game, which the TV fee did not cover.

There are senior competitions that are not sponsored.

The Irish League's ruling body is top heavy with junior club representatives (with no experience of running a professional club), which does not enable the clubs to make decisions that are in the best interests of the senior game.
 
The IFA is attempting to copy the FAI by re-inventing the league with increased prize money etc but this will not sort out the problems with facilities and finance.

Club licensing is much less rigorous in Northern Ireland and only clubs competing in UEFA competition are required to obtain a full licence.

There are no fulltime professional clubs in the Irish League.

There are very few fulltime administrators and the clubs are largely run by enthusiastic volunteers.

4 The Solution - All Ireland Premier League

It is proposed that the establishment of an All Ireland Premier League would be the key first step in addressing the weakness within the domestic game.  It is not the panacea for all the problems within the domestic game but radical change at the top which would lead to the creation of a sustainable professional game is the urgent priority.  Correctly done it would also prove to be the catalyst for wider change.  The promoters believe that an all island league involving the strongest clubs with the best franchises and the potential to operate on a full-time professional basis would evolve into an attractive product with the consequent support of commercial interests, fans, broadcasters etc.  It would provide the correct "raw material" to create a top class financially sound league.  However, to be successful the AIPL must be,

* established and controlled by the clubs

* managed by a separate autonomous body whose sole purpose is the creation and maintenance of a  competitive and financially successful League for all participating clubs

* affiliated to the FAI/IFA and UEFA

* played in winter in line with most other leagues in Europe

* Professionally marketed to maximise commercial income for clubs.

4.1 The AIPL

The Vision of the AIPL is "the creation and management of a competitive and commercially successful League which will serve the interests of professional football clubs and players on the island of Ireland and be an attractive product for fans, commercial sponsors and broadcast partners"

It would do this by:

* Creating an environment that could sustain 12 full-time professional football clubs on the island

* Establishing a credible league where quality professional players, coaches, managers, referees and support staff would want to work

* Stimulating higher performance levels in European competition

* Creating an underage league for AIPL clubs to provide the "bridgehead" from schoolboy to the professional game within Ireland

* Contributing to the future success of the international teams representing both Associations

The AIPL will ultimately comprise 12 teams - 8 from the Republic of Ireland and 4 from Northern Ireland but in the first two years only 10 teams [7:3] would compete.

Clubs will qualify by meeting a set number of criteria across standard headings but in its formation the AIPL will assist clubs which may have difficulties meeting some of the requirements.

The AIPL will be affiliated to the FAI and the IFA and will pay an agreed sum to each association annually - such monies to be used exclusively by the professional leagues of the two associations.

Places for European club competitions will be available to the winner and highest placed teams in the AIPL.
 
There will be promotion and relegation to the AIPL through a system agreed with the associations and their respective premier league competitions (providing they meet the criteria of the AIPL).   It is proposed that this would involve the winners of the two national leagues playing in the AIPL Playoff and the winner would then replace the 12th team in the AIPL for the subsequent season.  (This could, over time, lead to an imbalance in the composition of the AIPL so the system would include provisions to protect a ratio between clubs from the two jurisdictions)

In time it is expected that there would be a Premier Cup (to replace the Setanta Cup) but the AIPL clubs would be obliged to participate in the FAI and IFA Cup competitions as before.  (Derry City FC would be designated as a Northern Ireland team for the purposes of the AIPL and would compete in the IFA Cup and not the FAI Cup)

Each member club shall be required to have an under 18/19 team to compete in the "Apprentice Cup".
The competition will operate on a regional basis with the top two in the four regions qualifying for the quarter finals. Clubs from the Carnegie and Eircom leagues will be invited to compete.
Each club shall employ 16 apprentice professionals, eight of whom shall 16/17 and eight of whom shall be 17/18. The AIPL will register players as apprentices. 
Each apprentice shall be required to train 4 days per week and also attend school/vocational training. 
The apprentices will be employed by the club on a two year scholarship for which funding will be sought to cover their "apprentice" wages and associated expenses. At the end of two years the apprentices will graduate having completed two years training which will include coaching badges and life-skill/citizenship courses.

The agreement shall be a four way agreement between the player, his parents, the school and the club. If the player does not fulfill his agreed obligations to the other partners he will be removed from the scheme.
 
At the end of the scholarship the player will either be offered a full time professional contract or be released having graduated and completed his schooling. Local binding agreements are to be set-up with schoolboy leagues in order to establish trust and thus ensuring that the autonomy of the schoolboy leagues, for training compensation purposes is guaranteed. This would be discussed and agreed with the SFAI and the IFA Schoolboys.

We propose to operate the AIPL throughout the" winter season" in line with most other major professional leagues in Europe. We are aware that the FAI/Eircom League currently operate in the "summer season" and in order to facilitate promotion and relegation we will be seeking agreement from the FAI that they switch to align their season with the AIPL.

Discussions will continue with the Referees in order to create a panel of full time referees as soon as is practicably possible. In the interim the Associations would be asked to help with the appointment of match officials.

The new league will commence in August 2009.

The AIPL will negotiate its own sponsorship, broadcast, merchandising and all other standard commercial arrangements independently of the FAI and the IFA.

All commercial income will be used to develop and promote the league and in the provision of prize money.

A fully resourced administration of experienced professionals will be established and funded by AIPL under the direction of a board of directors which will be independent of the two associations.

4.2 The Key Stakeholders

4.2.1 The Clubs

4.2.2 Prospective AIPL Members

The promoters have consulted and worked closely with what it considers to be the most appropriate clubs to establish a successful domestic professional league.  The participants are the biggest clubs in Ireland with a reasonable geographic spread - allowing for the bias towards the east coast - also built into the plan.  The approach was unashamedly undemocratic given that this is about professional sport and that finance must underpin it if it is to have any chance of success.   This meant the traditional widely consultative process with all clubs having an equal say could not be countenanced because it would lead, inevitably, to a series of compromises that would ensure failure.

Ten clubs - Bohemians, Cork City, Derry City, Saint Patrick's Athletic, Drogheda United, Glentoran, Linfield, Galway United, and Shamrock Rovers - have been united in their support of the proposed new league from the outset.  More recently we approached the new owners of Limerick 37 currently playing in Division 1 of the Eircom League.  We did so because we believe the city of Limerick should have a franchise in the AIPL from the outset on account of its population, its soccer tradition and the current regeneration plans as set out in John Fitzgerald's report.

All of these clubs are committed to work with the promoters of the AIPL towards the establishment of the new league with effect from August 2009.  They are dissatisfied with the current standing of their respective leagues and recognise that without radical change there is no prospect of their plight improving.

4.2.3 Gate Receipts

The extent of the financial difficulties varies but the clubs involved appear to be insolvent and the trading outlook is bleak unless there is radical change.  Last season, one "successful" Eircom League club achieved gross gate revenues from its 16 home league programme of c €272,000 which, net of match day expenses (stewards, policing etc) realised €202,000 or an average net income of €12,625 per game.  Of that income the 8 matches that involved clubs that would be invited into the All Ireland League generated €196,000 gross (72%) and €150,000 (74%) net.  This represents €18,750 per match compared to an average net income of €6,000 per game for the other half of its home league programme.

The extremes are even more marked if you take the serially underperforming clubs and assess the impact their lack of support has on the bigger clubs that are trying to establish higher standards.  One critical problem for the clubs involved in the AIPL discussions is that playing the smaller clubs is having a serious "drag" effect on income - particularly in any season when they host those clubs twice.

In Northern Ireland attendances at league matches that do not involve one of the "big two" - Glentoran and Linfield - are very poor and point to a league that is completely unviable.  This is borne out by the trading position of the clubs.  It is simply a more acute case of the problem in the Eircom League.  For the two big clubs, the failure of any of the others to establish themselves as a meaningful force with strong support means that they too have become almost wholly dependent on a few League matches or a run in Europe - though this is often a financial burden - to generate turnover.

Further assessment of the figures shows that, allowing for the fact that the games are played on a Monday night and it is not the feature competition that the AIPL would be; the bigger clubs find that attendances at Setanta Cup matches involving their peers are among the best attended matches in the season.

It follows that the establishment of a league that would involve the strongest clubs on the island would have a dramatic effect on gate receipts by replacing those home fixtures with little or no revenue potential with ones that would generate much stronger income.  The promoters believe clubs could project net league match revenues to increase by 150% in year one of the AIPL.

The AIPL would therefore lead to a direct increase in match day attendances and revenues - the most significant income source for any club.  We need to recognise too the indirect benefit from increased commercial revenues on account of playing in a better resourced, better promoted and much better supported league.

4.2.4 Marketing

It is of course the case that there would most likely be a "honeymoon period" for an initiative like this with fans supporting the domestic game in numbers not seen for some time.  The promoters and the clubs recognise that they must plan on how to sustain and build on the initial goodwill towards the league.  The marketing and promotion would be at a level and of a quality unprecedented within the game in Ireland to ensure that whatever success is achieved in year one could be built upon in future years.

PLATINUM ONE Limited would have overall responsibility for the marketing and promotion of the new league.  The company's experience in this field is unparalleled in Ireland.  It would retain an advertising agency to handle the above-the-line campaign but would be directly responsible to the CEO of the AIPL for generating support for the new league.  A significant marketing budget of €1 million would be committed to cover the generic promotion of the AIPL and each match series.

The sponsors of the league and the broadcast partners would be directly involved in this work to help with the overall positioning of the league and in some of the specific tactical initiatives used to heighten interest during the course of the season.

In the Republic of Ireland, as part of their licensing agreement with the FAI, Premier League clubs are obliged to recruit a club promotions and community liaison officer.  The FAI pays a third of this person's contract with the club paying the remaining two thirds.  The AIPL does not intend to retain this arrangement.  AIPL policy would be to allow clubs manage their own commercial affairs without direction from the centre.  Provided the clubs meet the criteria for membership of the league, it is entirely their own business how they manage the club's interests.   The guarantee of off - field performance is that any failure in this regard will damage the clubs revenues and ultimately result in it failing to meet the basic criteria for membership of the league.

4.2.5 Capital Investment

While the Promoters believe that initial enthusiasm for the new league will attract larger spectator numbers including those who have rarely if ever attended club football in Ireland in the past, maintaining their interest cannot be achieved by marketing and promotional initiatives alone.  The match day experience is vital.  This is where the AIPL will face one of its greatest challenges because the stadia are, in general, not of an appropriate standard.
 
There is a great need for the top clubs to improve the quality of their facilities.  The  capital under spend over the last 20 years has resulted in most clubs being unable to offer the fans a decent match day experience.  Furthermore, for those clubs that progress to European competition it often means their home games have to be played in other grounds. This is a fundamental issue.  Whatever about the difficulties in Northern Ireland it is extraordinary, given the phenomenal economic success in the Republic of the last 15 years, that our top clubs have, in the main, been left to fend for themselves in funding the development of their grounds.

In 2006 and 2007 Drogheda United was forced to take a UEFA Cup match away from the town and play it in Dalymount Park.  Equally, in 2006, Derry City played Paris St. German for a place in the Group stages of the same competition.  Had they been successful the club could not have played any of its home matches in the Group stages in Derry - defeating the whole purpose of bringing profile and investment to the city which the club represents.  This is an enormous problem for the game in Ireland.

There are a number of factors that have contributed to the deteriorating facilities at football clubs in comparison to other sporting stadiums.  To date these clubs have not been seen as worthy of investment by either the public or the private sector.  In 2004 the government in Dublin disallowed all League of Ireland club applications for sports capital grants because of the lack of financial transparency within the game.  Similarly no grants were awarded to League of Ireland clubs in 2000.  An analysis of the level of government support in the Republic is alarming if it is representative of policy makers' views on domestic football.  It also suggests that football administrators have failed the top tier of their sport by realising such a poor level of support for the senior clubs.

Over the last 5 years between 2003 and 2007 the Irish Government awarded €361 million in grant aid under the Sports Capital Programme for local projects and national, regional and municipal/multi-sport projects. Eircom League Clubs received under €10.5 million less than 3% of the total amount allocated by government for the development of sport facilities during a period of massive public sector investment. The top three beneficiaries were Waterford RSC €2.55m, Athlone Town €1.25m and UCD €1.25m.
(Source: Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism website). Almost 58% (6.05million) of the total allocated went to grounds that are not owned by Eircom League clubs but are rented by them for their home fixtures (e.g.: Waterford City Council RSC for Waterford United.)
Clubs must shoulder their fair share of blame as most of them would not have been able to apply for grant aid because; a) Lack of financial capability or viability; and b) the possibility of future relocation and sale of the current asset.

The consequences of this need to be understood - without proper facilities for players, spectators, sponsors and the media it is impossible to develop support for professional sport.  Without these facilities it is impossible to compete in European competition without the attractive European matches being played in other stadiums in other towns - defeating the whole purpose of sporting achievement within a community.

There is an argument that government aid should go to the amateur game.  They should not be mutually exclusive. We need a properly resourced professional league and the neglect of recent decades means that transformation requires strong intervention now.

In Northern Ireland the situation is similar.  Investment levels are very low.  In 2003 the Northern Ireland Soccer Strategy led to £8 million in government aid being made available for the development of  football, including improvements to  stadiums to meet basic Health and Safety requirements.  To date less than £3 million has been drawn down. This capital under spend has created major problems for the development of the sport.  Culpability lies largely with the clubs and the administrators.  The practices within the game on both parts of the island have made it almost impossible for either the public or private sector to make significant investment in the future of the game.  When clubs have for decades been routinely operating outside the tax laws and those in charge have allowed these practices it is little wonder that investment has been scarce.

We believe public funds would be committed to a capital investment programme for clubs in the AIPL to meet the expectations of supporters and so that, as more domestic clubs participate in Europe, they would be in a position to host games at their home grounds.   This commitment would be meaningful and would be based on the AIPL demonstrating the appropriate level of governance so that taxpayer's funds could justifiably be given to the clubs involved.

The Promoters are confident such a public sector commitment would be matched by private sector support.

4.2.6 The Other Clubs

There will be inevitable concern among some clubs about the introduction of the proposed new league and the manner of their exclusion from its membership.  There could be understandable resentment of the way in which their interests might appear to have been arbitrarily set aside by parties outside the administration of the game.  The two associations will have to engage with this issue.  As promoters of the AIPL we have consistently said we would rather not act without being granted a licence to do so by the FAI and IFA.

This is where the balance referred to in the opening comments becomes critical.  It is accepted that the two associations have a duty to all the clubs but they must not compromise the potential of a full-time professional league by using those wider club needs as cover for not sanctioning the one initiative that could have a truly transformational impact on our domestic game.

We do not believe all of the clubs that may be outside the initial AIPL cohort would necessarily be against the AIPL.  Some have already said privately that they would aspire to building towards promotion to the League over a period of 3-5 years.  It is, however, likely that many of the clubs that would not be part of the inaugural All Ireland League would be opposed to this proposal.

The financial equation set out earlier works in reverse for these clubs and the loss of home league fixtures against the bigger clubs in their respective leagues could have serious consequences.   There is an irony in this because the bigger clubs that want to "stretch" their performance levels and carry the larger overhead are contributing significant upside to the very clubs that are a "drag" on their gate revenues.

This is a real dilemma.  It is not one that will be solved by inaction or by using the difficulties that reform could pose for some clubs to distract from the rights of those that are committed to the highest standards to organise in a fashion that makes their future more secure.  Addressing this is not easy but the challenge is one that can be met in a manner that protects what might appear to be competing interests.  Postponing the issue will not make it any easier to introduce the necessary reforms.

Those charged with stewardship of the game have failed in their responsibility to all the clubs despite the dire warnings of the Genesis report in September 2005.   We have already seen how the lack of reform has resulted in the dire financial position of the league - which Genesis had drawn attention to in such stark terms in 2005 - deteriorating further since.  The reality is that, had the administrators set about the task of reform called for by Genesis three years ago the promoters may not now be making the case for the change which they propose.

4.2.7 The National Leagues

With the advent of a proposed All Ireland League comes the issue of how to protect the interests of the clubs that would not be involved at the outset and how the remainder of the domestic game should be organised.  The Promoters have always recognised the importance of this point.  However, our objective is the establishment of a full-time professional league that would, for the first time in the modern era, facilitate the needs of players, fans, sponsors and broadcasters in club soccer in Ireland.

This is where the dilemma arises.  We do not have ambitions beyond the AIPL.  This clarity of definition leaves us open to the criticism that we are only interested in "cherry picking" the best opportunities within the game here without any concern for the consequences for those clubs that would not be involved at the outset.  On the other hand, were we to make recommendations on how the whole domestic game should be organised we could be accused of attempting to usurp the role of the associations.  We do not have ambitions to run Irish football.  Set in that context we would make the following observations:

* We recognise that the establishment of the AIPL will have consequences for the clubs that will not be involved.   This is not a homogenous group and the consequences will vary widely across the group of clubs not being proposed as members of the AIPL.

* We would categorise the clubs  as those that could build up their capabilities to push for promotion to the AIPL in the future and those whose interests would be best served by a limited form of professionalism or by being well supported and funded amateur clubs.

* This latter group would comprise those which would not aspire or should not aspire to ever playing in the AIPL.

The success of the AIPL will encourage some of the "second tier" clubs to improve their standards to find the fastest route to the AIPL.  Others will take the opportunity to reorganise themselves on a strong semi-professional basis with a view to building up more gradually towards qualifying for the AIPL in the medium-term.  Others, who have no prospects of playing at the top level and should, arguably, not be competing at their current level, should take the opportunity - as Kilkenny did last year - to find a level appropriate to their conditions.

We have had a number of unsolicited approaches from clubs outside our proposed inaugural membership that are supportive of our plans and would aspire to joining the league in a 3 to 5 year timeframe.

We believe that what should follow the establishment of the AIPL is that the remaining clubs should play in the two national leagues as currently constituted - with the strongest teams in League 1 in the Republic joining those that would remain from the Premier League.  The Irish League should go through with the planned reorganisation and have one competitive semi- professional league.

We can only recommend that this would be the optimum way of organising the national leagues so that there would be the appropriate connection between the national leagues and the AIPL.  This is the business of the FAI and IFA.  AIPL clubs could not field sides in the national leagues.

The first opportunity for the "second tier" clubs to make such a progression would arise at the end of year 2 of the AIPL when it is proposed that the winners of the two national leagues would - assuming they meet the criteria - be admitted to the AIPL.  The AIPL would provide each of these clubs with a substantial payment on admission to the league to assist them with the transition and to help them to be competitive.  From year 3 onwards the 12th team in the AIPL would be relegated with the winners of an AIPL play-off between the Champions of the two national leagues taking their place.  The same payment would be made to the promoted club.

The other main concern would be that the AIPL would absorb all the money available to the domestic game currently.  The reality is that the amount of commercial income being attracted to the domestic leagues is not meaningful.  The establishment of a new league would significantly heighten interest and we expect to attract reasonable levels of commercial backing for the new league.  The participating clubs would also have stronger prospects than currently of strong commercial backing.  There is a limit to the amount of money available and a successful AIPL would be the most attractive asset available to sponsors within domestic football.

The evidence is however, that commercial backing would be found for the National Leagues.  The All Ireland Series' and the National Leagues may be the most attractive assets in Gaelic Games but the Club Championships generate very strong sponsorship support as does the All Ireland Leagues in rugby.

Their position is like their counterparts at the top levels of club rugby in Ireland.  A decade ago those clubs were paying players in the All Ireland League but have, since the advent of the four professional provincial clubs, reverted to amateur status and they continue to play in the AIL.

4.3 The Players and Managers

The promoters have had discussions with the Professional Footballers of Ireland (PFAI), player representatives in Northern Ireland, the League Managers Association in the Republic and Northern Ireland.  We have kept them informed of our plans and sought their views on those aspects which would directly impact on their interests.

As with the clubs, the players are not an homogenous group and the PFAI looks after the interests of all players whether full or part time.  It is also the case that the Promoters believe the AIPL would be of great interest to the players of the future and their families.

For current players, the development of such a league with the consequent improvement in standards of employment and the increase in commercial values, has got be a positive development.  The players are not immune from the serious financial problems within the domestic game and indeed it is always the players who first encounter those problems.   The evidence is that these problems are as real today as ever and that some clubs in both jurisdictions find it extremely difficult to meet the most basic requirement of all - paying the wages.

The PFAI's responsibility is to all its members in equal measure and it may well be concerned about any danger that the establishment of the AIPL would lead to a contraction in the number or professional contracts that would be available in Ireland in the future.  Any objective assessment of the current state of the game would conclude that this adjustment is inevitable.  The benefit is that within the framework of the establishment of the AIPL the welfare of more than 200 professionals would be secured on a full-time basis with what we would estimate as a further 250 remaining in the game on a part-time basis.

What is undeniable is that were this league to become established and move the domestic game to a new level it would stem some of the flow of our best young talent overseas.  At the moment there is an estimated 370 Irish players registered with clubs in Britain.  This figure includes players of all ages from young apprentices through to our established internationals players.  Of the 190 playing 1st team football last season 120 played in the Premiership, SPL and Championship while the remaining 70 played for clubs in lower leagues.  The better players in this group and indeed some of those in the SPL and the Championship would be better served if they could play in a full-time league in Ireland.

In the future, with a strong full-time professional league at home, that cohort of players as well as some 18-22 year olds who will ultimately progress to the top level in Britain would have a basis for plying their trade at home.

The consequences of this shift in approach are obvious - standards are lifted and the All Ireland Premier League becomes just that, a premier product which attracts the best available Irish players along with a balance of appropriate foreign talent.

4.4 The Fans

We have not consulted formally with fans.  This might appear to be a weakness.  However, in order to manage the initiative in as low key a manner as possible we decided not to conduct any interaction with fans and rather use the clubs as a source of information on the attitude of their supporters.  Sports fans want their club to compete at the highest possible level in the most competitive arena available and attendances at matches in the Republic and Northern Ireland illustrate this very powerfully.

As you would expect, when the bigger clubs in the respective leagues play against each other, these games attract the most attention and interest across all the key stakeholders, including the fans.  The figures for the last number of seasons bear out the contention that the AIPL would attract considerably more support from the existing fans of the top clubs and would awaken the latent support for the game in many areas. In the medium-term as the quality of player improves further (as described above) and the benefits of a full-time professional league percolate through the fans recognise the improved product for what it is and attend in greater numbers and with greater regularity.  Without an improvement in playing standards and in the quality of match day fare nothing substantive or sustainable can be achieved.  The reverse is true - improve the product and the fans will respond.

Once the AIPL is licensed, a critical part of the planning for the inaugural season would involve fans forums around the country seeking their views on how best to develop the league in a manner that would maximise support.

4.5.1 The Associations - The FAI

The FAI subsequently suggested in the media that the best course was to establish a task force "possibly with the support of the two governments" (December 2007) and subsequently announced (January 2008) along with the IFA, the intention to establish such a task force without any reference to the government's being involved.  The Genesis Report on the League of Ireland, completed in September 2005, equated to just such a task force and found the league to be economically unviable.  In the interim the FAI would appear to have done little to arrest the problem.

Despite the extremely negative approach taken towards the AIPL at that meeting the FAI which, since 2007, has had complete control over and responsibility for the management of the league, would appear to have no difficulty with the principle.  Certainly its CEO has consistently expressed positive views of such a development

"My view is to give the members what they want.  If the clubs want it then we will look at it."- John Delaney February 2006

"At the right juncture and if it was supported on both sides of the border and if it was done in a way that wasn't divisive then, from a personal point of view, I'd like it to happen"- John Delaney January 2008

4.5.1.2  The Genesis Report

Notwithstanding the positive tone of these comments, made two years apart, the Association has attempted to undermine the AIPL and its promoters since our plans first emerged in early December last.  The FAI has emphasised that this development should not happen until 2012 at the earliest when the current Participation Agreement ends.  Just days after the AIPL meeting with the Board of Management, the Association announced a new long term TV deal (including the League of Ireland) with RTE to run to 2014 - two years beyond the period of the Participation Agreement.  The Chief Executive of the Association, John Delaney is an avowed believer in the work of the Genesis consulting company that he retained to review the events in Saipan in 2002 and subsequently hired the same consultants to review the domestic league.

Genesis reported on the latter in September 2005.  It found that: "By any rational analysis it is clear the Eircom league is near to being economically bankrupt and is unsustainable in its current format and incapable of sustaining itself into the future" Our understanding is that when it made this damming assessment it estimated the aggregate losses of the clubs the previous season at c.€3 million.  We have shown the extent to which the economics of the game have deteriorated since.  Our judgement is that the equivalent figure for last season would be closer to losses of €10 million.

4.5.1.2  All Ireland Support

The CEO of the FAI has, quite correctly given important emphasis to the need for unanimity on the merits of the project - "….and if it was supported on both sides of the border".   As we have shown the AIPL concept has already won considerable backing from all the key stakeholders on both sides of the border.  With the support of the Associations, the initiative could be progressed much more efficiently and the difficulties with some elements within the game could be more easily overcome.  It is important to stress - again - that the promoters want to work with the Associations to make this change happen.

The linked point in John Delaney's statement of December last expressed a concern about how the needs of all the competing interests could be met - "….and done in a way that wasn't divisive."   In much of its comment the FAI has endeavoured to suggest that our approach is in some way underhand or mischievous.  The most difficult charge of all to deal with would be that we are acting in any way divisively.  We are acting in the interests of the game in Ireland.  We are acting in the interests of the clubs - not just those that would automatically be expected to participate but also those that are finding it next to impossible to sustain any form of professional set-up.  Some clubs need to reorganise and others need to accept that they are involved in the game at a level which they cannot justify and take the necessary and inevitable step of leaving senior football. We have also been completely open about our plans and tabled our ambition to the FAI League Management Committee meeting in December 2007.

The most important point of potential divisiveness with this particular initiative is that it could cause a strain between the competing interests of the two associations.  The manner of our proposal removes that threat.  We structured the concept in order that it would completely protect the autonomy of each Association.   The fact that the new league would be privately owned and managed under licence from the FAI and IFA would ensure that there could be no threat to their independence.  This fear is acutely felt in Northern Ireland and understandably so.

It is well known that the FAI would aspire to being the "lead player" in the establishment of any such league but this would introduce precisely that divisive element which its CEO has correctly recognised would be its greatest flaw.  With the FAI at its helm it would be much more difficult to gain acceptance that the league would be established solely to serve the interests of the professional clubs and that no other aspects of the game would become involved over time.

What should happen, recognising the calamitous state of the game and the opportunity that the creation of this League would offer to re-organise the domestic game, is that the two Associations would work with the promoters to ensure the opportunity could be developed in the most impactful manner for the sport as a whole throughout the island.

The only other potentially divisive element is the establishment of a league that better serves the interests of some clubs at a cost to others - or at least would appear to do so.  We have recognised this throughout.  In 4.2.7 we deal with this issue and how the interests of clubs outside the AIPL should be catered for but, ultimately, this is simply a manifestation of what is involved in professional sport.

It may be unpalatable to some but it is the reality of how professional sport works.  When tradition and emotion is allowed to enter into decision making it leads to the financial mess that is the domestic game as it stands today.  Towards the end of the meeting with the FAI League Management Committee, one of its members challenged the promoters on the basis that this move would lead to 26 of the 38 clubs on the island of Ireland going into bankruptcy.  The problem with this assertion is that most of the clubs are already technically bankrupt and were the establishment of the AIPL to force clubs to face up to the reality of their position - as Kilkenny City most recently did - that might be a less obvious but nonetheless welcome consequence of the whole exercise.

More recently, after a number of efforts by 3rd parties to establish a meeting between the CEO of the Association and one of the Promoters had failed, we wrote seeking a meeting and a protracted and unwieldy process began which neither the Promoters nor the clubs believed represented a genuine effort to engage on the proposal.

4.5.2 The Associations - The IFA

Since then the IFA has publicly decried the AIPL initiative.  Most recently its President, Raymond Kennedy, attacked the proposals.  "There will never be an official All Ireland League.  If that were to happen you would need the IFA and the FAI to merge and that is never going to happen.  The Setanta Cup has been a major success but there never has been, nor will there ever be, an official All Ireland League.  The IFA needs to keep an identity within the world game and we have a history and a tradition to protect and respect. 

"We are not going to lose that just so we can set up a league between sides north and south of the border.  We have a unique position in the world's governing body, FIFA, regarding votes and we have a privileged role on the rule making body.  We would never jeopardise that position"

4.5.2.1  Autonomy

We have made it clear to the IFA and the FAI from the outset that this league would be run under a 5 year licence granted by the two associations.  The IFA is fully aware that the promoters of the AIPL have structured their proposal in a manner that would protect the autonomy of the two associations.  Any suggestion therefore that the establishment of this league could undermine the position of the two associations within world football is no more than a diversionary tactic.

4.5.2.2  UEFA

In 2005 UEFA committed to a 10 year strategic vision for the future of the game in Europe.  That document emphasised a number of key points about football's place in the wider world.  Some of these have a particular relevance to the position of the professional game in Ireland.

* Football should be a good citizen within society and the political world

* As a team sport, football's and UEFA's values include teamwork, integration, solidarity and individual self sacrifice for the common good

* Football can have an important role to play as a democratic showcase by helping people, through the democratic football structures, to organise themselves and participate in organised society

The document also addresses the strategic options facing UEFA.  It is firm on the overall purpose and structure of the organisation.

"UEFA should remain an association of associations."  It says that there are several main consequences of that most particularly that the Executive Committee of UEFA should remain composed solely of national associations.  It says the rationale for this is that national associations are the owners of UEFA and therefore the decision making bodies should reflect that fact.  The document has a caveat - "other stakeholder and interest groups must be involved in the decision-making and/or consultative process and consequently UEFA must develop effective structures and relationships with such groups"

The key stakeholders includes fans, coaches, referees, leagues, clubs and players none of whose interests are being served by the current administration of the professional club game in Ireland.

4.5.2.3  The Need in Northern Ireland

The senor domestic game in Northern Ireland is in an even worse position than in the Republic.  This is illustrated by the plight of Glentoran FC which has accumulated losses of £1 million, owes the Revenue ¼ million and the banks ½ million pounds.  This is one of the giants of the game in Ireland but a club that simply cannot afford to sustain a mix of part-time and full time professional football players.  It is a franchise with great potential that has - as with the examples given in the Republic - been brought to the brink of financial ruin by years of playing in a league which is unattractive, against clubs that, with relatively few exceptions, are bringing nothing to the equation.

Its stadium, the Oval, is dilapidated and is reminiscent of a bygone era and the club's future is completely dependent on realising its real estate value.  The problems facing Glentoran FC are more acutely felt by many other clubs playing in the Irish League.  Government will not support investment in the stadiums because the clubs cannot produce sufficient evidence that they are running their affairs in a business like manner.

The product is as flawed as that of the League of Ireland but the root source is the same, it is unattractive to those key determinants of success - fans, sponsors and broadcasters.  There can be only one outcome which is to prolong the slow slide into financial ruin for the league and its member clubs.

What has emerged from our investigations and interaction with the key stakeholders in the game, north and south, is that the game is completely under funded and in neither jurisdiction is there any prospect of a financially viable league emerging.  This has been the position for some considerable time and neither association has addressed the issue in anything approaching the depth required or with any urgency.

4.5.6 The Associations - The IFA and The FAI

In response the promoters of the AIPL made their first and only public comment since beginning work on the project in October 2007.  That statement referenced the importance of the FAI and IFA addressing their proposal in a joint communiqué on important matters they want to address together.  It welcomed the fact that the proposed group would consider the AIPL proposal and acknowledged that they had always only countenanced the introduction of the league with the approval of the two associations.

The point is consistently made that this initiative will need to the support of the two Associations - the implication being that the promoters of the AIPL would countenance establishing a break away league.  From the very outset, the promoters have made it clear to all parties including the IFA and the FAI that they would not consider such a move.

The AIPL statement also attempted to highlight the importance of its proposal. "The domestic game on both parts of the island is in an extremely perilous financial position.  A radical and relatively speedy response is required.  We have been working since October on developing such a solution and will only bring forward something that has the potential to create an economically sustainable professional game in Ireland." This was intended to be a not too subtle warning shot - the problems are immense, the status quo is completely unsustainable and everyone involved but most particularly those in control have a limited amount of time to sort it out and a serious responsibility to do so.

4.6 The Finances

4.6.1  Expenditure

A preliminary estimate would suggest that the annual running costs of the AIPL would be c. €6 million including the following:

Affiliation fees - €500,000

Central Overhead - €500,000

Marketing/promotion - €1,000,000

Prize fund - €3,765,000

Player recruitment/support - €500,000

4.6.1.2  Affiliation Fees

It should be noted that currently the FAI receives an affiliation fee of €17,000 x 12 or €204,000 from the clubs participating in its Premier League.  Against that both associations are investing money in the management of the leagues which would no longer be required so the promoters of the AIPL believe the level of the licence fee is reasonable.  It must be remembered that the Associations will continue to run their national leagues and presumably the clubs involved will continue to pay affiliation fees albeit most likely at a lower level than to date.  It would be proposed that for the initial 3 years of the AIPL the Associations would waive their fees in order to support the AIPL.

4.6.1.3  Central Overhead

The intention is that this League would be run with a very small full-time executive team and that its work would be supported by PLATINUM ONE Ltd who would be paid a fee for the marketing and promotional campaign and on a commission basis for sourcing and negotiating all commercial contracts with sponsors, advertisers and media partners.  The budget for the first three years allows for salaries, expenses and office overhead would be c. €500,000

4.6.1.4  Marketing and Promotion

The promoters are committed to the establishment of the most dynamic marketing and promotional campaign to build interest in the AIPL prior to its launch and to sustain that over the course of the season.  The club administrators, coaching staff and players will be given an induction programme before the inaugural season so that all of the critical constituents can contribute to the excitement around the new league.  The minimum commitment to the promotional campaign will be €x p.a. of the League's own funds and this spend will be augmented by the support of our media partners and sponsors.

4.6.1.5  Prize Fund

The promoters will commit to a minimum prize fund of €3,765,000 for the first two years of the League.  This would increase in year 3 when it is proposed that the number of teams in the league would increase to twelve.  The fund for any given season would be confirmed to all the clubs by the AIPL board no later than three months before the start of the league campaign.  The fund for each of the final two places would be in excess of the affiliation fee paid at the outset and would, most likely cover the cost of the fee and the percentage of gate income paid to the AIPL.

At this stage it is envisaged that the distribution of the prize fund would be as follows:

Champions - €1.1 million

Runners up - €.550 million

3rd and 4th - €.425 million

5th  - €.350 million

6th - €.275 million

7th - 8th - €.180 million

9th - 10th - €.140 million

4.6.1.6  Promotion/Relegation Support Budget

The AIPL would propose to provide a support budget for clubs that are promoted to the premier league in order to assist with recruitment of players, additional coaching/medical staff etc.  This would be done according to the strict rules of the AIPL.  The situation would not arise until the start of season 3 when two additional clubs would be scheduled to join the league.  The AIPL would also intend to make a "parachute" payment to any club that is relegated.

4.6.2  Income

The AIPL would raise an estimated €7.5 million annually through the following indicative figures.

Club affiliation fees - €1 million

Sponsorship (including government)  - €4 million

Broadcast revenues - €1.25 million

Gate (10%) - €500,000     
Other - €750,000

4.6.2.1  Affiliation Fees

At €100,000 the affiliation fees would represent a significant increase on the €17,000 clubs currently pay to the FAI and the X paid by clubs in the Irish League.  On top of this the promoters are proposing to take 10% of the gate receipts from all member clubs.  Given the extent of the financial difficulties faced by clubs which has been demonstrated earlier in this document it may appear strange that participating clubs would be expected to agree to these terms.

There are a number of important distinctions.  The product will be dramatically better.  The clubs will be in control of their own destiny.  They will have full knowledge of the income raised from the different revenue sources and there will be complete transparency on how the league's money is being spent.  The clubs would, in effect, be investing in their own future as the money would be directly invested into the league.

We have said that we expect gate receipts to increase by 150% in the first year of the AIPL.  Take the earlier example (4.2.3) of the club that earned €272,000 in gross gate receipts from its home league fixtures in 2007.  Were it to continue in the current dispensation and manage a highly unlikely 50% increase in that figure it would realise gross receipts of €408,000.  However, we are projecting growth of 150% to gross receipts of €680,000 in year one of the AIPL.  Net of the fees payable to its league that clubs income would stand at €612,000 still far ahead of what it could ever hope to realise from a season in the Eircom League.   The AIPL represents a much stronger proposition than the status quo which will continue to under deliver.

4.6.2.2  Sponsorship

The AIPL would raise sponsorship from both the public and private sector.  The promoters have had discussions with interested parties and are confident that commitments for the first 3 years could generate around €4 million p.a.  A detailed sponsorship proposal has been developed by PLATINUM ONE drawing on its experience in Ireland and Scotland.

The preliminary soundings in the business community are that this would represent the only basis on which a meaningful investment in the domestic game would be considered.  For those companies with a presence on both parts of the island the fact that the league would be managed under licence but not by either or both association is considered a significant positive.  Substantial businesses in Northern Ireland are acutely aware of the sensitivity around how any venture such as this would have to be managed in order for it to be viewed positively with critical elements in the North - these constituencies are not just important to football they are at least equally so to those in the private sector whose support we need to make this a success.

Considerable work has gone into establishing the correct values for this league.  Benchmarks are useful if only to a point.  PLATINUM ONE negotiated the existing contract between the FAI and its primary sponsor and its Chief Executive in Scotland, Fife Hyland, has had considerable involvement in the sponsorship of football in Scotland.  It should be noted that historically clubs in Ireland are leveraging sponsorship deals through access to an inventory of tickets for international matches - reinforcing the idea that the league has little to offer and cannot stand on its own.  In Scotland it is not possible to link the sponsorship of the leagues with an involvement with the national team - the two are treated completely separately.

The promoters are confident that the two governments will support the AIPL through funding the league itself and a dedicated capital investment programme.  The position of the two governments is similar to that of the private sector - how this proposal is developed in a manner that does not undermine or threaten the autonomy of the two governing bodies is paramount.  The independence of the AIPL and its singular mandate of establishing a strong professional domestic game are critical factors in securing the support of the two administrations.

4.6.2.3  Broadcast Rights

The promoters have had dialogue with the key broadcasters and there is strong interest in the proposed new league.    Last year the amount of money disbursed to clubs in the eircom League of Ireland - €5,000 per match with a 3:2 split between the home and away teams - was minimal and at best represented 50% of the income generated by the Association from its broadcast agreements.  This year the fees remain the same albeit they have been restructured so that the home team gets €4,000 and the away team €1,000.  What frustrated the clubs most was that they did not know the terms of the broadcasting relationships and the financial terms agreed with the different parties for broadcast rights to their league.

The position in the Carnegie Irish League is even bleaker and there is no meaningful television income so for those clubs from Northern Ireland that would participate in the AIPL this would represent a big step forward.

The FAPL TV internet and mobile deal is worth £2.7bn over 3 years with a guarantee of £2.4bn to be distributed to the clubs over that period.   That money is disbursed on the basis of the number of home matches broadcast live but there is a minimum commitment so that all clubs earn sizeable TV fees.  Clubs are paid in a timely manner (check how exactly) to help with cash flow management.  Clubs in the SPL are paid £85,000 for every home league and cup match that is televised live on Sky TV. In the English League 1st Division the home club receives £30,000 for a televised match and the away team £10,000

Each market is unique and it is not possible to determine yet what the value of the new league would be to broadcast partners.  The promoters believe that whatever agreement is reached must represent the strongest commercial return available but with partners that would value the unique potential of this league and would present it in a manner that would add considerable value to the asset we hope to develop over time.  Achieving the highest rights fees possible would be a priority but this must be balanced by the broadcasters committing to very high presentation standards that would present the league in the best possible light to fans and sponsors.  We are confident that these twin objectives can be met and on the basis of preliminary industry discussions that TV rights income of c. €1.25 million a year could be realised over the first two years of the AIPL..

The AIPL would aim to establish separate radio and internet agreements.

4.6.2.4  Other Income

The promoters of the AIPL believe there are a number of additional revenue streams that could be realised the key ones would be dependent on the strength of the broadcast deal.  These would include:

* All Ireland Premier League merchandise

* Special Events

* Annual match between the AIPL Champions and SPL Champions played over two legs

* Challenge Match between AIPL XI and SPL XI that would alternate between Scotland and Ireland

4.7 The Participating Clubs

The selection of clubs for the inaugural All Ireland Premier League is bound to be contentious.  The Promoters have taken a number of factors into consideration in evaluating what would represent the best "mix".  While some of the clubs would have to be included and were obvious selections a few are less so.  This must be a genuinely all island league.  It cannot just be clubs on the east coast nor an it involve clubs that have a small fan base and no sizeable conurbation close by which would make it possible to build substantial support over time.

In short, this has not just been about taking the best performing clubs in the two leagues, it is about establishing something from scratch that has the potential to work across a range of critical headings.  On that basis the Promoters intend to establish the AIPL with the following 10 clubs provided that each of them can meet the criteria.

Bohemians
Cork City
Drogheda United
Galway United
Shamrock Rovers
St. Patrick's Athletic
Limerick 37
Derry City
Glentoran
Linfield

There must be an appropriate balance between the two jurisdictions on the island and the likelihood is that government in the Republic would link any grant aid of the initiative to a good geographic spread.  These considerations would be secondary to the clubs meeting the minimal criteria set by the AIPL on facilities and funding but they would have to be important factors in determining the ultimate make-up of the league.

4.8 The Other Leagues

As addressed earlier, in any situation those proposing change, particularly radical change, need to be cognisant of those who may be left behind or fear the consequences of the measures being proposed.  It would be understandable that smaller clubs within the firmament of the "professional" game in Ireland would fear the AIPL and what it might mean for them.

The establishment of a strong professional top tier might well have serious consequences for some of those clubs.  It is almost certain that one of the consequences of the establishment of the AIPL would be a contraction in the number of clubs playing at any sort of professional level.  It should, as we have consistently argued, lead to a complete re-organisation of the domestic professional game which would be demanding of all the stakeholders and in particular of the Associations.

What is not legitimate however is for those who believe in the idea of an all island league but who oppose the AIPL because of who is promoting and who would use the position of the smaller clubs as a basis for undermining the value of proposition.  The majority of the clubs playing professional football in Ireland are in serious financial difficulties.  Allowing the current debacle to continue would represent a complete abrogation of responsibility by those charged with the stewardship of Irish football.

The promoters of the AIPL believe the inevitable reorganisation of the "professional" game that would follow its establishment would - in time - advantage those clubs that would not qualify.  It is important that this issue would be resolved early on in the detailed planning for the new league but it is not the responsibility of the AIPL promoters to dictate to the two Associations how best to achieve that end.

4.8 Timing

The AIPL inaugural season would commence in August 2009 with 10 clubs participating

In its inaugural season the AIPL would comprise 36 series of matches which with a winter break and the continuing involvement of the Premier League clubs in their domestic cup competitions would mean a late April or early May finish to the league season.

Starting the new league in 16 months may appear to be quite an aggressive timeframe.  However, it is clear that the finances of the game demand that this is an absolute priority.

It is proposed that the Carnegie League season 20098/09 would run as normal and that a shortened league season would apply for the Eircom League 2009 with just two series of matches to be played and that there would be no summer break.  A compensation would package would be offered to all clubs for the loss of revenues involved.

The AIPL would be established with an executive office based in Belfast from July 2008.  This would allow 12 months for the establishment of the league.

The inaugural meeting of the board of the AIPL is proposed for Belfast in September 2008 at which the strategy for the development of the league and a full work plan for the 12 month period leading into the commencement of the league would be presented by management for board approval.

To give effect to this programme the associations would sanction the establishment of the new league and seek immediate approval from UEFA.  The interests of the two associations would be protected by their nominees on the board of the AIPL.

4.9 European Football

It is proposed that the AIPL would hold 4 of the 6 places in European competition currently allocated to the domestic game on the island.  The Champions and the Runners-up would enter the Champions League, 3rd and 4th positions would enter the UEFA Cup.  The winners of the FAI and IFA Cups would qualify for the UEFA Cup.

4.10 Organisation

The AIPL would be established as a private limited company.  It would have a board of 10 members including four representatives of the clubs and would be chaired by an independent and experienced business figure.   Each Association would appoint one member to the board with the other members being independent.

The promoters of AIPL would appoint Jim Roddy as the Chief Executive.  Jim is 47 years old and recently retired as CEO of Derry City.  He was responsible for overseeing the development of the club into one of the most successful in Ireland and for restructuring it in recent years leading to it being the first club to be awarded the FAI Club Licence in 2004.  In February 2005, Jim Roddy organised the first match between Derry City and Linfield FC at the Brandywell in 35 years.  Derry has hosted two further matches between the clubs since and all have passed off without any incident.  He has also served on the FAI National League Management Committee from 1999 - 2006.

It would be our intention to appoint an experienced football executive as Operations Director and to have strong centralised administrative support.

The commercial and marketing function would be outsourced to PLATINUM ONE.  It would be paid on a percentage basis for the successful negotiation of all commercial agreements and a management fee for overseeing the marketing and promotion campaign for the League.

5. WHY DO THIS AT ALL?

The primary reason for promoting the concept of all Ireland league is the need for change.  The professional club game is not working in Northern Ireland or the Republic.

The other reason for promoting the All Ireland Premier League is best established by looking at it from the perspective of the different stakeholders that would be involved.

5.1 The Participating Clubs

The opportunity to be involved in a fresh start for the professional game in Ireland with demanding expectations in terms of establishing a full-time professional set up, being properly capitalised and providing a sports product for existing and prospective new fans that will be exciting and that should realise the ambition to grow a valuable sports franchise over time.

5.2 Other Clubs

Recognising that, with the new dispensation, the opportunity exists for excellence to be rewarded and that provided the club has or can build a strong fan base, can be properly capitalised and meet the overall demands of the AIPL there is a real prospect of it competing in a top league where the standards are those of the best in Europe.

5.3 The Associations

Their responsibility to establish a domestic league that provides a level of professional football consistent with the interest in the game and the socio-economic features of the territory involved can be met.  With a genuinely collaborative approach and best management practices the associations can ensure that the AIPL becomes the top of the pyramid in the domestic club scene and ultimately benefits the two national leagues.  These benefits can be realised without any dilution of their autonomy as national associations.

5.4 Fans

Would you rather your club played in a league comprising the best clubs on the island all of which would be committed to a full-time professional set-up or continue with things as they stand at the moment?  In most cases and within most clubs fans will choose the former course.  For the latent support base the evidence is that the stronger the match up the more likely the "unattached" are to attend.  This is not to suggest complacency on the part of the Promoters - work will need to be done to sell the new league to the wider potential fan base and even to hard core fans in clubs who, for one reason or another, will want to preserve the status quo.

5.5 Sponsors

The game in its current form is of little or no interest to the general sponsor community.  The AIPL will generate significant interest - even in more difficult market conditions.

5.6 Broadcasters

The same point applies - the evidence is that broadcasters would place a real commercial value on the AIPL whereas the TV rights for the Eircom League and Carnegie League are not thought to have significant value.

5.7 Government

It is time for government to address its failure to support the professional game in the most popular sport on the island.  The prospect of doing this on an all island basis has extra appeal.  In time it is believed that with the establishment of a professional league, more fans will attend matches here and fans will travel within Ireland visiting cities and towns in Ireland rather than across the UK.  The improvement in stadia would also allow more clubs to play one off friendly fixtures and European competitive fixtures in their home ground and facilitate the associations in attracting more UEFA and FIFA competitions at underage levels.

5.8 PLATINUM ONE

It is questionable how relevant this is but, given that our detractors suggest that we are only promoting the concept for our own financial gain, it is best to address the point here. We are in the sports business and particularly so in professional football and golf.  We do considerable work in professional football in Britain and in Spain.  Our home market is a commercial wasteland despite the popularity of the sport.  The establishment of this league would alter that landscape for us so, while PLATINUM ONE's Chairman has other more personal reasons for leading the project, it clearly has a strategic business value.

This is, however, a completely different consideration to the other seven listed in this section which, combined, present, in short order, the compelling reasons why the All Ireland Premier League must be advanced as an absolute priority.

CONCLUSION

This document forms the base case for the establishment of an all Ireland league in professional football on the island of Ireland as the vital first step in the transformation of our domestic professional game.  It has been the best part of seven months in gestation and yet it by no means provides all the answers to the problems that beset our game at home.

The contribution of the participating clubs to the process has been immense.  Most importantly, throughout, the clubs have maintained a professional interest in the process; senior people have committed considerable time including travelling long distances to meetings and the confidentiality of the process has been maintained.  That alone is unusual in Irish football!  All of this bodes well for the standards that will be set by the All Ireland Premier League.

I have long held the view that this is the only way forward for the domestic game.  In October 2007 I met Jim Roddy the then CEO of Derry City FC  for the first time and met a man who was of like mind and who had the respect of the football community throughout the island - a claim I could hardly have made for myself!  Since then Jim has worked full time on this process and has never wavered in his commitment, belief and support of my efforts to tilt at the windmills of power in Dublin and Belfast.

What we have achieved is to bring 10 of the most important clubs on the island of Ireland to a point where they believe they can work together to establish a better future for themselves and for the game by creating a new league.  We and they believe that this will benefit the remaining clubs in the medium to longer term although it is accepted that those benefits may well be more difficult for them to appreciate now.  Realising that wider landscape for the game as a whole must involve the two associations and we would respectfully suggest that, without complete co-operation between all parties, the full benefits of the new league will not be realised.

All of the stakeholders in Irish football must now work together to introduce the necessary change and must do so immediately.  Large amounts of money are being wasted and lost through prolonging a set-up that does not and cannot work to the advantage of the clubs, players, spectators, sponsors or broadcasters.

This document charts a way forward.  Considerable work needs to be done on the detail of how this would be implemented.  To move to that stage demands the attention and support of the associations and the two governments.  It also requires the involvement of UEFA.  Time is of the essence.

Fintan Drury
Chairman
PLATINUM ONE Ltd