Produced for and on behalf of The Football Association of Ireland, National Sports Campus, Dublin 15 FOOTBALL DBA Publications Ltd. 56 Carysfort Avenue Blackrock, Co. Dublin Tel: +353 1 2887247 Fax: +353 1 2883583 ASSOCIATION Email: [email protected] Photography Sportsfile (01) 4547400 OF IRELAND 1 Printing Colorman (Ireland) Limited 2016/17 ANNUAL REPORT FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND CONTENTS 4 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 10/11 6 CEO’S MESSAGE 10 NEW DEVELOPMENT OFFICERS / GARDA FAI DCC PROJECT 11 FAI FINGAL TRANSITION YEAR PILOT PROGRAMME 12 CLUB AND LEAGUE DEVELOPMENT 13 FAI EDUCATION & TRAINING BOARDS 14 NATIONAL FOOTBALL DRAW 18/19 16 FAI SCHOOLS & COLLEGES (DOMESTIC) 18 SPORTSDIRECT.COM SUMMER SOCCER SCHOOLS 20 AVIVA SOCCER SISTERS / PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS 19 SPAR PRIMARY 5s / COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES 20 AVIVA SOCCER SISTERS / FIFA LIVE YOUR GOALS 26/27 22 PLAYER DEVELOPMENT PLAN 24 EMERGING TALENT PROGRAMME 25 INTERREG FUNDING APPLICATION 26 NOEL O’REILLY LEAGUE 27 WALKING FOOTBALL / LATE NIGHT LEAGUES 28 PROJECT FUTSAL 32/33 29 INTERCULTURAL PROGRAMME 30 CHILD WELFARE AND SAFEGUARDING 31 REFEREES 2 32 COACH EDUCATION ANNUAL REPORT 2016/17 34 FACILITIES 35 FAI HQ / GLANMIRE 36 PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS / IT CARLOW 34/35 37 SAFETY & SECURITY 38 SSE AIRTRICITY LEAGUE 42 CONTINENTAL TYRES WOMEN’S NATIONAL LEAGUE 44 DOMESTIC COMPETITIONS 48 FOOTBALL FOR ALL 40/41 50 UEFA 2020 51 2019 UEFA EUROPEAN UNDER-17 CHAMPIONSHIPS 52 MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM 54 WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM 56 UNDERAGE INTERNATIONALS 62 DEFENCE FORCES 64/65 63 SCHOOLS & COLLEGES (INTERNATIONAL) 64 THREE INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL AWARDS 65 SPONSORSHIP 66 COMMUNICATIONS 68 HUMAN RESOURCES 70 TICKETING / FAI STAFF SOCIAL CLUB 98/99 71 REPORTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 98 INTERNATIONAL FIXTURES / RESULTS 104 FAI SPONSORS 3 FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE he past 12 months have Through our work with the local been quite memorable councils, government agencies and for many reasons - on many other organisations our sport and off the pitch - and we reaches into the hearts of communities Tbelieve that we are moving in nationwide that no other sport can do. the right direction at the Football Association of Ireland. The world’s most popular sport can be played by anybody. From Powerchair We have spent the last week visiting Football to Walking Football to social the clubs in the region and the passion football and down to a bunch of for football in Kilkenny is as strong children playing with jumpers for goal in this county as we’ve seen in our posts, our game is open to all. Festivals of Football through the years. Of course the elite level is critical. The Of course this year was a massive one Player Development Plan is designed to for Evergreen FC who reached the FAI raise standards and ultimately we want TONY Junior Cup Final in association with young Irish footballers reaching the top FITZGERALD Umbro and Aviva in May. Although of their game without having to leave their families behind while they are still FAI President they were ultimately unsuccessful on at school age. the day, the club should be rightly proud of all they have achieved this The development of the SSE Airtricity season and in recent years. Under 19 and U17 Leagues, and this year’s commencement of the U15 Kilkenny has produced numerous National League, is with the aim of underage and female internationals having our best young players being in recent seasons and there is great tested against their peers regularly, work being done at grassroots level in working with qualified coaches and the region. helping them to fulfil their potential. The strength of the FAI is in the It should be repeated that this year grassroots. While the Association Republic of Ireland Under 17 men’s gains most attention for the activities and women’s teams each reached of the senior international teams and the last eight in the UEFA European the SSE Airtricity League, the reality Championships at their age groups. is that football happens around the Only six nations out of UEFA’s 55 country throughout the year at so many members achieved that this year. different levels catering for the needs of people of all ages, backgrounds and While both sides may have wanted 4 abilities. to even go a step further in the ANNUAL REPORT 2016/17 “...OUR SPORT REACHES INTO THE HEARTS OF COMMUNITIES NATIONWIDE THAT NO OTHER SPORT CAN DO” competition I feel the achievements class again in the title race but Cork To that end, I believe John and the of Colin O’Brien’s men and Dave Bell’s City’s memorable Irish Daily Mail FAI board have directed our game through women should not be undervalued. Cup win has been the catalyst for John testing times and it is thanks to our Tom Mohan’s U19 men’s team had a Caulfield’s side to move up a notch stakeholders, the often unheralded very good campaign - beating Italy and and the standards in our league are commitment and effort of the FAI staff Belgium in the Elite Phase - so they rising year on year. and the brilliant support from blue chip were very unlucky not to reach the sponsors such as Three, Aviva and UEFA Finals this year. Dave Connell’s Similarly, in women’s football many others that we’ve continued to WU19s were also eliminated at the Shelbourne Ladies and Wexford serve the football family. Elite Phase. Youths raised the bar and it has been interesting to see how the other clubs Progress continues and there are many The Men’s Senior Team will always have responded to that challenge. challenges ahead but that commitment capture the most headlines and there is to achieving the best for our game no doubt that Martin O’Neill’s side has The Continental Tyres Women’s FAI remains as strong as ever. performed brilliantly in the 2018 FIFA Cup Final meeting between the two World Cup qualifying campaign and we sides was a great advertisement Finally I would like to remember at this have every faith in them to progress to for the game. We hope that as our time some of the great football people the finals in Russia next year. representatives in the UEFA Women’s we lost in the past year including former FAI President Milo Corcoran, Champions League, Shelbourne can The Women’s Senior Team are Derry City captain Ryan McBride and benefit from the switch to a single also seeking to qualify for a major many others who gave so much to calendar season when the qualifying tournament as they prepare for football in Ireland. round starts in August. their 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifiers. There is a freshness about May they rest in peace. Off the pitch the Association continues the squad since Colin Bell took over to look at progression and the election and I’m sure they will do the country of our CEO John Delaney earlier this proud in their qualifying games. TONY year reflects how Irish football is FITZGERALD Dundalk’s progress in the UEFA viewed amongst our colleagues in Europe. His tenure at the FAI for more Europa League last year - and the FAI President performances of Cork City in the than the past decade has seen many same competition - highlighted the development milestones for our game quality that home-based Irish players - both on and off the pitch. and clubs can produce on the big stage. We are confident that all of the Our small country does not have representatives of the SSE Airtricity revenue streams to compare with League have the quality to make most of our UEFA neighbours and further progress in Europe. we are competing with other popular sports for the support of spectators Stephen Kenny’s side proved their and sponsors. 5 FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND CEO’S MESSAGE he heart and soul of Irish football The specific goals outlined in our lies in the grassroots of the Strategic Plan are monitored in detail game. During 2016, thousands of on a quarterly basis and reported to our volunteers once again invested so members annually. Tmuch of their personal time for the benefit of those who take part in our sport at While grassroots football is the every level, right across the country. foundation of Irish football, the success of the game reaches a pinnacle in terms It is the work of these volunteers - great of public interest with our international community people - which I have the teams and with the success at the highest pleasure of witnessing first hand each week, stage of all for our Republic of Ireland as I travel around the country, visiting clubs men’s and women’s senior teams. and leagues. The entirely selfless work that goes into their local league or club is the solid Both squads enter into crucial periods in foundation on which our great game is built. their attempts to qualify for FIFA World Cup finals, with the women’s side starting As an Association we are committed to out in their campaign for France 2019, JOHN serving our grassroot members across while the men’s team enter an important DELANEY all areas of the game as they go about period in their attempts to qualify for next FAI CEO managing, growing and developing year’s finals in Russia. football in key areas, including: In February, we welcomed the arrival of · Player Development Colin Bell as the new women’s senior team head coach, from Frauen Bundesliga side SC Sand, in Germany. Colin is a proven · Coach Education winner as his success with FFC Frankfurt, whom he lead to a UEFA Women’s · Football for All Champions League in 2015, demonstrates.