General Election, November 29th 2024

Grassroots football is the foundation of the game, however;

• 43% of pitches are rated as inadequate
• 31% of clubs don't have enough pitches to cater for demand
• Over 1,000 pitches are required across the country to facilitate the needs of our clubs

Grassroots clubs have the ambition to grow and facilitate even more participation, however, their ability to apply for funding is affected by their ownership status.

• 55.2% of clubs don't own their facility
• 30.3% of clubs have their pitches on just a one-year lease
• 90% of clubs don't have access to indoor facilities
• 79.3% of clubs struggle due to a lack of consistent funding
• 68% of clubs don’t have secure, modern facilities

In 2021 UEFA commissioned a report which showed that Grassroots football in Ireland delivers a €1.8bn impact to Irish society annually. 

League of Ireland Academies

League of Ireland Academies are nurturing the future of our game and will produce the next generation of talent, however they do not have adequate funding, for example: 

• Only 10 full-time Academy staff work across the League of Ireland
• 223 Academy staff are volunteers
• Players lack the contact hours required to develop to their full potential
• LOI Academies are behind in every benchmark compared to other European nations

If government does not start to put more support behind the League of Ireland Academy system, this will mean:

• Our young high potential players will have to continue to develop their careers in other countries, forcing them to leave education and their home environment.
• Our Men’s National football team FIFA rankings will continue to fall, as not enough home grown talent will be supported in the development they need to play  for Ireland. 
• Ireland is missing an opportunity to grow a thriving football industry within our own country, one that creates employment and positive social and economic impact.

In a FIFA commissioned report in 2020 “Increasing Global Competitiveness” it is stated that “the quality of the academy system is decisive for the future success of the member association, the professional league and the national teams” and “that the future success of any member association is largely determined by the capacity and performance of the academy system”.

Earlier this year BDO Ireland released an Economic Impact Assessment report showing that the League of Ireland contributes €164.7m to economy including €40m in taxes, investment will create a significant return for Government.

Speak to your local candidates about how they plan to support the future of Irish football today!

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Additional Resources

Learn more and read the UEFA SROI Report here.

Discover more and check out the BDO Economic Impact Assessment Report here.