A year ago Ireland’s largest independent energy supplier, Airtricty, agreed a three year deal to sponsor the League of Ireland coinciding with the remaining two years of the Football Association of Irelands’ [FAI] management of the League. At the time of the launch Airtricity Managing Director Kevin Greenhorn explained the company was proud to become title sponsors for the league as it would provide the company “ with an outstanding opportunity to extend our market and brand awareness in keeping with our exciting expansion plans. With over 450,000 active participants, football reaches into every community and at all age levels making it one of the nation’s most popular and passionately supported sports.
By sponsoring the Airtricity League there as a very real opportunity for the company “to forge stronger and lasting connections with real football fans at a grassroots level in communities all over the country.” At the same time making an extremely important financial contribution to one of the country’s leading sporting competitions offering a significant vote of confidence in the future.
For the league the opportunity to welcome Airtricity was recognised by Eamon Naughton Chairman of the National League Executive Committee as it was undoubtedly “a strong endorsement of our league and a huge boost to Irish football. Together with our existing sponsors, Airtricity will help us grow and develop the league. As a league which prides itself on producing top quality young players, we are delighted to be working so closely with one of Ireland’s top, young companies.”
In addition, Airtricity also secured marketing, promotional and branding rights becoming the preferred energy partner of the FAI.
As dawn breaks on the second season of that three year agreement the latest bulletin emanating from Sporting Fingal does not bode well – either for the new club or indeed Irish domestic football. In a statement issued on Thursday Sporting Fingal explained that it had restructured ahead of the 2011 campaign and developed “what it believed to be a viable business plan on a reduced and prudent scale” with new investors and sponsors.
Over recent days however those commitments had not materialised and the club had, for the first time since 2007, not been in a position to pay players’ wages. With an obvious sense of urgency the club was committed to resolving the issue and advised the FAI and the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland [PFAI] accordingly.
Coming on the foot of two Bohemian players instigating a winding up order against the club given their outstanding wages – which the Football Association was finally able to remedy in recent weeks – it highlighted that even the 121 year old was not immune either to the current financial pressures. As part of the effort to save the club there is now a benefit gig organised at The Olympia on February 19th.
In recent weeks Drogheda United launched their share initiative, The Future Starts Here, which is driven by the supporters group who were buoyed by the goodwill and are seeking pledges, priced at €1,000 each, since the launch at the Boyne Valley Hotel. So far 75 shares have been subscribed.
Speaking at the launch, FAI Chief Executive Mr. John Delaney empathised with the club's current plight. "While the trauma of losing games is bad enough, the trauma of potentially losing your club is one that is particularly hard for any supporter to endure ". He also took the opportunity to dispel any doubts regarding the future of Drogheda's home ground, Hunky Dorys Park confirming that the club would continue to play there until such time as it chose to move to an alternative stadium, adding that then and only then could the Windmill Road ground be sold with all proceeds being put into a new home for the club.
The Airtricity League is the top tier of Irish football and dates back to the foundation of the Irish state back in 1922.
Originally established as just one division, the League added a second tier in 1986 and has more recently developed the Newstalk A Championship, Under-20 League, and Futsal League underneath the existing Premier and First divisions. The Airtricity League has been under the control of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) since 2006. As such, the League benefits from the wide range of departments that exist within the FAI, including Commercial, Communications, Legal, Finance, IT and Technical.
The League is run on an operational level by the FAI's Airtricity League department, which is overseen by Airtricity League Director Fran Gavin.
One matter however still rests on the horizon between the Football Association and Ireland (FAI) and Limerick FC and has entered mediation after both parties informed the High Court.
The issue relates to a legal wrangle that emerged last May when the FAI refused the League of Ireland club permission to stage a potentially lucrative friendly with Spanish Giants Barcelona at Thomond Park in July.
At the time the League of Ireland made their decision based on "third party commercial agreements" which "prevented" the organisation from allowing the game to go ahead. The FAI said they couldn’t grant such a friendly because of the long term deals they have in place with third party TV and sporting rights companies involved in summer tournaments at the Aviva Stadium.
Limerick are also not satisfied with the FAI's stance of not allowing friendly games to be played at venues with a 15,000 capacity or more and the club had hoped to turn a profit in the region €100,000 from the Barcelona game – which they had budgeted for such an amount in their licence application at the start of that season.
“The FAI regrets that money spent on this course of action will be lost to the sport. What is decided during the mediation process with Limerick FC could have broader ramifications for the funding and development of football at all levels.”
Limerick owner and chairman Pat O’Sullivan said he wants the situation “sorted out as quickly as possible".
The Airtricity League starts on Friday March 4 and newly-promoted Derry City will hope to get their campaign off to the perfect start when they host Sligo Rovers, while Bray begin against Bohemians, Galway United entertain St. Pat’s, and UCD will make the trip to Dalymount Park to face Sporting Fingal.
