PFAI look for progression and stability
Credit:
The PFAI undertook a day-long seminar with delegates from each club in an effort to establish ways in which the players body can offer suggestions to how the League of Ireland can be run in a better way.
After the hubris left by the cataclysmic collapse of Cork City, the PFAI believe that with more engagement and oversight the potential for the league to run correctly this year is tangible.
General secretary McGuinness laid out the aim for all concerned that the league needs to focus on what is happening on the field rather than off it.
"A successful year this time around is when everyone gets paid throughout the whole season. That’s a starting point we haven’t had in 20 years in this league," said McGuinness.
"There has always been some default somewhere along the line. The main problems with all clubs come in the off-season as all players for Cork got paid up until the end of the last campaign. That is where things go askew."
Across the spectrum the mantra of stability has been cited as paramount but can the PFAI really make a difference in making this happen?
"This is not going to be a talking shop with nothing done as a result. There will be regular meetings and the fall out of each will be documented with our conclusions to the FAI," continued McGuinness.
"Today is a day where we see where we can improve, the battles have to take place on the pitch, not off it. There has been discontent among the players, but no club has gone to the wall because of players. Obviously some players got unrealisitic contracts in the past. Clubs are remedying this now."
The fit and proper persons test has been one mooted suggestion to help solve the problems, but it has hardly been a resounding success in England with Portsmouth being a prime example of where it has failed.
But with the pro-active approach now being taken by the PFAI this time around there is a belief that everyone involved with the league has learned from the past.
"There is no reason for defaults this time around. Cork and Derry have been a disaster for the league as a whole. But if they are the sacrifice and lessons have been learned then all contracts should be honoured," he said.
"We see on average the value of contracts has dropped by up to 40 per cent across the board. Clubs should be budgeting and as the FAI have said – the cancer has to be removed of not balancing the books – well this is the necessary medicine.”
Would there be a united front from the PFAI this time round if clubs did not meet up to their obligations?
"Will tactics change – I think they will. We have looked at how we will approach it if the same thing happened again. And the answer is it would be different. But as I say there should be no need for it if people have taken stock," said McGuinness.
The fact the PFAI is now working so closely with the FAI will surely assist in getting a more fluid and integrated approach when it comes to licensing and any issues.
The hope is that with this progressive type of action the players can steer the league to a brighter future, but ultimately there has to be a reality check far higher up for the game to really recover from a traumatic twelve months.
After the hubris left by the cataclysmic collapse of Cork City, the PFAI believe that with more engagement and oversight the potential for the league to run correctly this year is tangible.
General secretary McGuinness laid out the aim for all concerned that the league needs to focus on what is happening on the field rather than off it.
"A successful year this time around is when everyone gets paid throughout the whole season. That’s a starting point we haven’t had in 20 years in this league," said McGuinness.
"There has always been some default somewhere along the line. The main problems with all clubs come in the off-season as all players for Cork got paid up until the end of the last campaign. That is where things go askew."
Across the spectrum the mantra of stability has been cited as paramount but can the PFAI really make a difference in making this happen?
"This is not going to be a talking shop with nothing done as a result. There will be regular meetings and the fall out of each will be documented with our conclusions to the FAI," continued McGuinness.
"Today is a day where we see where we can improve, the battles have to take place on the pitch, not off it. There has been discontent among the players, but no club has gone to the wall because of players. Obviously some players got unrealisitic contracts in the past. Clubs are remedying this now."
The fit and proper persons test has been one mooted suggestion to help solve the problems, but it has hardly been a resounding success in England with Portsmouth being a prime example of where it has failed.
But with the pro-active approach now being taken by the PFAI this time around there is a belief that everyone involved with the league has learned from the past.
"There is no reason for defaults this time around. Cork and Derry have been a disaster for the league as a whole. But if they are the sacrifice and lessons have been learned then all contracts should be honoured," he said.
"We see on average the value of contracts has dropped by up to 40 per cent across the board. Clubs should be budgeting and as the FAI have said – the cancer has to be removed of not balancing the books – well this is the necessary medicine.”
Would there be a united front from the PFAI this time round if clubs did not meet up to their obligations?
"Will tactics change – I think they will. We have looked at how we will approach it if the same thing happened again. And the answer is it would be different. But as I say there should be no need for it if people have taken stock," said McGuinness.
The fact the PFAI is now working so closely with the FAI will surely assist in getting a more fluid and integrated approach when it comes to licensing and any issues.
The hope is that with this progressive type of action the players can steer the league to a brighter future, but ultimately there has to be a reality check far higher up for the game to really recover from a traumatic twelve months.
