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Blueprint document to be welcomed

"These are the most important set of proposals to come before the clubs since the League was set up in 1921."

Well, that puts it all into perspective. The above assertion, from the mouth of the oft-criticised eircom League Chairman Micheal Hyland, should emphasise to the 22 clubs the importance of this issue. Mr Hyland uttered the quoted words above the day after he, along with other big figures in Irish football, produced a blueprint document containing several recommendations vis a vis the future of the eircom League recently.

In an interview with Philip Quinn of the Irish Independent, Mr Hyland urged the various eircom League clubs to support the proposals. Despite being one of the greatest critics of Mr Hyland, I see much sense in the document, as well as the subsequent comments from him.

So, what exactly does the blueprint document comprise of? According to Ian O' Riordan, of the Irish Times, "The principal objectives of the proposals are to improve the standard of football within the league, increase attendances and improve facilities, and strengthen young player development along with European participation. They will also seek to improve club administration and financial viability."

O' Riordan went on: "One of the key elements is revising the League season, starting in August each year with the League championship. There would be an extended winter break from the third Sunday in December to the first Sunday in February (six weeks), and concluding in early June.

"In addition, strategies to encourage youth development would include a requirement of three under 21 players in each 16-man squad and a national youth league for players under-18."

From all of this, it is difficult to be unimpressed by the proposals. It emerged afterwards that Pat Dolan, St Patrick's Athletic Managing Director, and also a huge critic of the lack of Leadership within the League, welcomed the document in general. This was also encouraging from a supporter's viewpoint. However, Dolan did make the confession that he wasn't in favour of a mid-winter 6-week break.

So, what indeed are the merits of the blueprint?

Not having the document at hand in its entirety militates against me giving a thorough analysis of it. However, I would have to credit the blueprint, if armed only with brief yet significant details of it, as I can certainly detect much sense and intelligence put into its manufacture.

Broadly speaking, I support the majority of the proposals.

So, what are the advantages if these recommendations are exercised? Looking at arguably the main proposal of the lot, i.e. the mid-term break, it is fair to say that this break would have advantages. Its inclusion necessitates a consequent earlier start to the season and this should help our European entrants. Additionally, there is no denying that night games and even day games in winter can really freeze the fingernails and this is blatantly apparent in some unsheltered grounds. Facilities or no facilities, the weather will always behave as it feels like. The new system should certainly mean that there would be fewer ugly weather conditions on match day, with much of the season avoiding the ruthless winter. While there may lie financial implications ahead if this break comes into fruition, it is certainly worth looking into. It is also plausible that these "money matters" could be dealt with.

Another striking aspect of the document is the suggestion that youth must really have its fling.

Again, I support the sentiments here. Too many clubs fail to recognise the benefits of advocating an adequate youth policy, both for the club in the future and finances in general. An apathetic treatment of the youngsters in the area and even from afar has resulted in clubs drafting in outsiders whose personal motives are that they are at the club "for a quick buck" on far too many occasions. Supporters prefer youthful local passion to overpaid rejects from other clubs. Hopefully, this proposal if implemented, will help clubs recognise the talent that exists in Irish football at young levels and will encourage the various clubs to stem the tide of these kids crossing shores. Clubs must also be encouraged to adopt a hardline attitude in dealings with foreign clubs who have exploited our own sides for too long.

The linked u-18 League seems a brilliant idea. While one can readily sense that a National League at this age level could trigger more financial worries, it certainly would appeal to the youngsters involved. They would learn from the other players all over Ireland. At present, no such competition exists although many clubs have expressed support at such a move in the past. It would be very interesting to have, for example, Cork City u-18's Vs Cobh Ramblers u-18's. Would it perhaps be possible here, to have double headers, i.e. an under-18's game first followed by the senior League game? Perhaps this is implausible, although it would have many good points.

Apart from these two crucial issues, the other recommendations are rather broad and certainly not radical, with one exception. They all seem to be sensible and fundamental, with proposals to improve the quality of football, which of course is a very complex issue, to improve the attendances, and to improve club administration and financial viability. All of this was certainly not elaborated in the daily papers, so one wonders what actual suggestions exist to improve all these aspects.

Another critical suggestion is to improve facilities. Thankfully, clubs nowadays need little encouragement in this regard judging by the level of improvement currently occurring in Irish soccer stadia. However, some facilities remain humiliating; I mean some grounds don't even have toilet facilities. This is unacceptable and facilities for the paying punter does need addressing even allowing for the work at present being carried out.

It is certainly hoped that every aspect of inadequacy is sorted out. For example, every eircom League club should have a match programme of some quality. That is just an example. Clubs failing to produce match programmes are acting stupidly and they are also letting the League and themselves down. Any club perceived to be letting the League down, should arguably be punished in consequence. Sometimes biting the bullet is called for.

There has emerged, however, one immediately questionable aspect of these proposals, the exception to which I referred earlier.

It is proposed that clubs have to pay all their youth players. Indeed, the document in general may well be a little disrespectful of financial problems clubs face, despite the reference to "improving financial viability".

It is difficult to imagine clubs being able to pay their youth players, on top of senior players, many of whom earn ridiculously high wages which horribly fail to compliment many clubs' financial might. Well, all these things must be debated, but this is one issue I am worried about. There are far too many financial difficulties experienced by eircom League clubs as it is - the introduction of this rather radical proposal would surely worsen these difficulties.

In conclusion, it seems to me apparent that there is much sensibility wedded to these suggestions in general however. The people who drew up this document rightly want these proposals to be triggered enbloc and a piecemeal approach is rightly being discouraged. It is hoped that the clubs will endorse this blueprint, perhaps not in its entirity, and there must be no allowance whatsoever for dissident clubs denying these proposals their right to be implemented. Clubs must view the recommendations in a cohesive manner and devalue their own agenda. As Pat Dolan rightly said, the proposals should be tossed around and debated democratically to decide what merits they have.

Next month, the blueprint document will be discussed at the next eircom league management meeting. Let us all desire to see these proposals debated and implemented, for the good of the League. Democracy really must reign here and if the majority of the clubs are opposed to any particular proposal, it is probably correct to not implement this proposal. There must be a "One for All; All for One" mindset at the meeting, but the National League Ruling Body must also be quite strong in their attitude and must not let perceptively "big" clubs dictate the issues. Democracy must rule.

We need to move forward and remember the recent past. We must treat it as the period from which we learned.