FAI goes on the offensive

The FAI will today send a letter to the chairmen of all 20 English Premiership clubs setting out the consequences of any decision…

The FAI will today send a letter to the chairmen of all 20 English Premiership clubs setting out the consequences of any decision to allow Wimbledon to relocate to Dublin.

One of the scenarios they will paint is that, were Wimbledon to win the FA Cup while based in Dublin, the current UEFA statutes would make it imperative on them (the FAI) to nominate the club to represent the Republic of Ireland in the European Cup Winners' Cup.

This, in turn, would lead to the FA losing their representation in the competition, with no guarantee of regaining it in the short term.

Pointing out a number of knock-on effects if the revolutionary proposal to base the club in Dublin were ratified, Bernard O'Byrne, the FAI's chief executive, said it was incumbent on the association to make all Premiership clubs aware of the realities of the situation.

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In the course of a long discussion on the controversial Wimbledon issue, O'Byrne rejected criticism that the FAI isn't doing enough to promote coaching courses for young players around the country.

Commenting on Wimbledon's proposal to organise "schools of excellence" if granted permission to relocate to Dublin, he said effective coaching facilities were already in place.

"It's another of the red herrings which have been introduced into the debate, and it overlooks the reality that, per capita, we produce more good young players than the majority of countries in Europe," he said.

O'Byrne was speaking at a briefing session, called in response to a similar exercise last week when Sam Hammam, the Wimbledon chairman, and his legal adviser, Jean Louis Dupont, visited Dublin.

All the old arguments were trotted out in the war of words, with the chief executive at pains to dismiss what he termed the mis-information disseminated by the Wimbledon contingent.

He ridiculed, in particular, the statement that all 22 National League clubs were in some way supportive of the Wimbledon proposal. This, he stressed, was contrary to fact, and he reiterated his belief that Hammam's 30 pieces of silver strategy, wouldn't work.

He asked those clubs which may be tempted to entertain the Wimbledon proposal in the expectation of short-term financial gain to project five years hence and ponder where the domestic game would be.

Neither is he overly worried, it seems, about the possibility of the European Court ruling in favour of Hammam. He said that in the event of such a submission being made, he is confident that "the sporting scenario will prevail".