Soccer

Platini present at Abbotsown

Uefa President Michel Platini and  Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism, Seamus Brennan were among the dignitaries present…

Wed Dec 05 2007 - 00:00

Uefa President Michel Platini and  Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism, Seamus Brennan were among the dignitaries present at today's unveiling of the Football Association of Ireland's (FAI) new headquarters at the National Sports Campus.

Today's move means the FAI is the first national governing body to move to the 350 acre site at Abbotstown. The 3,000square metre building will house the association's 167 staff in addition to organisations such as the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland (PFAI), the Irish Soccer Referees' Society, the Leinster Football Association, the Schoolboys Football Association of Ireland and the Dublin & District Schoolboys League.

The game's world governing body FIFA contributed €270,000 (approximately) towards the project through its GOAL Funding Assistance Programme. UEFA, the European counterpart, contributed €240,000 (approx) under the Hat-Trick Investment Programme.

FAI President David Blood said that the move to Abbotstown would be a great boost to the organisation.

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"For over 50 years, our previous home at 80 Merrion Square served us well but such has been the growth of our organisation over the past three years that we quickly outgrew the building.

"Now we have a facility that is able to house our 167 staff as well as several of our affiliates and having everybody under the one roof is going to have a positive impact on our association," he said.

Today's opening completes the first phase of the FAI's National Sports Campus project and Chief Executive John Delaney said the focus will now shift to quickly completing the second phase.

"Phase two of our Abbotstown project is the creation of a National Academy complete with seven top class training pitches," said Delaney. "We are currently recruiting for an International Performance Director to oversee the National Academy so phase two is now a high priority project for us."

UEFA Chief Executive, David Taylor, and the Chairman of the National Sports Campus, Dan Flinter, were among those in attendance at the opening ceremony.

Report to follow