The Football Association of Ireland today released a statement reiterating that the TV rights deal negotiated with Sky is an important factor in securing the future of the game in Ireland. This statement comes after it was announced that the Republic of Ireland's Euro 2004 qualifier against Switzerland at Lansdowne Road next Wednesday will only be available on subscription channel Sky Sports and not on the free to air channel Sky One as previously thought.
The Association says it made efforts behind the scenes some weeks ago to explore avenues which would provide similar levels of revenues for the development of the game and increase the live TV viewership but no realistic alternative proposals had emerged.
"With our senior team ranked 14th in the world, the success of our underage teams in developing talent for the future is very evident but the investment in these teams needs to continue," said a spokesperson for the Assocation. "The access to TV rights revenues enables the Assocation to continue to invest in the next generation of star players," he added.
However, there will be live coverage of the game on RTÉ Radio One next Wednesday on all wavelengths.
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
