Like any relationship, the one between the FAI and the League of Ireland clubs is built on trust.
And like any relationship, when that trust is in question, even the smallest misstep or misinterpretation is viewed with suspicion.
The current disharmony between the FAI and the clubs isn't a sudden development.
It has been bubbling under the surface for years, fuelled by a catalogue of broken promises, unfulfilled commitments and increasingly distant leadership.
It all comes back to delivery. Or rather, the lack of it.
League of Ireland clubs have been waiting on government funding for their academies for some years - sometimes it has seemed a distant prospect and at other times it was considered imminent.
And that word - "imminent" - held weight at the time.
It offered a flicker of hope that the developmental lifeblood of Irish football was about to receive the backing it so desperately needed post Brexit.
Fast forward to today, and clubs are still waiting. The promise remains undelivered. Patience has run dry.
The final straw came during a recent comment from the new Minister for Sport, Patrick O'Donovan in a rather off-hand manner, remarking that funding for academies was "not imminent" – that word again.
The tone alone was enough to spark outrage. O’Donovan's comments might not have been intentionally dismissive, but when you’ve been strung along for years, even the most innocuous phrasing can feel like a slap in the face.
That frustration turned quickly into open questioning of the FAI’s intentions.
When the FAI revealed plans to bring young players into their Abbotstown base for additional contact hours during school holidays - news that the clubs heard for the first time through the media, rather than direct communication - it exposed the cracks that have long existed.
The clubs invited the FAI on to a call to explain the proposal.
What followed was a textbook example of how trust erodes: inflated projections of what the FAI could offer versus deflated recognition of what clubs already provide.
The question that now echoes through every club boardroom: what exactly was submitted in the FAI’s proposal to government?
To best ensure the delivery of government support for underage structures, wouldn't the logical first step have been to engage the clubs?
The clubs do not believe it was the result of any meaningful consultation with the people running academies, week in, week out.
And here's where the real issue lies.
To best ensure the delivery of government support for underage structures, wouldn’t the logical first step have been to engage with the clubs? Understand their needs. Co-author the proposal. Present a unified voice.
Instead, it was a solo pitch.
The government has now provided funding for an audit of LOI academies - a crucial first step in establishing an academy certification model, which we hope will unlock future investment.
But even this feels belated. The audit was initially promised in 2023. It’s only now - thanks to direct government support - that it's expected to be delivered in the "next few months".
Why could an independent audit not have been carried out by the FAI before now? Why does everything feel reactive rather than proactive?
It's just another instance where clubs are left with the sense that a governing body with north of 230 staff and a wage bill of over €15m is not offering them enough support.
In the build-up to the last general election, football was very much a hot topic.
Politicians knew the votes were there. Commitments were made and the League of Ireland, off the back of its current growth, found itself centre-stage.
"The proposal needs work", was a comment by Thomas Byrne TD in a pre-election debate.
Clubs are now wondering how the proposal needs more work, when this has been worked on for years and politicians just need things in order if they are to grant the funding, such is the political will.
The anger now spilling out from club representatives is rooted in that feeling of being frustrated by a lack of results.
Naturally, when confidence in governance fails, the whispers of independence grow louder.
Talk of breakaway leagues and a fractured footballing structure might feel far-fetched to some, but they are an inevitable reaction to perceived neglect.
The truth is those murmurs have always existed on the periphery.
But what brings them to the fore is a persistent sense that clubs are being talked at rather than listened to.
What needs to happen now is clear.
The audit must be delivered swiftly and credibly. But more importantly, there must be a fundamental change in how the FAI works with its key stakeholders.
Clubs aren’t asking for handouts. They’re asking to be treated as equal partners in shaping the future of Irish football.
The government’s recent actions suggest a willingness to help.
They’ve stepped in to initiate the audit process and appear genuinely interested in supporting a system that works.
But delivery will require unity.
If the FAI can’t offer that, then maybe - just maybe - it’s time the clubs took the lead.
Because history has shown us one thing: when it comes to the FAI, promises are easy.
Delivery is the problem.
