The FAI's grassroots director Ger McDermott says the association remains keen to speak to the local leagues and associations around the country that harbour major concerns about the plans for Irish soccer to move to an aligned calendar by 2028.
An alignment of the registration period at all levels from amateur and underage to the professional game is one of the 11 priority actions of the Football Pathways Plan which was unveiled by the FAI in February of last year.
In December, its general assembly voted through the calendar alignment plans, previously approved by the association's board, by a margin of 74 votes to 56.
Approximately two thirds of grassroots leagues run their seasons according to a "winter football" structure which in essence starts in August/September and runs until early summer of the following year.
With a rationale that Ireland is the only member of its status within UEFA without an aligned calendar, the FAI's intention would be for all leagues to adhere to a "summer football" model used by the League of Ireland since 2003, particularly in regard to registration rather than playing periods themselves, as part of a four-year phased introduction.
However, there is consternation among a significant portion of grassroots leagues and associations concerned about the potentially detrimental impact that moving from their traditional calendar could have.
Watch the full interview with FAI grassroots director Ger McDermott above which includes Carlow & District Football League secretary Brian O'Reilly raising specific concerns about the potential impact of an aligning the calendar across the board
Speaking to the RTÉ Soccer Podcast this week, Carlow & District Football League secretary Brian O'Reilly outlined many of the issues he feels are at play, including the strain on soccer volunteers, coaches and referees, many of whom also combine those pursuits with involvement in GAA and other sports; the potential impact on participation levels particularly in rural areas; and the reservations that he and others feel about December's voting process and the degree of consultation about the plans from the governing body.
O'Reilly also discussed how a number of leagues and associations around the country are mobilising together to assert their steadfast opposition to the calendar alignment, underlining that "what we want is a right of choice" to retain the seasonal structures they feel suit them best respectively.
"What we want is the FAI to reconsider this decision, 85% of the country doesn't want it and why are you trying to force something on your members who don't want something," said O'Reilly.
As part of an in-depth conversation on the podcast, McDermott explained the calendar alignment process and responded to specific concerns raised by O'Reilly and said that the FAI is committed to meet with grassroots leagues and associations.
"We want to meet leagues, and I know Brian is in Carlow, we're keen to sit down and we're keen to continue to engage," McDermott said.
"We are absolutely committed to the whole game-plan which this is and the 11 actions which all hang together.
"Calendar is one of those and in terms of how the registration period aligns itself.
"The idea of it not being broken, what I would say is that children not having the same opportunities to play as much football, depending on what part of the country they grow up in, that's not functioning optimally, that's not putting us in a position to reach our potential and reaching our potential isn't just on the international pitch or the League of Ireland pitch.
"It's having a thriving grassroots football system that has a pyramid which functions from top to bottom, so we must have some alignment to create that, and really importantly the choice of when you play is absolutely still there."
Listen to the full RTÉ Soccer podcast episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
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