Calendar year summer soccer would have detrimental impact on participation – Deputy Chap Cleere

Fianna Fáil TD for Carlow/Kilkenny, Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere, has said the enforcement of a Calendar Year Summer Soccer season would have a detrimental impact on sporting participation in rural Ireland.

Deputy Cleere attended a General Meeting last night in the Woodford Dolmen Hotel in Carlow on this matter, where over 200 people attended.

92% of clubs in Counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow (Junior League), Laois, Offaly, Kildare (Juvenile League), Westmeath, and Longford are against the introduction of the Calendar Year Summer Soccer.

Cleere, who has been heavily involved in GAA at inter county level and has seen his daughters take part in soccer and camogie, has said that the enforcement by the FAI of the summer soccer season would lead to only one conclusion in rural Ireland.

“I have seen the benefits that participation in sport can have on peoples physical and mental wellbeing. It is fantastic to be able to participate in all sports throughout the calendar year, through sports such as GAA and soccer.

“I also know through my own daughters participation in soccer, that if players are to vote to play one over the other, then both codes will lose out, but in particular soccer. This would have a detrimental impact on the football clubs and their communities. Currently the way the soccer season is set up facilitates both codes which is hugely important” he said.

In the Programme for Government Fianna Fáil is committed to a range of measures to increase participation in sport, something Deputy Cleere has highlighted.

“In the Programme for Government, Fianna Fáil is committed to a range of measures to ensure there is increased participation in sport. Also highlighted in the Programme for Government is that the government will work with the GAA, IRFU, and the FAI to drive increased participation in sport.

“If the FAI is going to enforce this Calendar Year Summer Soccer season it would do the total opposite of that, particularly in rural Ireland.

Deputy Cleere believes this approach is a ‘one size fits all’ approach by the FAI, and he believes that each individual county should be able to vote on what works for them.

“The one size fits all approach by the FAI is unfair to rural Ireland who don’t have the resources and members that bigger counties have at their disposal. I am calling on the FAI to allow a vote to be taken place per county, which will allow them delegate and vote on what best suits their respective leagues,” he concluded.

ENDS