Landscape of Irish football has changed and Marc Canham's replacement must reflect that
TIMING IS EVERYTHING and Tuesday's announcement from the FAI that Marc Canham will be leaving his role as chief football officer in three months fell nicely.
That's because FAI chief executive David Courell had been pencilled in well in advance for a media briefing the following day.
The perfect chance to get a swift reaction and follow up to the story of the week.
Sceptics who wondered if the date in the diary would be re-arranged at short notice were left disappointed when Courell duly met journalists on Wednesday. He insisted it would be 'irresponsible' to limit the successor options.
'Am I exclusively going to say the search is restricted to these shores? No, we need to make sure we make the right appointment. If that person is Irish, then fantastic. But I am not going to close off, that would be irresponsible of us to do. We have to find the right person for the role.'
This was the last in a round of appointments between senior FAI figures and the media. In the first one, held with Canham at the end of last month, he was asked about his future with the association.
'I don't look too far,' he said. 'In terms of our [pathways] plan and our vision, it's 12 years and there are loads of things to do but in terms of my own self, I don't look too far in the future.'
Less than one month later – after League of Ireland academy director Will Clarke and grassroots director Ger McDermott had carried out their presentations – his exit was confirmed.
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Sources indicate that Canham feels his true legacy for Irish football won't be felt for years, which will be a handy reference point should he be asked about his achievements in potential job interviews to come.
Packie Bonner, based in Scotland but an independent board director who oversees the high-performance element of football operations for the FAI, has been a strong advocate for the work Canham was undertaking.
So too FAI president Paul Cooke, who wrote in his programme notes ahead of the Uefa Nations League promotion/relegation play-off with Bulgaria last month about the Government backing for the League of Ireland and academy funding.
'Those two areas deserve State support, I make no apology for restating that aspiration. The League of Ireland is thriving but maintaining that momentum requires Exchequer support now, not down the road, as we look to produce the international footballers, male and female, of the future.'
Courell was equally forthright. 'The League of Ireland Academies continue to be a focus for the association and as recent weeks have shown a key point of debate.
'This is entirely appropriate as LOI academies will be the source of players for the Irish international team going forward and will define the next generation of talent, and we're working hard to secure the funding the academy structure needs in this country to produce that talent.'
Perhaps Bonner's stance on player development in this country has shifted dramatically since that infamous interview in which he said that Celtic 'should have a club over there. We should have a club in the League of Ireland and run the whole thing'.
But setting this context is even more important now as the FAI begins the search for Canham's replacement, and those in power now seem to fully understand the importance of the professional game in this country.
When the above is written down in black and white it seems even more staggering to think it was never the case previously.
Clarke detailed in his own presentation how the FAI want to provide a refined plan to the Government by 15 August for funding of up to €8 million per year on a phased basis for League of Ireland academies.
He said that State support would be for an 11-year period with investment tapering off from 2030. The hope is to secure the money as part of October's Budget ahead of the 2026 season.
Courell reinforced that on Wednesday, and it's clear from the public statements made that the remit of the chief footballer officer must now have the League of Ireland and the development of academies at the very core of the job specification.
There can be no ambiguity or middle ground, especially when Courell, the person at the top of the organisation, states so clearly that 'LOI academies will be the source of players for the Irish international team going forward and will define the next generation of talent.'
The CEO did offer a glimpse into some of the Government's reticence. 'Their nervousness and questions primarily centre around investing into private enterprises. It's not something governments normally do and we want to work with them and clubs to give them the comfort and confidence.'
Although such concerns are hard to stomach considering – and this is just one example – the 2025 Budget confirmed State funding of €79.28m to horse racing.
What happened next?
Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) increased its prize money by €1 million from last year to €70.9m.
For Irish football, though, it is absolutely critical to get someone who is capable of looking beyond what the League of Ireland is now and realising what it needs to become for the future of international teams.
Shamrock Rovers boss Stephen Bradley spoke ahead of his side's Premier Division game with Shelbourne tonight and made it clear becoming CFO is not the kind of career change that he's interested in.
'No. No, my job is this focusing on us winning the title back, progressing in Europe, improving. I'm 40, I'm a manager. I've made no secret of what I want to do in management and that hasn't changed,' he said.
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'It's important to understand the landscape of Irish football and where it is, and more importantly understand where the Government is and the feelings towards everything surrounding releasing that funding, that's really important obviously. I would think it's quite obvious that the person who takes that job would understand the landscape of where everything is.'
Closer to home for Bradley, Rovers CEO John Martin will be leaving the club at the end of August and will undoubtedly be someone in the mix to take over from Canham. Especially when you consider the crossover appeal of an operator who is a former player, worked in financial services, and has had dealings with those in the upper echelons of Government when he was one of the key architects in reclassifying Rovers' academy as a childcare provider to unlock vital funds.
Such innovative work is continuing behind the scenes at Rovers – and elsewhere around the country – and someone coming in cold to the demands of the environment at the FAI will only serve to halt progress even further.
'We're really good as a nation being open to high quality people, Irish or wherever they're from, so I wouldn't say they have to be Irish but they must understand Irish football,' Bradley said.
'Irish football is like no other. The landscape is completely different to any other country because of the factions around the country. If someone doesn't understand that and thinks they can pay lip service by just washing over it, that's not this country.
'Others might work that way but we're unique in how we operate and all of that deserves to shown respect by the new person. I'm sure decisions have to be made that won't make everybody happy, as before, and that's fine but conversations need to be had and the factions listened to.'
Plenty will have their say but what the FAI do next with this appointment is of greatest importance.

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Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Ireland battle but fall short against World No.1 Netherlands in close first encounter
Netherlands 2-0 Ireland Ireland resumed their FIH Pro League season with a close encounter against World No.1 and Olympic champions the Netherlands in Amstelveen. A strong performance from a battling Ireland saw them enjoy long periods of possession and create several chances in front of goal. However, two fortunate goals for the Netherlands saw the home side secure a 2-0 win. The Netherlands threatened from early in the match, with defender Lee Cole called into action almost immediately to clear the ball off the line from an early chance. Ireland responded positively, holding possession well and managing to progress into the Dutch final third, with Ben Walker making his way into the circle, followed by a blocked shot from Alistair Empey. Ireland continued to dominate possession, but a rare chance for the Dutch called Jaime Carr into action to make a smart save. Thierry Brinkman thought he had broken the deadlock with a reverse stick shot but Ireland immediately opted to refer for backstick, which the video umpire agreed with chalking the goal off, seeing the sides end the opening quarter locked at 0-0. Early Dutch pressure again forced Ireland to defend resolutely, answering any questions asked from them. Luke Madeley responded by dribbling out of defence to break the Dutch press, allowing Ireland to mount an attack that ended in Ali Empey drawing a clumsy challenge and winning the first penalty corner of the tie. Luke Madeley's subsequent effort was well blocked by the Dutch first runner. Ireland continued to ask questions of the Dutch, with incisive runs from Fearghus Gibson and Daragh Walsh providing chances. However, a controversial penalty corner for the Netherlands offered them a chance to open the scoring, which Luke Dommershuijzen dispatched to score his first senior goal. Late pressure from the Netherlands in the first half threatened to widen the gap, but a superb block from Matthew Nelson and further defending denied them their second as the sides went into the break. Ireland got the second half underway and immediately looked to attack. Positive play in the final third led to a shot from Lee Cole inside the first minute, but his strike was deemed dangerous, and the Netherlands were given a free out. Patience in possession for Ireland continued to pay dividends, as Matthew Nelson attacked the circle and was unlucky not to get an outcome. The Netherlands, however, showed their goalscoring prowess to double their lead from their first chance of the second half, Steijn van Heijningen deflecting the ball into the net with the deftest of touches. Ireland, though, were determined to continue their positive performance, immediately winning a penalty corner which, again, the Netherlands defended well. Ireland followed this up with another well-worked attacking move which, again, the Dutch cleared. A late flurry of penalty corners before the end of the third quarter called the Irish defence into action again, denying the hosts on three occasions to keep the score at 2-0 at the end of quarter 3. The Netherlands found a higher gear in the final quarter, enjoying longer periods of pressure and manufacturing a handful of shots at goal which Jaime Carr was alive to. Ireland's determination would continue to show with Ali Empey winning Ireland their third penalty corner of the game. Lee Cole's resulting effort was saved and cleared. A penalty corner for the Netherlands inside the final five minutes offered the last moment of note of the game, with Jaime Carr again making a save, to see the game finish in a two-nil win for the Dutch, with the result seeing them extend their lead at the top of the FIH Pro League table to 7 points. The pair will meet again tomorrow, June 12, at 7pm.

The 42
2 hours ago
- The 42
Minimal change in low-key squad announcement for Ireland's US summer tests
THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS low-key, the squad itself not straying too far from recent iterations after all. It was released through FAI social media channels at noon, while a press release landed in journalists' inboxes. There was no press conference with head coach Carla Ward, as is customary; some quotes instead circulated for use as the 23-player selection for a friendly double-header against the US was unveiled. Katie McCabe's unavailability was flagged last week, the captain rested after a hectic season which culminated in Champions League glory with Arsenal. Ward stated McCabe was 'on the verge of burnout' after the Nations League group finale against Slovenia, and suggested 'a number' of other players would not travel Stateside for the off-season series. More change was probably anticipated than followed, Ward selecting a relatively familiar squad as Ireland build towards their Nations League play-off with Belgium in October. Eight players were listed by the FAI as unavailable, four of them long-term injury absentees in Jamie Finn, Jess Ziu, Lily Agg and Tara O'Hanlon. Heather Payne and Leanne Kiernan had both been ruled out of the last camp, while Aoife Mannion joined the captain as the other name: the Manchester United defender played the first half of the Türkiye game, but didn't feature against Slovenia as her load — and a quad knock — was managed. Aside from the now-retired Louise Quinn, Shelbourne's Aoibheann Clancy was the only other player from the last squad not included following a recent bereavement. 'The WNT players and staff send their condolences to midfielder Aoibheann Clancy following the passing of her mother, Siobhan. She is being given the time to deal with this difficult period and has the full support of the WNT squad,' read the press release. Advertisement Hayley Nolan and Izzy Atkinson (centre) return to the squad. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO Ellen Molloy, Hayley Nolan and Izzy Atkinson were the three headline inclusions. Molloy and Nolan receive their first call-ups under Ward. Molloy has been impressing in the SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division since returning to Wexford, and now gets a fresh opportunity with Ireland. The 21-year-old midfielder was a regular under Vera Pauw, before an ACL injury interrupted her rise. A move to Championship outfit Sheffield United followed, and Molloy won her first senior cap since 2022 in last October's Euro 2025 playoff semi-final against Georgia. Another injury followed, she left Sheffield in January after four months due to personal reasons, and has been thriving amid home comforts. Nolan is back in the fold for the first time since late 2023 under Eileen Gleeson, having last played for Ireland in the pre-World Cup friendlies against the US. It's a full circle moment for the Crystal Palace defender, who has see-sawed between fine form and injury in recent times. 'Hayley has been unlucky to miss out on being included in recent squads, simply because we have a lot of competition for places at centre-back,' said Ward. 'We have kept an eye on her at club level, I've spoken with her managers and also had conversations with her. So we are excited to bring Hayley in and give her a chance.' There notable change is in defence, in the absence of first-choice full-backs McCabe and Mannion. Atkinson gets the nod as another left-sided option alongside Megan Campbell and Chloe Mustaki, while right-back is an area in which Ireland currently lack choice. Mannion appeared to nail down the position through the Nations League, though is naturally a centre-back. Jessie Stapleton deputised against Slovenia and will most likely have to do so again without injured duo Payne and Finn, but Nolan's versatility could also be useful. Expect huge competition at centre-half: there's a spot up for grabs for the first leg against Belgium with Anna Patten suspended, and no shortage of contenders. The rest of the squad runs along the same lines as the last, with no change in the goalkeeping department and Molloy added to a midfield selection spearheaded by Denise O'Sullivan, who will be stand-in captain. 'Ellen is a player who we have been tracking closely,' said Ward. 'She has done well for Wexford over the last two months and has been on the longlist for our squads, so we needed an opportunity to take a closer look at her in our environment and this is it. 'We know how talented Ellen is but it's how she can adapt that to international level is what we need to look at. I watched her when she was with Sheffield United and we've been watching her at Wexford, so we want to see how she gets on during this camp.' There's also continuity in attack, all who featured in the last window returning. New recruit Erin Healy is recalled, and could win her first cap in her country of birth. Atkinson is actually listed as a forward. The 23-year-old Dubliner gets a fresh international opportunity following her departure from Crystal Palace. She was in Ward's first squad where 'tough love' was offered after falling 'out of favour' at Palace, but was left out thereafter. Related Reads Recalls and absentees as Ireland squad named for US friendlies Have expectations been set too high for Ireland after mixed Nations League group? Like Molloy and Nolan, the 2023 World Cup bolter will be looking to get back in the picture. Ireland head coach Carla Ward. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO Further experimentation with new faces, like younger and domestic talent, may have been hoped for in some quarters, but Ward sticks with pretty settled squad as the Belgium play-off looms large. The US provide formidable competition as the world number one, reigning Olympic champions and four-time World Cup winners. Their European-based players will be rested, but Emma Hayes still has an abundance of top stars to choose from. Ward cites her as a mentor and close friend and has unique insight, having worked in the set-up at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as a scout and performance analyst. Now, she leads Ireland into their 16th and 17th meetings with the US in Denver (Thursday 26 June) and Cincinnati (Thursday 29 June). 'We know how good USA are, they've always been world-class but I believe Emma has taken them to another level and that's why this is a great test for us. To be coming up against the very best is a good opportunity for us,' said Ward. 'When these games were first proposed to us we knew that we would be without certain players, but that opens the door for others to step up. 'Of course you always want to win games but, for me, the most important aspect of these two games will be the performance and continuing to implement our processes. 'These two fixtures will be our final preparation, in terms of games, before we take on Belgium in October, so we want to make the most of these opportunities.'

The 42
2 hours ago
- The 42
US Open: Scheffler the man to beat, Lowry better primed than distracted McIlroy
YOU'LL BE HEARING a lot this week about 'the greatest test in golf', as the organisers of the US Open take their historic championship back to Oakmont in Pittsburgh, whose founding principle was to be the most challenging golf course in America. And so the 2025 US Open may cross the threshold from test to outright trial. The rough is long and knottier than the tree lights you took down from your attic last Christmas; the greens are slippery and more sloped than even those at Augusta National; and the eighth hole is the longest par-three in major championship history. Speaking on Golf Channel on Tuesday, the long-serving former head pro Bob Ford was asked to describe the typical member at Oakmont. 'Sadistic', he replied. The whole set-up is designed, ultimately, to have pro golfers break out in the kind of cold sweats they otherwise reserve for the prospect of a tougher tax regime in Florida. Jon Rahm said on Tuesday he expects the winning score to be over-par if the rain stays away. Rory McIlroy played a practice round last Monday week and birdied the final two holes to card an 81. While the course has been deluged by rain in the weeks leading up to the tournament, the forecast for the opening days of action is more agreeable, although the weekend face the risk of disruption from thunderstorms. Without this rain, says McIlroy, the course would have been 'impossible.' There are only two Irish golfers in the field, as all of Seamus Power, Graeme McDowell, Tom McKibbin and Padraig Harrington failed to make it through qualifying. Organisers have handily paired them together, and so McIlroy and Shane Lowry will play alongside each other and Justin Rose, teeing off early on Thursday and among the late wave on Friday. McIlroy playing alongside Rose evokes easily-accessed memories of the Masters, and trust McIlroy to take the aftermath as interesting as it could possibly have been. He spoke from Augusta in April of feeling freed from the burden of his long major drought; McIlroy was, in his own words, now playing with house money. Er, not so. He barely made the cut at a bizarrely surly PGA Championship, at which he swerved media interviews amid annoyance at the leaking of the fact he had to change his non-conforming driver, and then missed the cut by a mile at last week's Canadian Open with what was, in strokes gained terms, the second-worst round of his career. McIlroy missed the cut the last time this tournament was held at Oakmont, which started a three-year run of missed cuts at the US Open. His reaction to this run is one of the more underrated aspects of his career, and he has been freakishly consistent at the tournament since. He has been in the top-10 in each of the last six years, finishing as runner-up in each of the last two editions. Advertisement Maintaining that consistency this week rests on him finding form off the tee. His driving accuracy across each of his last three events has been abysmal, and a failure to find fairways at Oakmont will mean an early end to his challenge. Having tried a new driver in Canada, McIlroy has switched up his equipment once again this week. 'I feel a little better with the driver over the weekend at home and even today playing a practice round, so hopefully I can hit a few more fairways than I have been hitting and give myself some opportunities', said McIlroy at his Tuesday afternoon press conference. A bigger question is the inner drive. McIlroy admitted ahead of the Canadian Open he had been finding it hard to have the same motivation to grind on the range now that he's achieved all he had set out to do. Speaking to the press this week, McIlroy didn't give the impression of a man who has re-fixed a maniacal focus on golf. 'I think chasing a certain goal for the better part of a decade and a half, I think I'm allowed a little bit of time to relax a little bit. But here at Oakmont, I certainly can't relax this week', before then talking of how one of his goals this year was to take up more hobbies and see more of the world, and so he's joined caddie Harry Diamond and manager Niall O'Connor for their on-the-road tennis matches. His playing partner, by contrast, arrives in much more consistent form, albeit appearing increasingly tortured by his inability to get over the line on Sunday. Lowry had a galling close shave at the Truist Championship the week before the PGA Championship, at which he missed the cut on one of his least favourite courses on Earth. He made a stunning Sunday start in Canada last week – five-under through his first four holes – only to cool off too early to catch the later starters. Lowry is less daunted than most by Oakmont, where in 2016 he took a four-shot lead into the final day only to shoot a round of six-over 76 to finish in a tie for second, three shots off winner Dustin Johnson. Lowry is a much better player now, though, and this is a course which will reward his accuracy off the tee – where he ranks among the top-30 on the PGA Tour – along with the quality of his iron play and his hands around the green, where greenside rough will reward only the very best. His contention will rest, though, on how he performs on the greens: he has shown an ability to catch fire with his putter, but these sprawling, sloping greens are redolent of those at Augusta National, on which Lowry has occasionally struggled. That said, Lowry arrives in a better position to contend than McIlroy. Their biggest issue for all may not be the brute of the course, but Scottie Scheffler. Having made a slow(ish) start to the season after hand surgery in the off-season, Scheffler is once again the dominant man in the sport: he has won on three of his last four starts and arrives exuding that air of apparent invincibility. Given Scheffler's awesome form, the brutality of the Oakmont test may ultimately be a favour to everybody else in the field. Scheffler has never won this championship, though victory this week will see him rocking up to Portrush next month seeking to complete the career Grand Slam. Scottie Scheffler: 2025 PGA Championship winner. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Who can stop him? Jon Rahm finally returned to relevance at a major championship with his Sunday charge at Quail Hollow, where his finishing score did not reflect the pressure he exerted on Scheffler. He has the muscle to deal with the Oakmont rough, along with the form to compete. Bryson DeChambeau has meanwhile 3D-printed a new set of irons in the hope he can successfully defend his title this week: at the Masters and Quail Hollow, he contended despite his ball-striking, rather than because of it. Oakmont, though, is going to be too tough to hide any aspect of your game. DeChambeau is now undoubtedly the most popular player in the game, thanks mainly to his YouTube videos, which he says has given him a new lease of life on the course. 'I view my legacy as not just winning golf tournaments', DeChambeau told the press on Tuesday. 'I view it as how much good can I do for the game outside of playing professionally. That's a metric that I hold myself up to. 'The start is YouTube, but there is so much more that's coming down the line, and that's also what gets me up every day, as well.' Elsewhere within that press conference he began some megaphone negotiations with LIV over a contract renewal – 'They see the value in me. I see the value in what they can provide' – explained if he hadn't been a golfer he would be working on how AI will be integrated into biomechanics and hailed his own business sense with the deathless line that his Crushers LIV team have been 'EBIDTA positive for the past two years.' (LIV golf is hardly leaning into the traditional partisanship of other team sports. EBIDTA positive. . . you'll never sing that.') DeChambeau will be the most popular man on the golf course, though Scheffler is, as ever, the man to beat. The greater the test, the more likely the best player is to emerge from the field. And the best player by a street is Scottie Scheffler. Tips Gavin Cooney A winner not named Scottie Scheffler: Jon Rahm (9/1) A solid, make-your-money-back e/w bet: Harris English (55/1) A wild outsider who might make you a fortune: Aaron Rai (75/1) Fintan O'Toole A winner not named Scottie Scheffler: Xander Schuaffele (18/1) A solid, make-your-money-back e/w bet: Harris English (55/1) A wild outsider who might make you a fortune: Rasmus Hojgaard (150/1)