MARC CANHAM opened a media briefing yesterday with a joke.
He said: “I put up a Powerpoint slide because I know you all know I love Powerpoints.”
It was a clear reference to Shamrock Rovers’ boss Stephen Bradley saying that “Football isn’t about Powerpoint presentations, it’s about people and connections”.
Bradley did not mention FAI chief football officer Canham by name in February — but no one in football doubted that he was one of the people he had in mind.
Through authoring the Football Pathways Plan, and Heimir Hallgrimsson’s long and drawn-out appointment, Canham has become a public figure — and a lightning rod for criticism.
He said: “I understand the role I’m in. It’s a high-profile role and I actually enjoy that responsibility.
“Do I enjoy getting so much criticism? Not necessarily — but I genuinely believe in what we’re trying to do.
“I know the role comes with scrutiny. I’m a steady, calm character.
“Would I like people to be speaking more positively? Yes, I’m only human.”
For Irish football which chronically needs investment and change, and needed them yesterday, patience is often thin on the ground.
But the FAI CFO warned that there was no quick fix.
League of Ireland clubs need financial support — around €8million a year — to put in place the type of quality academies that will help develop the next generation of Irish footballers, both male and female.
But Canham warned that even if the Government turned on the tap today, it would likely be 18 months before academies would be up and running fully.
He remains hopeful that State funding will be secured this year, with a meeting with the Government scheduled for next week.
But he also confirmed that an audit of club academies will not be completed for another few months — and it is hard to envisage funding being approved before then.
Given the FAI missed the deadline to apply for support from the Brexit Readjustment Fund, clubs are growing impatient when everyone accepts any delay damages the game.
This is why the FAI proposed a National Pathways Programme, a way of bringing the best players in for extra contact hours that they cannot get at academies at the moment.
But the League of Ireland clubs rejected the move, calling it “poorly conceived” and not warranting “any serious consideration”.
ONLY FOR SHORT-TERM
Canham, however, stressed that the plan is only intended to be short-term until the club-led academy system is fully operational — and is necessary to bridge the gap for kids now.
He said: “This has come up in the media and is being talked about in a certain way, but I personally am very comfortable with the process.
“We have to take some action to give the volume and quality of coaching that these young players need.
“Think of Evan Ferguson, one of the last players to move before Brexit kicked in. Compare him as a 17-year-old to a 17-year-old now.
“We have said we won’t launch the programme until clubs are comfortable with it.
“We fundamentally believe that clubs should have a club-led player development model and that will ultimately create the sustainable success that we need.”
But without the funding, there is frustration.
Canham insisted that work continues and an education strategy will be announced soon — though it will not be the scholarship scheme funded by Ireland players announced in 2023.
That scheme, which would have seen current and former internationals such as Gavin Bazunu, Séamus Coleman and James McClean provide backing, never happened.
Canham said: “We did create timelines to achieve that, that obviously didn’t go at a speed that the players were hoping (for), and the structure wasn’t what they wanted it to be, and they decided to step away.
“We remain open to those conversations with those players or other players if they want to come and work directly with us.”
He has also faced flak over how former women’s assistant manager Colin Healy did not have his FAI contract renewed.
The ex-Celtic player has since lodged a complaint about his treatment.
While Canham said he regretted how the exit played out on a “human” level, he rejected claims he had verbally assured Healy he would get a new contract.
