david_smith
Roddy Collins has launched a scathing attack on the FAI, claiming that the organization “don’t care about the League of Ireland.”
The former League of Ireland player and manager also criticized Jonathon Gabay’s controversial ‘League of Ireland Branding Report,’ and claimed that Dundalk “have done more for the league” than the FAI.
“The FAI don’t care about the League of Ireland. Â The League is dead in the water,” he told Newstalk this morning.
“Nothing’s changed since I played. It never changes but we can’t stop trying.
“The €5,000 they gave during the year was embarrassing. John Delaney is a great man for Irish football on the international scale. But it’s Michael D that’s a League of Ireland man.
“Dundalk FC have done more for the League than the FAI. They won’t repeat their European adventure, because they’ve lost their two best players.
“People don’t want to go to games. If I’m bringing in family from America, and Bohs are playing Rovers the following day, I’ll take them up to St. Mochta’s or Bluebell. I’ve seen more people at their games than some League matches.”
The 55 year old also ridiculed Gabay’s branding report, which was presented at the Aviva Stadium earlier this week.
“This was supernanny stuff for the ‘problem child’. Absolutely ridiculous. Instead of giving this man a chunk of money, the heads of the FAI should’ve sat down with the honchos of the GAA and the IRFU and asked ‘How can we market this better?’
Collins also suggested that the league could learn a lot from the promotion and hype that Conor McGregor generates.
“Look at Conor McGregor. Ireland’s most admired sport star, the RTE Sports Person of the Year and he’s only in the octagon for minutes every couple of months! His fights are always events. That’s what we need to make League of Ireland games.”
