Kieran Lucid Interview

ALL-ISLAND LEAGUE KIERAN LUCID

While former Minister for Tourism, Sport and Transport Shane Ross and new FAI interim CEO Gary Owens and his deputy Niall Quinn were standing on the steps of Government buildings on January 31st unveiling a new financial rescue package for the association, clubs from north and south were 50 miles away at the Crowne Plaza in Dundalk for the latest presentation by Kieran Lucid’s All-Island League Advocacy Group.

Lucid’s ambitious proposals looked dead in the water when the IFA released a statement in October of last year saying that the association was against any merger with their southern counterparts and that it would not sanction its clubs to take part in any new allisland competition.

Undeterred, however, Lucid and his team continued to explore the idea and after a meeting with the IFA, the group announced that three stakeholder meetings, facilitated by Dutch consultants Hypercube, would take place in Belfast, Dublin and Dundalk at the end of last month.

With the IFA sceptical about a unification of the leagues, alternative formats and proposals (see page 43) were presented at the Crowne Plaza with Lucid setting a deadline of the end of March for clubs to decide whether they’re in or out.

Gavin McLaughlin caught up with the Kerry entrepreneur after the meeting.

GMCL: Kieran, can I ask you what were you thinking back in October when you read the IFA statement.

KL: It was unexpected and I was disappointed but when we met with the clubs, from north and south, in Dundalk before that, they said they still wanted to be involved and we went with that. That’s what has caused us to remain with it. Hypercube have also been brilliant in that they’ve almost agreed with the IFA in that this wouldn’t be their recommendation and they’ve broadened it out to include other options. I think the IFA appreciate that Hypercube have made a strong case for change based on data. We meet the IFA again on the week of February 13th and we will keep them up to date with the process. They’re engaging with us, at least, which is a positive move but I can’t predict what will one out of it.

GMCL: You did meet with the IFA. Were they surprised by the amount of data and detail you have gone into?

KL: I’m not sure but we had a constructive meeting with them. Look, they want the best for their clubs, as we do, and I think they’re eager to see the results of the study.

GMCL: You presented a lot of different formats and scenarios today and one of the comments that really struck me was that you didn’t want to be associated with a ‘Mickey Mouse’ cross-border competition.

KL: Absolutely, I think that is a big fear. It needs to have a sporting prize at the end of it in the way of some UEFA qualification or something that gives the games some meaning, rather than just being a ceremonial tournament. We don’t want that. It’s a scale of one to 10. We want to go for 10, whereas we obviously wouldn’t go for one but we have no idea where things will land on that scale. We have to take account of not only the Irish FA’s views but the likes of the Linfield, Crusaders and Glentoran fans. They might be in a similar position to the Irish FA where they don’t want to go for the 10.

GMCL: What did you think of the Unite the Union Cup? In one sense, it showed the level that the Irish League clubs need to get to, and that might not be a bad thing, but lots of people used it as an example of why an all-island league competition just wouldn’t work.

KL: I think the Unite the Union Cup made the case for a sporting prize at the end of it, rather than it being a standalone tournament. I was slightly surprised because Linfield performed really well against Qarabag in the summer but the fact it was in the middle of the Irish League season meant their ‘bread and butter’ competitions would always take precedence.

PLENTY TO PONDER? Kieran Lucid, pictured during the All Island League Advocacy Group Meeting Stakeholders Summit in Dublin in January

ALL-ISLAND LEAGUE KIERAN LUCID

Pieter Nieuwenhuis, Director and Founder of Hypercube, speaking during the All Island League Advocacy Group Meeting at the Avivia Stadium in Dublin in January

There’s no doubt I would have hoped for a closer outcome but it hasn’t deterred us at all.

GMCL: You mentioned that you’ve met with the FAI. A lot has changed at the association since you first floated this idea and Niall Quinn obviously had his own ideas on the League of Ireland that he published last summer. What was the feedback you received from the new regime?

KL: It was a fantastic meeting, very positive, in fact. We showed them the data from the League of Ireland clubs and the case for change was very compelling. They’ve expressed an absolute desire to stay involved in the process. Hypercube will be coming over for four more visits between now and the end of March and we’ll be meeting the FAI again in the next couple of weeks.

GMCL: You’ve set a deadline for the end of March. Is that realistic?

KL: That’s when we’ll have the results of the studies. It will then be up to the clubs what they want to do, if they want to go via the football authorities and UEFA to seek permission to bring change about.

GMCL: Will you be glad to see the end of it, one way or another?

KL: It has been tough going. When we were in Northern Ireland, Hypercube was going to use unfortunate the analogy that I’m a layman in the church of football and only the cardinals and the pope can decide! I was like, ‘do not say that!’ It does ring true a little bit, though. I am a layman in the football world and there is only so much an independent group like ours can do. We are here because we believe in the project. There’s nothing in it for us. We have no dog in the race, professionally. At some stage it will be down to the clubs and associations to say ‘yes there is something here’ and then we’ll exit stage left.

GMCL: To me, it feels like it’s now or never for this concept. Would you share that view? I do. I think the FAI’s difficulties have presented an opportunity and the fact that the Irish League clubs have dropped their coefficient and are going to lose a place focusses the mind. The fact they’ll only have three European spots now is going to hit the clubs in the north hard. If either league were to make some improvements it might give them more reason not to do something but now is a very good time. We don’t want to miss this window of opportunity.