ACADEMY CHANGES ARE NEEDED OR ELST IRELAND WON'T FULFIL POTENTIAL

THE author of a new report into League of Ireland academies has delivered a scathing assessment of the miscommunication that exists within Irish clubs.

- By GARRY DOYLE

Dutchman Hans Vander Elst, who works for consultancy firm Double Pass, was commissioned by the FAI to conduct a footballing audit of the 20 League of Ireland clubs.

The results concluded that:

* LOI Academies have a narrower player base than international benchmarks.

* Female player pathway is underdeveloped.

* Absence of female teams before Under-12 and low numbers thereafter show a significant structural gap compared to international standards.

* Male pathway is consistently below global benchmarks.

Vander Elst has two key recommendations.

The first is for a Government injection of cash which HAS be safeguarded and provided solely to clubs’ underage section and secondly, he feels clubs need a shift in mindset.