The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has voted to align its soccer calendar with the summer season, aiming for a complete transition by 2028. The move will see the traditional winter season shift to a March-November schedule, aligning Ireland with most of Europe.
The Football Association of Ireland ( FAI ) general assembly voted to introduce a calendar in which the sport – across professional, amateur and underage leagues – will align by 2028, shifting the season’s focus from winter to summer. Calendar-year soccer, or summer soccer as it’s known, broadly runs from March until November, as opposed to the existing schedule which runs from August to May. Grassroots teams in Ireland , with some exceptions, traditionally play their seasons over winter.
The FAI is keen to sync the 72 leagues across all levels along summer lines. Ireland is an outlier in Europe as the only one of UEFA’s 55 organisations without an aligned calendar. A key pillar of the FAI’s Football Pathways Plan is the mantra “more football in better weather”. The plan was announced in February; the 12-year pathway project is in conjunction with the FAI’s €863 million facility investment vision and strategy. The FAI general assembly was held at the Carlton Hotel in Blanchardstown, Dublin. All but three of the 135 delegates cast their vote, with some voting online. The motion was passed – 74 voting in favour, 56 against.The result caused some ire. For example, League of Ireland premier division sides – which in theory have no skin in the game give the league already follows a summer schedule – had two votes each whereas, say, the Dublin District Schoolboy’s League, which caters for almost 50,000 children, had just one vote. “I’m flabbergasted. We didn’t expect the ‘yes’ vote,” says Brian O’Reilly, secretary of Carlow & District Football League. “All 28 clubs in our league rejected it. It’s not just players, it’s coaches and volunteers involved in other sports. Over 70 per cent of coaches coach hurling, rugby, football alongside soccer. This clash won’t work. Holiday season is also an issue. Clubs use summer months to host camps, which is a big revenue strea
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