Last week, the FAI passed a motion which will see the soccer season at all levels in the country switch away from winter to a summer based system.
This will see every soccer league in the country run on a calendar year basis from 2028.
Opposition to this move see it as detrimental to rural clubs in particular as many clubs are reliant on GAA players who may not be able to play a soccer season in the summer.
However local soccer analyst Barry Ryan believes that the move will be good for soccer in the long run.
“I’ve always nailed my colours to the mast on this from a long way out that soccer needs to go summer soccer, calendar soccer.
“Everyone I talk to that has the opposite opinion, they always sight GAA and that tells me straight away that it’s the right move what we are doing because soccer has to come out from the shadows of the GAA and stop trying to worry about competing with hurling.
“Soccer has to go now and stand alone, short term pain for long term gain is how I see it and it seems to be how the FAI see it as well.”
