Major obstacles to be negotiated

Meath Chronicle reporter Jimmy Geoghegan spoke to Meath & District League secretary Gerry Gorman about almost 30 years in soccer administration. Gorman also explains why he turned down the chance to travel with the official Irish party to the 1994 World Cup finals in the USA and recounts his chastening experiences at the highest level of soccer administration in this country. While praising the efforts of a dedicated minority within local soccer circles the MDL official also expresses his concern at the reluctance of others to get involved in helping out at grassroots level. BACK in the spring and early summer of 1994 the country went hysterical with World Cup mania. Big Jack and the Boys in Green were on their way to the World Cup in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Those with even the flimsiest connection with Irish soccer wanted a piece of the action. Everyone wanted to go to the US of A and be part of the razzmatazz as the Republic of Ireland sought to make a splash on the big stage. Everyone that is, except long-serving Meath & District League (MDL) secretary Gerry Gorman. The stalwart official had a chance to go as part of the official FAI travelling party, joining Jack Charlton, Paul McGrath, Packie Bonner & Co on the great adventure. As a member of the FAI Senior Council, Gorman was automatically in line for a coveted seat on the plane across the Atlantic. When some people were re-mortgaging their houses and selling the family silverware to get a piece of the action Stateside, Gorman declined the offer that came from FAI HQ which was then at Merrion Square. Instead of a ringside view of Ray Houghton scoring against the Italians at Giants Stadium the MDL official was back home in Ireland, 3,000 miles away. Regrets? He"s has a few, but that"s not one of them. Gorman had little hesitation in saying 'NO" to the chance of going to USA "94 because, he says, he felt more than a tad 'uncomfortable' with the whole thing. He felt uneasy with the fact that the FAI were willing to spend thousands of pounds on jetting officials Stateside when the money could have been spent on much more deserving causes back home - such as improving grassroots football. That is mostly what it has been all about for Gorman in close to 30 years involvement in soccer, the grassroots game. There have been some notable achievements since the Mid-Meath League (the forerunner of the MDL) was launched on its maiden voyage in 1980. Twenty years ago the MDL took a bold step into the unknown when it purchased 22 acres of land just outside Navan. The land cost £36,000 and the purchase was to prove to be a fine piece of business. It is an indication of some perceptive forward planning by those involved with the MDL at the time. However, it wasn"t all plain-sailing. There were many rivers for the MDL to cross before they reached their goal. Some people were only too happy to give them a helping hand. Gorman picks out Michael Moran from the TSB for his 'brilliant' support in providing the finances to allow the purchase to go ahead. Obstacles were put up by others who clearly didn"t want to see soccer take a firm foothold. The MDL had shown that it was well capable of rasing funds and managing its business, but getting backing from some financial outlets proved difficult. 'It seems strange that obstacles were thrown in our way by influential people from a different bank,' Gorman told the Meath Chronicle this week as he recalled how the MDL went about achieving their dream. Now worth much, much more than the original price, the MDL sports complex contains five grass pitches and six all-weather surfaces and there are plans in the pipeline for further developments. The FAI recently agreed to grant-aid the MDL a further €90,000 for development work, although payment will depend on a number of factors and will be spread over three years. FAI chief executive John Delaney made his way to Navan to officially present the cheque last November. The Waterford man has shipped a considerable amount of stick since he took the main role at the FAI. He was particularly slated for his choice of Steve Staunton as Irish manager and just about survived a wave of anti-Delaney sentiment. Gorman says that under Delaney"s stewardship, the FAI has become a much more streamlined, efficient organisation. While all the focus is on how the national team is faring, there is a lot of good work taking place behind the scenes. The MDL official remembers the time, and it wasn"t so long ago, when the FAI was a shambles. The organisation was a by-word for bureaucratic bungling and mis-management. These are different days. 'When we brought the area that became the MDL Grounds the FAI weren"t a help, initially anyway,' stated Gorman. 'They weren"t very well organised themselves in those days, they were like a bouncing ball, all over the place. 'When we did get up and running we did get some help. Consequently, in more recent times, John Delaney has been very attentive to us, more than helpful. He pointed us in the right direction and also in terms of direct assistance he has helped us. 'Okay, he did make mistakes in appointing management at international level, but that"s only part of the picture,' added the Kilmessan native. There has been much for Gorman to reflect on with considerable satisfaction as the MDL"s 30th anniversary approaches. The MDL has become a strong organisation with the type of facilities other leagues can only look upon and grow green with envy. Then there is the way some clubs have become permanent fixtures on the local sporting landscape. 'It"s very pleasing to see the stability of a number of our clubs. They could, in some cases, rival the local GAA clubs in the sense that they are so well community-based and accepted now. 'Initially the soccer clubs might have been just seen as a passing phase,' he said. Still, there are plenty of difficulties to preoccupy Gorman and others who run the beautiful game in the Royal County. There is a growing lethargy that worries Gorman. That concern is highlighted in such events as the MDL"s popular Car Draw which is now approaching 20 years and has been a financial backbone of the organisation and the clubs since its inception. 'There are some great club officials out there. There are some that are lukewarm,' stated Gorman. 'The problem is, and it"s going to be a major problem, not just for the MDL, but for the GAA as well and most other sports, is that the same faces are left to carry the burden for far too long. Not enough new people are coming in to assist them. 'Unfortunately, we can see that when we run our annual Car Draw which has been a great success, but it could be an awful lot better if more were prepared to put in the effort and share the responsibility of making it a success. 'We have approximately 3,500 registered players and I would say if 10 per cent of those bought a ticket it would be the height of it, never mind help the hard-pressed, small number of officials who are trying to keep the show on the road.' This he sees as much of a problem in the big as the small clubs and the malaise may even lead to some of the long established outfits eventually going out of existence. 'There"s a lot of people involved in the game, mostly players, who have a very selfish attitude. 'There are quite a number who are prepared to look at the wider picture and do make the effort, unfortunately they are in the minority. 'Quite a lot of the clubs are professional in their approach to training, facilities are vastly improved on 10 or 15 years ago, but the vast majority of players don"t appreciate how this comes about and that is the challenge facing us in the immediate future,' he concluded.