The FAI have warned us that time is critical regarding government funding for academies. So can someone tell me why everyone from the FAI was not in the Press conference room to discuss the funding issue on Tuesday in Abbotstown? Politicians need to be told on a daily, if not an hourly, basis that they cannot compromise on the funding they have promised. Otherwise our international teams, who are so crucial to the feel good factor of our nation, will inevitably suffer. Good old Will Clarke led the presentation. He seems like a nice lad. But where does the League of Ireland academy development manager fit in on Micheal Martin’s thought schedule? I don’t really want to guess the answer to that question. Was Heimir Hallgrimsson there? Or what about Packie Bonner? No, no sign of our Italia 90 hero, either. Our top brilliant coaches, such as Damien Duff, Stephen Bradley, Stephen Kenny, were not there. They should have been. Can you imagine this government treating their favourite elitist sports, such as rugby and horseracing, the way they treat soccer? Were all the academy managers from around Ireland there? But it was dead nice of the FAI Chief Executive, David Courrell, to pop into the room and shake a lot of journalists by the hand. That’s superb leadership. I have to wonder if this press conference was simply a case of ticking a box? Apparently the government are going to analyse the situation. So rather than keep their promise they are instead just going to keep us hanging on. And I reckon they will come up with some ham-fisted compromise that will equate to a disgraceful neglect of our beautiful game. What worries me is the possibility of the FAI hiding behind what is going on in other European pathways instead of understanding that the Irish football market is different. We have to show it is a lazy lie to say we are all divided. Still we have to come together like never before. The government has to see we are different. It has to see that the League of Ireland has been a huge success story, a story that brings communities together. That is why we should have a loud and unstoppable noise so that this government hears what we have to say and then corrects the injustice. I salute the Taoiseach for finally showing up to watch Cork City. But let’s hope Packie Bonner starts going to League of Ireland games every week. Let’s hope we see Hallgrimsson week after week at League of Ireland games. I want to see those men match the passion of our top managers like Damien Duff. The only power that will work is if everyone in Irish football comes together and speaks with one voice. That message will ultimately get through to the government. The shoddy, significant deadline is August 15 when the government will issue a report on academy funding. What exactly is this deadline? It looks absurd that there is one. What there should be is funding. What we need is an Academy Day when councils and TDs from right across our island see that we are not divided. This issue, after Brexit, is so important. The government needs to see us all together, to reach the same agreement and speak with one voice. Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.