Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories The Kennedy and Gaynor Cups are due to be played in June.Tom Maher/INPHO Freecivil war brewing SFAI accuse FAI of pulling funding for Kennedy and Gaynor Cups over summer soccer row A rift is brewing between the FAI and their largest affiliate. 3.24pm, 11 Apr 2025 Share options Gavin Cooney THE SCHOOLBOYS/GIRLS’ FOOTBALL Association of Ireland (SFAI) has accused the FAI of withdrawing funding for their marquee Kennedy and Gaynor Cup competitions amid the wider row about a proposed move to an aligned calendar season. The SFAI says the lack of funding from the FAI means leagues’ entry fees for each competition will sharply rise from €2,000 to €5,400 per competition. In correspondence to their affiliated leagues last week, seen by The 42, SFAI chairman Padraic Clarke wrote that progress on securing the FAI’s portion of funding for the competition had “stalled”, and that conversations were mostly centred on the FAI’s pathways plan and its recommendation that the whole of the game move to an aligned calendar. Clarke wrote the main questions raised included, “What steps is the SFAI taking to align national competitions with the ‘calendar season’ model?”, and “How do we plan to implement the FPP as a whole?” “It was made clear that funding is contingent on addressing these points – there was no ambiguity around it all,” claimed Clarke. Advertisement The 42 asked the FAI whether the SFAI’s allegation is true, but they declined to comment. The representative Kennedy and Gaynor Cups are U14 competitions and are held at the University of Limerick. This year’s editions are slated to run from 9 to 13 June. The Kennedy and Gaynor Cups have a rich history and traditionally attracted scouts from across the UK and beyond to assess young talent. Their lustre have dimmed in recent years, partly owing to the impact of Brexit along with other internal issues, one of which led the DDSL – the most successful side in the history of the Kennedy Cup – to be denied entry to last year’s competition. In his letter to affiliates, Clarke said the SFAI are “navigating a complex situation with multiple pressures,” in relation to running the competitions without FAI funding, and say the additional financial ask of competing leagues is something “have been striving to avoid and never wished to encounter.” Citing increased accommodation costs, the SFAI have told leagues that the basic cost per team has now risen to €2,400, with another €3,000 also necessary in absence of the FAI’s funding. These figures were confirmed by Clarke in a subsequent letter to affiliates this week, in which he apologised for the length of his initial email. “Apologies if it was overly long – it was meant to keep everyone informed, though it may have included a hint of venting,” wrote Clarke. In his initial email, Clarke said the SFAI support the “overall vision” of the FAI’s Pathways Plan, but added the SFAI “believe that beginning with an enforced aligned season is counterproductive, it has uncorked overwhelming anger and created an atmosphere that’s impossible to work in.” Moving the underage and adult amateur seasons in line with the League of Ireland season is a key piece of the FAI’s new player pathways plan. Ireland is the only country in Europe which runs different calendars at different levels of the game, and the FAI want to align the calendars to create a unified football pyramid at senior level along with providing more opportunities for players to play at all levels. Certain clubs and leagues across the country have met the move with strong opposition, citing concerns about a loss of players if soccer is pitted head-to-head with the GAA season. The pathways plan and aligned calendar move was approved unanimously approved by the FAI board – which includes elected representatives from the SFAI – and then passed by a slim majority at a vote among the FAI’s General Assembly. There are currently 22 leagues playing the aligned calendar in Ireland, with another 47 playing the winter season. Twelve of those 47 are moving to the aligned calendar, with 35 currently not budging. Gavin Cooney Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “SFAI accuse FAI of pulling funding for Kennedy and Gaynor Cups over summer soccer row”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “SFAI accuse FAI of pulling funding for Kennedy and Gaynor Cups over summer soccer row”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Civil Unrest civil war brewing News in 60 seconds Shamrock Rovers CEO John Martin to leave club this August 58 mins ago Freelike a fine wine TJ Reid suggests he could play until 40 as he seeks to 'inspire people' Nankivell returns in Munster team as Carbery misses out for Bordeaux FreeReady to go Connacht make 5 changes for Racing 92 clash AnalysisThe Masters How Rory McIlroy's dream Masters start unravelled Gavin Cooney FreeKevin Feely 'It wouldn't be the end of the world if we do end up in a Tailteann Cup' FreePodcastThe 42 Rugby Weekly UNLOCKED FOR FREE | Quarter-final preview dotted line Ben Healy signs contract extension with Edinburgh Late Late Show 95th-minute goal leaves Man United frustrated in Lyon Nankivell returns in Munster team as Carbery misses out for Bordeaux The Masters Two double-bogeys prove costly for McIlroy as Lowry finishes with important birdie more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account