Dave O'Connor Column: We need to use this platform to reignite the debate for change

‘Books should go where they are most appreciated, and not sit unread, gathering dust on a forgotten shelf, don’t you agree?’.

In all likelihood, the above quote from American author Christopher Paolini, will not be familiar to most, nor will it have any immediate relevance to an article about the League of Ireland. That’s fair enough. Paolini’s field of expertise is in the genre of Fantasy novels. Again, I forgive those reading this who may not have known that!

However, Paolini’s quote inspired me to pull out and dust down a piece of work which everyone reading this article should be far more familiar with. Or perhaps, maybe not. Sadly, for the past 13 months it seems that the FAI’s Conroy Report has seemingly been sitting on a forgotten shelf, unread. Unlike Paolini’s work, the Conroy Report is not of the Fantasy genre. Although its apparent disappearance from the public spotlight over the last year would perhaps suggest it is!

The report, commissioned by the FAI and complied by Declan Conroy, provided a much welcomed, in-depth and extensive review of the League of Ireland. It was published in August 2015 and put forward some useful suggestions regarding the restructuring of the League and the marketing and promotion of the League, among other issues surrounding the product of the League of Ireland as a whole. Much discussion and debate followed in the immediate aftermath of its publication. However, within a few weeks these debates and discussions became almost non-existent.

The Conroy Report concluded that ‘the League has significant untapped potential’ and that by focusing the combined resources of the FAI, the clubs, national government and other agencies that ‘the League’s future potential can be realised’. The report goes on to put forward a series of short, medium and long-term strategies which, if implemented, will undoubtedly aid the League in realizing this potential. However, in the 13 months since its publication, there is scant evidence of these strategies actually being implemented.

I believe that League of Ireland football has witnessed two very memorable highlights in the last few months which have provided evidence of the vast ‘untapped potential’ that our League has to offer. Firstly, the 2016 European Championship, where an incredible eight ex-League of Ireland players were integral members of an Irish squad that reached the last 16 of the tournament. Secondly, and as recently as the present, Dundalk’s phenomenal achievement in becoming only the second League of Ireland team to qualify for one of Europe’s elite competitions. Dundalk have since gone one better by becoming the first League of Ireland team to gain a point in the Europa League, with their historic 1-1 draw with AZ Alkmaar recently. Hopefully more to follow.

These are events which have should have given the League of Ireland much needed positive media coverage and should have propelled the League of Ireland into the public spotlight for an extended period. However, despite these two events highlighting the enormous potential that the League of Ireland has to offer, I can’t help but feel these events have not been utilized efficiently and effectively by the League’s governing bodies.

The 2015 Conroy Report should have been the main platform upon which to finally propel the League forward. Its publication sparked a welcome debate about reform within the League and some of the proposals which were put forward were, without doubt, forward thinking and innovative. Yet, to date, very little has been done to follow through on the reports findings. Instead, sadly, two momentous events in League of Ireland history have passed us by without being fully utilised. We cannot let that happen again. Things have to change. There is no better time than now to reignite the Conroy Report debate. Let’s bring its proposed strategies and conclusions back into public knowledge and give our League the best chance to realize its true ‘untapped potential’. I think our League deserves that at least, don’t you agree?