Premier Division clubs submit letter to FAI urging All-Island League proposal

All ten League of Ireland Premier Division clubs have submitted a letter to the FAI urging them to submit to UEFA a proposal for an All-Island League.

This follows a similar move from ten of the twelve Northern Irish Football League Premiership clubs who submitted similar letters to the IFA. Cliftonville and Dungannon did not write to the governing body.

The Premier Division clubs requested last night that the FAI “work constructively with the clubs, the IFA and UEFA” on determining the feasibility of these plans.

The All-Island League Advocacy Group (AIL Group) acquired the services of a Dutch sports data consultancy group, Hypercube, in October 2019 to research the possibility of an all-island league.

Hypercube’s final report, published in March 2020, found that an all-island league would benefit club football on the island both financially and in terms of sporting strength.

The report outlined concerns that support from Northern stakeholders was lacking. However, an apparent change in that regard has allowed Hypercube’s next phase to take place – clubs requesting help from the FAI and the IFA.

The FAI are yet to comment on the latest developments.