Commercial / Marketing

Ireland's safest pair of hands, David Forde and the Irish women's no. 10, Denise O'Sullivan were in Aviva Stadium today (Wednesday) to launch the eFlow FAI 2013 Summer Soccer Schools programme. This year's camps are priced at €65 (€55 for second children), more than a third off last year's prices. They come with the same high standards of coaching and care delivered by Garda vetted FAI Qualified coaches as well as full kit, a ball and school bag all exclusive to the eFlow FAI Summer Soccer Schools! Also for the first time, early on-line bookers will receive up to €45 worth of parent and child tickets for the senior international matches in Aviva Stadium against Georgia, the Faroe Islands or Kazakhstan, making the real cost of the camps as low as just €20 per child. The camps will be held in 290 venues nationwide, focus on participation rather than competition and are open to boys and girls of all abilities from the ages of 6 to 14. Beginning on July 1, and running right through to August 23, each week-long (Monday-Friday 10.30am to 3pm) school is run by FAI development officers and delivered by Garda vetted FAI Qualified coaches in a safe and professional environment. Along with Mainstream Camps, specialised Goalkeeper Camps catering for the specific needs of the goalkeeper have also been discounted this year to €50. Speaking at the launch, Republic of Ireland Goalkeeper David Forde said, "With these discounts, more parents will be able to send their kids to our summer soccer schools. I went to summer camps like these when I was young and giving children access to good quality coaching in a safe environment is just what is needed to develop Irish football." John Delaney FAI Chief Executive said, "Our Summer Soccer Schools are a great way of getting children out of the house and into the fresh air to enjoy themselves. I would like to thank eFlow for their sponsorship of this wonderful programme. 96% of parents rated the enjoyment level for their kids as 'good' to 'excellent' last year and we hope that with this year's added discounts, more parents will be encouraged to send their children this summer." Simon McBeth, Director of Communications and Customer Relations at eFlow welcomed today's launch. "eFlow are delighted to be involved with an initiative which encourages team work, provides skills development training and promotes healthy living among boys and girls around the country. At eFlow, we seek to support programmes that encourage active citizenship and community development at grass root's level in Ireland and the FAI Summer Soccer Schools are a perfect example of that." With some camps already booked to 50%, parents are encouraged to book early to avoid disappointment. Match tickets are on a limited first-come-first-served basis. Further information can be found at: www.summersoccerschools.ie or by calling 1890 653 653

First worldwide gathering of Republic of Ireland Supporters' clubs concludes successfully The Football Association of Ireland held its first ever worldwide conference of Republic of Ireland supporters' clubs to coincide with the World Cup qualification match against Austria. As part of the FAI's involvement in The Gathering 2013, representatives from 21 supporters clubs came together at an event in the Ballsbridge Inn. This event saw representatives of the official ROI Supporters Clubs (RISSC) join with newly formed supporters clubs to discuss matters of mutual interest which the FAI hopes will help those clubs grow in years to come. FAI Regional Manager Gerry Reardon was delighted with the response. "We've had representatives attending from supporters' clubs including London, Midlands UK, Huddersfield, Dublin, Derry, Belfast. West of Ireland, Edinburgh, Vancouver and You Boys in Green," he explained. "We were delighted to be joined by international centurian, Kevin Kilbane as well by the Oireachtas Supporters' club, represented on the day by Senator Jimmy Harte and Senator Mary Moran." During 2013, the Association is using each of its home international matches to promote The Gathering. The Republic of Ireland v Poland match on February 6 already included a number of initiatives supported by Tourism Ireland to encourage Polish people who had visited or lived in Ireland to come back for the game, including a successful fans' friendly on the day of the match. For the Austrian match, the Association worked with Tourism Ireland on a media visit designed to encourage Austrian supporters to travel and similar initiatives are being planned to promote Swedish supporter visits for the World Cup qualification match in September 2013. Almost 3,000 Austrian supporters visited Dublin for the match.The Association will also support The Gathering by hosting underage tournaments in Ireland during 2013, an U16 boys and girls developmental tournament from May 6 - 15 and a U17 girls tournament from September 21 -26. In total this will involve 9 visiting teams from UEFA confederation members. Ahead of the June 7 World Cup qualifier against the Faroe Islands, the Association is providing support for the Irish World Cup 2013 event which is being organised by Conference Partners with the support of Fáilte Ireland. It will be an amateur football tournament open to both male & female adult football teams of all skill levels from all over the world. The event will take place from the 7th – 9th June 2013 in University College Dublin, and will include a festival element with a custom built World Cup Village, which will be the central hub of entertainment for participants and spectators to gather and eat, watch the games and soak up the atmosphere. Welcoming the initiatives today, Republic of Ireland international, Sean St Ledger who will be taking part in a club Gathering event in Carlow during the summer, one of a number throughout Ireland said, "Football and sport are central to so many communities and people's lives everywhere and it is good to see it being used to help generate more visits to the country during the Gathering Ireland 2013.

    Click here to download the application form Kantar Media FAI Communications Awards 2013 The Football Association of Ireland today (June 17) unveiled Kantar Media as title sponsor of the Kantar Media FAI Communications Awards. Kantar Media is Ireland's largest media monitoring and evaluation business. Its services monitor press, broadcast, internet and social media in Ireland and internationally through its global network. The operation includes KantarSport, a specialist unit which offers dedicated monitoring and evaluation within the sports sector. The Kantar Media FAI Communications Awards recognise the excellent work at local, regional and national level to promote Irish football. They are open to journalists, newspapers, broadcasters (TV and radio), webmasters, Public Relations Officers, photographers and clubs and leagues who have contributed over the past 12 months using an array of communications tools. The awards will be presented on July 19 at the delegates pre-AGM Dinner in the Arklow Bay hotel, Co. Wicklow. Commenting on the launch, Dan Halliwell, Managing Director of Kantar Media Ireland said, "We are proud to support Irish football through the Kantar Media FAI Communications awards. Our media monitoring and sponsorship services consistently highlight the incredible quality and volume of work put into the coverage generated nationally for the sport. It is only right that this dedication should be recognised and rewarded." Peter Sherrard, Communications Director of the FAI added: "The coverage of Irish football is a passion for so many professionals and volunteers across the country who contribute 24/7 to bring it alive for the public, celebrating the highs and capturing those moments for posterity. With the assistance of Kantar Media and its Sport sponsorship division, we look forward to honouring those who have made outstanding contributions to the growth of the sport over the past year." Kantar Media FAI Communications Awards Categories Best Written ArticleThe best written article category will feature separate awards for national and regional articles. This award is open to journalists and contributors who have written an article or articles on any aspect of Irish football during the qualifying period. It can be a match report or preview, an interview, a feature, a column, a blog or a news story that gives a unique insight into the workings of Irish football at local, regional, national or international level. A maximum of three articles may be submitted by any entrant. The article or articles must have appeared in a newspaper, magazine or website during the qualifying period. Best Broadcast ItemThe best broadcast item category will feature separate awards for national and regional articles. This award is open to journalists and contributors who have broadcast an item on any aspect of Irish football during the qualifying period. It can be a match report, preview or commentary, an interview, a feature, a documentary or a news story that gives a unique insight into the workings of Irish football at local, regional, national or international level. A maximum of three pieces may be submitted in support of an entry. All entries must be no more than 30 minutes long. The item or items must have been broadcast on radio, television or the internet during the qualifying period. Best WebsiteThis is an award for the best website belonging to a club or league affiliated to the Football Association of Ireland. The entry for this award should include the website address and a 500 word summary detailing its evolution and features. The judges will visit the site and evaluate it. Best PROThis is an award for the best Public Relations Officers attached to a club or league affiliated to the Football Association of Ireland for work done during the qualifying period. The entry should include a 500 word summary detailing the work carried out by the PRO together with at least five supporting samples. Best PublicationThis is an award for the best publication by a club, league or affiliate of the Football Association of Ireland. It could be a match programme, a yearbook, a history or a commemorative booklet which has been published during the qualifying period. The entry for this award must include a copy of the publication. Best PhotographThis is an award for the best photograph taken during the qualifying period by an amateur or professional photographer of an Irish grassroots football theme. It can be in colour or black & white. The entry for this award must include a 10" x 8" print of the photograph Hall of FameThis is an award for outstanding service from a member of the media to Irish soccer through their reporting or broadcasting of the game. The nomination must be made by a club, league or affiliate of the Football Association of Ireland. The nomination should be in the form of a 500 word summary detailing why the person nominated deserves to be inducted into the FAI Communications Awards Hall of Fame. The 2013 Awards will cover the period from June 1, 2012 to May 30, 2013 and entries must be submitted by July 1, 2013. Entries must be submitted by post. Entry forms can be downloaded on www.fai.ie/kantarfaimediaawards • Post: send to Kantar Media FAI Communications Awards, Football Association of Ireland, National Sports Campus, Abbotstown, Dublin 15 • Email queries: If you have any queries about the awards or need assistance to apply, send your name, telephone number and question to \n This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. About Kantar Media Kantar Media provides strategic advice and competitive intelligence to the world's leading brands, publishers, agencies and industry bodies, helping them navigate and succeed in a rapidly evolving media industry. This includes analysis of paid media opportunities; counsel on brand reputation, corporate management and consumer engagement through owned media; and, evaluating consumers' reactions in earned media. Kantar Media provides clients with a broad range of insights, from audience research, competitive intelligence, vital consumer behavior and digital insights, marketing effectiveness and online influence. Our experts currently work with 22,000 companies tracking 3 million brands in 50 countries.www.kantarmedia.com Kantar Media Ireland is the leading media monitoring and analysis provider in the Irish market. With offices in Dublin and Belfast, Kantar Media Ireland employs over 50 people – providing intelligence on press, broadcast, online and social media activity.www.kantarmedia.ie

The Football Association of Ireland today announced a partnership with WorldIrish.com that will enable it to map supporters around the globe. With so many Irish people emigrating in recent years, the FAI is calling on Irish football supporters everywhere to go to WorldIrish.com/fai and map themselves. As well as putting themselves on a special FAI map, supporters who map themselves on worldIrish.com/fai will be able to keep up with stories and events from the FAI, as well as finding other supporters all over the world whether they are in Buenos Aires or Brisbane. "We are very happy to announce this partnership with WorldIrish which is an excellent way for supporters to connect with each other and stay in touch with all of the latest news on Irish football wherever they are in the world," said John Delaney, Chief Executive of the FAI. Republic of Ireland Manager Giovanni Trapattoni has called on Irish football supporters to join WorldIrish and map themselves in a special video: http://www.worldirish.com/story/22428 "We're delighted to partner with one of Ireland's leading organisations to help them bring together their supporters from all around the world in one digital place. For the first time people will be able to see exactly where the green flag flies," said WorldIrish CEO Michael Branagan. WorldIrish, a free website which currently has 50,000 registered members, is aiming to help Ireland to become the first country in the world to map its diaspora. The brainchild of John McColgan, one of the founders of worldwide phenomenon Riverdance, he came up with the idea for WorldIrish when he imagined the potential power of a welcoming digital space for the diaspora. WorldIrish has been endorsed by several notable figures including Mary McAleese, Gabriel Byrne and Joseph O'Connor.