It has been developed to combine various elements of coach education, player development and club management, that will give young footballers a platform for the application of their skills in an inclusive, fun and friendly environment.

2013 was a pilot year for the programme with 83 clubs taking party, and as well as the delivery of a cup competition benchmarks and standards were be set for clubs to aim for in areas such as - governance, facilities, participation and community interaction, amongst others – promoting a sustainable approach to club management and administration.

For 2014 this was increased to 140 clubs, and so far throughout each year these clubs availed of the many benefits of the programme including:

• Coach Education – New Small Sided Games workshops (4v4 & 7v7) have been developed in line with the Future Football Programme. A number of free places are available on each course to all clubs involved.
• FAI Future Football Cup Events – A community football event, hosted by a number of the participating clubs with other clubs from the same region coming along. There are 3 age categories (u8, u9 & u10), and teams are mixed, i.e. boys and girls.
• FAI Future Football Cup Finals Day – Teams can progress from the local cup competitions to a finals day, usually held in Dublin in October. This day includes games and entertainment, with teams travelling from all across Ireland to take part.
• Club Support Programme – Clubs will complete an online survey form, which will assist in the design and implementation of a support programme that sets standards and benchmarks for club administration and management. It will also provide clubs with information and resources to assist their ongoing development. Participating clubs will work towards implementing the agreed criteria.

So far the Future Football Programme has delivered over 75 events across the country, with over 10,000 children taking part, and 3,000 hours of additional Coach Education for participating clubs. Our last Future Football Finals Day was held at the AVIVA stadium on the 11th October 2014, where almost 400 children played off for the title of Future Football Champions 2014. 

2015 will be a year of growth and expansion again as we increase the number of clubs involved, the number of free coaching workshops delivered at grassroots level, and the number of clubs engaging with us on the Club Support element of the programme.