The Football Association of Ireland today launched its Football For All Club Programme at Aviva Stadium.  The Football for All Club programme is the most recent initiative by the FAI as part of their disability programme with the aim of providing the opportunity of all children and adults with a disability to have access to football in their local club.


The Football for All programme is made up of players from all groups and sporting bodies that cater for players with a disability who want to play football. At the moment we have 3750 players participating in all of our programmes.



The main action areas are:

·         Increased Participation

·         Player Development

·         Coach Education

·         Competition Structures

·         Funding and PR



These developments will help promote and showcase the football talents of these players.



The FAI recognises that some people or communities start from a disadvantaged position and may need proactive assistance from the Association to gain access to all opportunities that exist in football.



The FAI has already trained 18 Citi employees on their Kick Start Programme to be approved coaches for the Football for All programme.  These coaches will work at club level to coach children and adults with disabilities. 



Speaking at the launch today, Colin Moreland, Treasurer, Citi Ireland said: “ Citi is proud to be a partner of the Football for All programme with the FAI.  18 of our employees have already qualified as coaches and are ready to get to work at grassroots level in the clubs.  Through our diversity networks run by our employees for our employees, Citi promotes the inclusion of people for all backgrounds in the workplace, in the community and now on the field of sport.  We would encourage more companies and their employees to get involved in this initiative.”



FAI Chief Executive John Delaney said, “I am delighted that this programme has come to fruition as it will help hundreds of people with disabilities gain access to playing football in their communities. It is a priority of the Association to make football inclusive and available to all in society and this initiative does that. I commend the employees of Citi for getting involved and I am sure the coaches will thoroughly enjoy seeing at first hand the positive impact football can have on people’s lives.”    



FAI National Football For All Co-ordinator, Oisin Jordan said, “This day has come about from 8 months of hard work between the FAI, CITI and People with disabilities Ireland. This new programme will ensure the inclusion of children with disabilities in the football community in the environs of their local club. The four clubs here today have taken a huge step in becoming inclusive gauranteeing that all children with disabilities in the future will have the same opportunity as their able bodied piers to play football for their local club".



Morgan McKnight, CEO of People with Disabilities in Ireland (PWDI) said, “People with Disabilities in Ireland is delighted to be involved with the FAI’s Football For All programme. This inclusive approach, where the FAI can offer football opportunities to children with disabilities through their mainstream community clubs, could be seen as a benchmark for other organisations to achieve and I am happy to support the FAI in leading the way. To be able to say that I play for my local team is one of the highlights in any young person’s life and if this project can make that happen for a section of the community that at times may be overlooked then it will have succeeded.”