Play-off turns financial tide

Missing out on the Euro 2000 finals may have been a major blow to the FAI's financial wellbeing but the latest returns for the association show that if, as very nearly happened that night in October, Mick McCarthy's side had missed out on the playoffs, too, then things would have been a whole lot worse.

According to the association's accounts the organisation made an operating profit of just over £1.5 million during the year to the end of March although "the revenues (from the Lansdowne Road match against Turkey) turned a significant projected deficit into a substantial surplus".

The association's total revenue for the year was up almost 30 per cent to £8.6 million with by far the largest growth occurring in the area of commercial and television revenues which more than doubled during the 12-month period to £2.97 million.

Aside from the Turkey game, the organisation also benefited from its new deal with Sky television as well as substantially increased revenues from sponsors.

During the year the 78 non-senior internationals undertaken by the association's teams cost it a total of £809,000 while it distributed grants worth some £1.2 million to clubs and affiliated bodies around the country.