The FAI has switched on its new Football Management System – FAI Connect.
FAI Connect will be the centre-point for football administration from the League of Ireland to the grassroots game and is aimed at making football easier to manage for coaches, players, administrators, referees, and volunteers.
Connected technology which saves those who take on the mantle of administration from having to deal with multiple systems not all of which will be fully secure or easy to use is a big step forward and also reduces the barriers to encouraging new people to get involved on the less glamorous side of keeping the game running.
Administrators will be able to operate the system through the desktop but also the FAI Connect App which is available now through the app store.
A special help site has also been established to guide users through the functionality.
There will also be a public-facing element with the launch in early 2023 of a new FAI Connect Live app which will present all fixtures and results from across the full range of League of Ireland to local Leagues
The app will host the 2023 League of Ireland season and 2023 summer seasons from across the grassroots game, before the 2023-24 winter seasons go live in July 2023.
“We’re delighted to see FAI Connect launch and we’re excited for what this new system will be able to bring to Irish football, especially within our grassroots game,” said FAI CEO Jonathan Hill.
“One of the key pillars of the FAI strategy is to embrace digital technology and this system is one of the most modern and respected football management systems in the world. It is used already by a number of FAs and we are sure it will have a hugely positive impact on football administration in this country.”
“We have made a significant financial investment into the platform and everyone within the game has already made a significant time investment to make sure that the switch from the old FAINet platform is as smooth as it can be and our thanks to everyone involved in bringing the project to fruition.”
“FAI Connect will make life easier for administrators, saves time in all match operations, and send notifications straight to you to notify of any changes regarding your fixtures, club or league,” said FAI Connect Project Lead Paul Jones.
“Over the last few months, we’ve travelled up and down the country to hold workshops with clubs and leagues, and we’ve been delighted with the overwhelmingly positive response.”
“We’re excited to see the system rolled out and eventually, once the leagues are up and running in 2023, the FAI Connect Live App will come into its own,” said FAI Connect Manager Stefan Kacperski.
“The live app will have all matches from up and down the country from the professional to the grassroots game in one place meaning anyone can check on any match in the country, anywhere and keep track of their favourite teams.”
