A month of crisis in the Airtricity League is sure to be on the agenda. (stock picture)

The PFAI has lashed out at the FAI for failing to consult them before announcing proposals for a €300,000 fund to assist League of Ireland clubs with wage problems - a scheme in which 50pc of the funding would come from the union.

And they have described the amount in question as "deeply insulting" because it is less than the annual salary (€360,000) of FAI chief executive John Delaney.

It has been a troubled month for the league with the players of Bray and Limerick ready to strike over the non-payment of wages before last-minute agreements were reached.

Tensions have flared between the FAI and the PFAI with League of Ireland chief Fran Gavin accusing the union of generating a "media circus" in their handling of the disputes.

Last night, the FAI released a statement which said that the board of the association had "agreed to the creation of a proposed fund worth €300,000" which would be split equally between the FAI and the PFAI.

Difficulty

It would assist "SSE Airtricity League clubs who are experiencing difficulty in meeting contractual obligations to professional players".

The statement added that they had contacted the PFA Ireland via SIPTU with regard to matching the amount that the FAI were putting on the table.

They said the cash would be placed into an escrow account and would be accessed by clubs that had failed to fulfil contractual arrangements. Any club that availed of the fund would be hit with sanctions which would range from deducted points to transfer embargoes.

Last night, the PFAI said they welcomed the concept but not the timing of the announcement or the details of how it would be funded.

"We are astounded that the FAI have seen fit to announce a proposal which involves the players' association funding half of it without having any discussion on the issue beforehand," read a statement from the union, who added they have been trying to meet with Delaney for "over a year now to discuss matters of importance to the domestic game".

"We have had no meeting of any substance with any senior member of FAI management since the women's international team dispute in April 2017.

"Furthermore, SIPTU have had no discussions with the FAI about this proposal. At the FAI's request a meeting was scheduled for today (Wednesday) to discuss improving the relationship between both associations and to discuss the recent issues related to players' salaries and potential solutions to ensure these issues do not arise again.

"This meeting was cancelled by the FAI for reasons unknown and rescheduled for this Friday.

"The idea that we would match the contribution of the FAI, an organisation with a multi-million-euro turnover, when our organisation has a tiny fraction of its size and turnover, is mind-boggling.

"The total fund proposed is less than the annual salary of the chief executive of the FAI thus making it deeply insulting that players, all of whom earn a tiny percentage of his income, should be expected to contribute to a fund to pay their own wages. Equally we wonder why the clubs themselves would not contribute to it. We will meet with the FAI on Friday and make our position on funding very clear to them."

Delaney is due to speak at a media briefing this morning which was arranged to discuss the association's finances ahead of their forthcoming AGM.

However, a month of crisis in the Airtricity League is sure to be on the agenda.

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