Colm Boohig

Alright, welcome back.

So that clip from Saturday's show really took off, particularly on X, then Tommy Martin, the broadcaster, got involved.

He was live with Owen last night, and now Shane Keegan is live with us this morning to continue this conversation, Shane, that it may have gone away from the front of the news, but as a topic and an issue, it's still very much at the forefront for many people's minds.

Is the issue for you as well when other sports are brought into the equation by comparison and when trying to quote-unquote fix soccer and it's usually GAA that people bring into the discussion?

You know, there will always be like legitimate debates on both sides here, Shane, about like why the summer calendar would and then wouldn't work.

And we've actually heard that over the last few months.

But I think it actually boils down to the same problem that existed 25 to 30 years ago in my own anecdotal case, which is from the months of November to March, if it's a bad winter, forget about it.

Right.

In terms of playing ball.

And therefore, you're not playing football enough all year round and you're not getting better quickly enough.

And then it gets to the bigger issue of how are we producing footballers.

And by 2026, it still is the problem.

It still is the case.

And then Tommy shared his own examples with his daughter, I think, who's playing under 13, who has played, I think, two games since mid-October because of the weather.

And that for me is the crux.

It's not really about the summer calendar.

It's not about when you play football.

It's the alternative to a country that has temperamental weather and forever will.

So in the meantime, is this just simply a facilities issue and we need investment to create indoor facilities and Astros and this conversation for once and for all can be put to bed?

Can I bring some comments into this?