Daire Whelan Gill and MacMillan 14.99 243 pp

WHEN the Irish national soccer side were humbled by Cyprus last month, most commentators thought it was the lowest point ever experienced by the sport in this country. In the post mortem that followed, several people were singled out for blame . . .

Steve Staunton, Andy O'Brien and Paddy Kenny to name a few.

Daire Whelan's new book, Who Stole Our Game? , is a look behind the recent decline of the national side. By analysing real problems behind Irish soccer . . . mismanagement, neglect and apathy . . . he has put together a fascinating read.

Sub-titled 'the fall and fall of Irish soccer', the premise of the book is summed up by two photographs on the cover . . . one of Dalymount Park in the 1950s, as it heaves with thousands of soccer fans; the other a modern shot of the same stadium, with just three men watching a game from a dilapidated terrace.

Photos, of course, can be misleading but the point is still well made. It is undeniable that soccer on this island was once a strong industry that attracted the passionate support of thousands.

Until the late 1960s, it was common for 20,000 people to line into Glenmalure or Dalymount . . . now Glenmalure is a housing estate, while Dalymount is soon to be apartments. The associated clubs now struggle to attract more than 2,000 people to their games.

So, where have all the fans gone?

Whelan says that Irish clubs, and the national association that oversees them, failed to develop the game domestically, making it impossible for the public not to be lured away by more attractive options. He makes his case well.

It is a refreshing account of the decline of Irish soccer that lays a large portion of blame at the feet of the clubs themselves. While apathy from the general public has certainly caused massive problems, too many people linked with the domestic game point the finger of blame solely at members of the public who identify with Manchester United and not Shelbourne;

Liverpool and not Cork City.

By failing to modernise, invest or set out long-term strategies, the clubs sealed their own fate. Whelan contrasts the fate of Irish soccer with that of the Gaelic games . . .

while the GAA recognised the changing nature of society and sought to make their games meaningful to the population, the FAI did nothing to bring soccer forward, instead sitting back and watching as Dalymount crumbled and the crowds disappeared.

The book is absolutely scathing about the FAI, portraying the association as a visionless organisation more intent on in-fighting and backstabbing than actually developing the game. Indeed, the regime of current FAI Chief Executive John Delaney is savaged.

After reading this book, one thing is certain . . . Daire Whelan will not be getting a Christmas card from 80 Merrion Square.

One criticism of the book is that it relies too heavily on a small number of interviews. Only two quoted in the book . . . Robert Goggins and John Byrne, both passionate Rovers fans . . . speak from the supporters' point of view.

While the likes of Ollie Byrne and Eamon Dunphy speak informatively from their inside roles, there is very little from the ordinary supporters who witnessed the dramatic decline in crowds.

As a result much is quoted in a relatively unquestioning manner.

Louis Kilcoyne, the man who sold Glenmalure to property developers and was later rewarded for this by being elected President of the FAI, gives his view of the demise of Milltown as a soccer venue without some of his statements being called into question.

Who Stole Our Game? makes for a depressing read . . . arguably, it ends on too depressing a note, failing to offer any glimmer of hope for the sport. That said, it is both hugely informative and hugely important. It's a must read for anybody who believes the problems facing Irish football run deeper than Andy O'Brien's inability to clear his own penalty box with a header.