My kids inspired my new RTE show – we uncovered big shock but there's genuine opportunity for my girl in football now

The Irish Sun

5 days ago

MARIE CROWE based an upcoming RTE documentary series around Shelbourne FC, impressed by what had been built at Tolka Park.
But she came away from the experience concluding that much more needs to be done to bring Irish football up to scratch across the board.
Advertisement
7
Marie Crowe has devised a new RTE documentary series called Football Families
Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
7
The show was being filmed amid Shelbourne's run to the Premier Division title in 2024
Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
7
It takes a look at the behind-the-scenes workings of the club's academy
Credit: Ben McShane/Sportsfile
The
But its core mission was to explore what is done - and needs to be done - to nurture the stars of the future.
Advertisement
Crowe told The Irish Sun: "It came from my own experience with my children.
"There was a similar series on
"We were watching that and seeing all these brilliant stories about different families and I just thought it's so similar to what I see all the time with my kids and their football.
"There's brilliant families and children, really talented kids who want to be footballers and it's a bit of a journey."
Crowe chose an ideal time around which to film the series.
Advertisement
In 2024, Shelbourne were flying high under
The pay-off was winning the Airtricity League Premier Division title – Shels' first since 2006.
Further down the ladder, Crowe cited their use of the AUL Complex for their academy as an influence behind it being at the core of Football Families.
RTE pundit's one-liner about Damien Duff makes Joey O'Brien laugh after Shelbourne's win vs Linfield
And yet for all of the good work being done on the ground, she learned first-hand that it was being done with limited resources.
None of this will come as a surprise to those within the game, mind you.
Advertisement
Back in April, League of
He outlined how there were just nine players between the ages of 16 and 19 in a full-time environment in Ireland, in addition to "a handful" abroad.
REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESS
Clarke revealed how, to have success at international level, we need 35 players playing in the top five leagues in
Crowe, meanwhile, attested to how the facilities within the League of Ireland are in dire need of an upgrade.
She explained: "My kids play football as well, so when I go to the different grounds - and it's not just Shelbourne, it's across the board - they have so few pitches.
Advertisement
"We're trying to grow footballers, we're trying to create an industry, we're trying to have a really good Ireland team and yet the facilities need an upgrade across the board.
"That was a big, big shock."
"There's brilliant families and children, really talented kids who want to be footballers and it's a bit of a journey."
Marie Crowe
The volume of personnel and commitment of the same offers promise that, if built, success will come.
Crowe added: "What surprised me in a positive way was the amount of people that are committed to making change and the amount of coaches that really want to help the kids.
"The amount of people that have given up their free time, as well, to say, 'look, I want to help these kids along their football journey'.
Advertisement
"There's volunteers everywhere who are day-in, day-out, turning up to train and helping the kids.
"While we might be falling behind when it comes to contact hours, when you compare us to Europe, there's a lot of people, a lot of families travelling long distances, giving up so much time, bringing their kids across the country to try and make it as footballers or to try and develop or try and fulfil their potential."
7
Shelbourne prospect Aoife Sheridan
Credit: RTE
7
Marie and husband Billy with their four kids
7
The family welcomed baby Jessie back in March
Advertisement
7
Euros frenzy..Marie in the RTE studios
Marie has a vested interest in infrastructure and resources improving.
The Clare-native is one of seven kids whose dad was a PE teacher and grew up in a sport-centric household.
While she and her husband - former GAA star Billy Sheehan - are Liverpool fans, her dad is a Manchester United supporter and would take the family on holiday to matches at Old Trafford.
Her hometown of Sixmilebridge is a
Advertisement
The mum-of-four, who just
TOP TEAMMATES
Both Treacy and Curtin were Ireland internationals but they had retired long before the Girls in Green played at their first
And even Crowe admitted to looking at the progress and profile of women's football with envious eyes.
She said: "I have a daughter now, which is lovely after three boys, and to think that if she wanted to go and have a career in football, that there's a genuine opportunity now to go and become a professional footballer.
"I look at these girls coming through and the world is their oyster. They can go to America, they can go to
Advertisement
MAJOR HIGHLIGHT
She continued: "Seeing Ireland go to major tournaments. When they got to the World Cup, that was one of the highlights of my life because it was such a big sign of progress.
"I love that there are academies now.
"When you go to
"You go to the St Pat's set up, they're twinned with Cherry Orchard. You see girls there as well.
"It should just be a completely normal thing. Now, we're way off the English academies when you look at Arsenal,
Advertisement
"At least it's now accepted that you can't have one without the other. And that's the way it should be and the way it will always be."
'MUST GET BETTER'
But she warned that more needs to be done, having got an up close and personal look at increasing participation numbers.
She holds a
And Crowe continued: "It has to get better. There has to be more contact hours, more training.
"There has to be investment in these academies because they're just not able to do it on their own.
Advertisement
"They need support now to try and improve everything so that we have a better national team.
"We're trying to grow footballers, we're trying to create an industry, we're trying to have a really good Ireland team and yet the facilities need an upgrade across the board."
Marie Crowe
"We have to realise that we need these players to be good if we want to have those Italia 90 moments, the USA 94 moments, the
"I've been watching the
"Teams that you maybe wouldn't have expected to be really good, like Poland. They're doing really well.
"Wales, who knocked us out. You can see that they've got this huge opportunity going to the Euros, and they're going to build on that.
Advertisement
"I always feel that we're just a little bit behind the curve when it comes to player development here."
LESSONS LEARNED
And it is the knowledge she has accrued through her study of
She said: "I want people to understand what's happening at grassroots level in Irish football, at academy level, because I think unless you're in it, you don't really understand what these football academies are trying to do.
"You don't get to see the people, you don't get to see the families, because everybody is just busy doing their own thing.
"There's so much negativity around football in this country that it's nice to show a little bit of a positive side of it, to lift the bonnet and say, 'look at all these kids, look at all these Irish kids who want to be footballers, and look what they're doing to try and make it'.
Advertisement
"That's what I'd like people to know, that there's a whole lot of kids out there who want to be footballers, and they're doing it around us all."