Larne manager Tiernan Lynch fumes at proposals for an Irish League salary cap

Tiernan Lynch called on the Irish League to shed its part-time mentality

Larne manager Tiernan Lynch has pleaded with the Northern Ireland Football League and clubs to resist the urge to implement a wage cap in the long term interests of the game.

Lynch feels that the domestic game’s progress will be under threat if clubs’ financial power is restricted.

Amid concerns about significant investment, spiralling costs and wages at Irish League clubs, the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL) is looking at potential financial safeguards.

A Salary Cost Protocol emerged in 2011 only to be axed in 2020 at the height of the pandemic and following the new investment at Larne under Kenny Bruce and Glentoran under Ali Pour. The wage cap limited clubs to spending 60 per cent of their allowable income over a two-year average.

Lynch, who guided Larne to their first top flight title last year, feels the game’s growth could stall if financial brakes are applied. “I’ve heard about the plans and spoken to Kenny about it,” said the former Glentoran coach.

“It doesn’t make sense to me. I think Northern Ireland football has a huge amount to offer and we are only scratching the surface of what this League can achieve and where it can go.

“We have four European places and I think rather than imposing a cap, we shouldn’t be limiting ourselves.

“I think we should be looking for investment throughout the League and for all the clubs to go full-time.

“We need to maximise what we have which is an excellent game with good players, coaches and managers. We need more recognition and TV deals.

“I think we sell ourselves short a little bit at times. There’s a mentality we are just Northern Ireland and we’ve been a part-time league in the past. We need