The events of the past week in the Micronesian Island of Saipan once again bring the administrators of Irish soccer in Merrion Square into the bright focus of the world’s camera lights. Not since the Republic of Ireland were in the last World Cup in USA ‘94 have the Football Association of Ireland offices in the Georgian buildings in the Irish capital been of such interest to the rest of the world. However, the sight of cameras outside that now infamous green door of number eighty have been a more familiar sight to those in the domestic game with the legal issues relating to players registrations in the eircom League of Ireland casting a long shadow over the past season. Unfortunately, the events in the Far East that triggered this most recent attention were compounded it seems by some untimely logistics in terms of players gear.
The drama was magnified when the FAI's General Secretary was on a flight bound for Japan when the events in the Hyatt Hotel in Saipan on Thursday took place, ending with the team captain sent home.
The unfortunate events of the week though have been exacerbated by the criticism nationwide at the way the administration of soccer is perceived at international level, and more seriously, the condemnation of former players, such as Andy Townsend, Ray Houghton and John Aldridge, who through personal experience in USA’94 were also dismissive of the FAI’s capability at the highest level. Whatever the personal elements in the row between the national manager, Mick McCarthy, and his former captain, Roy Keane, the issues regarding logistics are clearly unforgivable.
The various sets of clothing for the squad shown have been in their rooms when they arrived, even if that meant someone travelling to the east two weeks before the squad, thus ensuring nothing was left to chance. In the absence of the General Secretary, Brendan Menton, it was left to the association's Honorary Treasurer, John Delaney, to lead the FAI’s media battle and under the circumstances he did remarkably well despite being “disconnected” from events in Saipan due to the time difference. Indeed, his efforts to balance the story in an atmosphere of rumour, innuendo and incomplete stories, proved vital in those daylight hours of Thursday, May 23rd.
Having been with him at a separate meeting on that same morning, the day’s events delayed our meeting as he battled the FAI’s case on the Pat Kenny Show on RTE Radio One. Although the purpose of our meeting was football related it became clear very quickly that the day was building up to a crescendo and it was no surprise when the media packed the boardroom of Merrion Square to hear a prepared statement read out by Delaney. Whatever was to be said at this press conference it was never going to satisfy the needs of the journalists crammed into that room and it was only a few minutes before the FAI Treasurer had to get on the defensive as some of the "logistical arrangements" behind the rest and recuperation of Saipan came into focus.
The FAI boardroom, where the press camped out, is the same place that all FAI Delegates have sat for the Board of Management meetings this year, at which decision and discussions have taken place relating to the eircom league. If the walls could talk there are many stories that could undoubtedly be told that would not be a great advert for the game, especially in the past season. Not least of which have been all the events relating to player registration and the disembowelment of the newly appointed league commission Roy Dooney.
Not discounting of course the legal battles that have taken place in the High Court as well. In a league that regulates itself from representatives of each club the weakness of this democratic system clearly manifest itself when key decisions have to be made and it can somehow blur objectivity.
The potential added weakness is that the “lofty” executive positions at the Football Association all come from the in house elections from the eircom League or the affiliate administrations, such as schoolboy league, referees and so on. Having naively played a role myself trying to make a contribution on behalf of Waterford United this year, the machinations and decision-making process have proven personally unsatisfactory for me. If you reflect on the events of the year there are major questions that the administrators the game in this country need to ask, before blame and retribution are sought.
Events this season have been disappointing, not least of which was the offer by the association for me to travel to the World Cup at their expense. Having decided not to take up the option out of principle, it was not possible for me to claim the three thousand euro contribution from the FAI for my club, as all the funds that were not taken up by the FAI delegates was to be divided by those who chose to travel.
This meant that the less people that went to Japan the better it was for those who did travel, as the funds were then divided up amongst them. In a time when the domestic game is struggling to fund other aspects of the game to find money for a trip like this is unwarranted and a decision to go should have been a personal option with perhaps some support from the FAI regarding tickets.
It is these idiosyncrasies that fuel the whole concept of what is soccer is known as "Blazers" and in way it is that visibility that the eagle eye of the Ireland captain when in Saipan. In talking to former professionals, not least of which was the last Irish captain when Ireland graced the World Cup in 1994, Andy Townsend, it is clear that the in terms of logistics and planning the officials at the top of the association may not always cover themselves in glory. In a time when it could be easy to be critical one has to recognise the lone battle that John Delaney fought in the past few days trying to give a balance to the FAI side and stem the tide of public disapproval that was channelled into Merrion Square.
However, at a time when the game needs to maximise exposure and the younger generations are experiencing their first World Cup, it is very disappointing to see the events of the week unfold and tarnish the image of the high profile captain.
Right or wrong Keane was the walking image of the Irish team in all the adverts ranging from the soft drinks 7UP to Walker Crisps and the national team sponsor, eircom. It is the sponsorship area that the games must worry given that the game would struggle at domestic level, and indeed international level, if it were not for the current incumbent sponsor, eircom. Their association with soccer in this country has been fraught this year with controversy, ranging from failure of eircom Park, to the more recent difficulties in the domestic League of Ireland.
Although the tabloids and satellite broadcasters have thrived this week of the news in the Irish camp, the publicity they have given makes a mockery of the serious work and efforts of many people committed to the game in this country.
In looking at our neighbours across the Irish Seas, one can easily become sarcastic about their over enthusiasm every time there is a major soccer tournament. However in recent times the Football Association (FA) has amended and altered some things to their format and the luckily built up to this championship is far from jingoistic and over zealous. In many ways their decision and choice of manager was crucial, and the intellect and balance of Sven Goran Eriksson seems, off the pitch at least, to have been a wise choice given that he qualified despite the pieces left by his predecessor, Kevin Keegan.
On the administration side, the brave choice to take someone in from outside the ranks of the internal promotion system has prove even more radical and the appointed of a former advertising executive, Adam Crozier as Chief executive, has brought an air of professionalism for the Football Association. The new structure demands commercial accountability and viability for the association and Crozier is conformable with those targets.
In terms of the World cup the whiff of consensus from the England camp on the trip to Dubai with wives and the subsequent build up on the honeymoon island of Jeiju in Korea. It all reflects a very organised structure and detailed planning, leaving the tabloids devoid of stories of rupture and internal feuding from eh English camp. Even the daily press briefings, on all issues medical or otherwise, fielded by their Director of Communications, Paul Newman, whose appearances on TV provide a satisfactory substitute to the Swedish Heads Coach. This system seems to bring distance and avoid the exposure that seems to have outwitted previous managers in major tournaments and led to their downfall, including Glenn Hoddle, Terry Venables or Graham Taylor.
Given that we like to emulate things in UK football, most notably the premiership, it may now be time to emulate their other structure.
If this country was ever to qualify for another World Cup in the future, we need to make sure that mistakes not come to haunt our game again. Indeed, the level of change that is need now is not dissimilar to what was needed in the late eighties when the FA looked outside this country for a National Manager following the Eoin Hand’s tenure. Amidst cries of criticism the FAI bravely elected to bring in Jack Charlton, albeit marginally ahead of Bob Paisley, and since then we have never looked back, even when he brought the end of Liam Brady career against Germany in 1987 after 35 minutes.
If we are ever to sing those great words of success again with glee as we did in Stuttgart in 19988, Giants Stadium in 1994 or at Lansdowne last September, then John Delaney and other members of the FAI need to bring another leap in professionalism in the running of the game in Ireland at all levels.
Once they do that events such as those that took place in Saipan should never happen again and we can all revert to singing Ole Ole Ole.
OSM
First published on May 27th 2002
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