| UEFA | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 2 September 1921; 104 years ago (1921-09-02) |
| Headquarters | National Sports Campus |
| FIFA affiliation | 1923 |
| UEFA affiliation | 1954 |
| President | Paul Cooke |
| Website | www |
TheFootball Association of Ireland (FAI;Irish:Cumann Peile na hÉireann)[1] is the governing body forassociation football in the Republic of Ireland.
The FAI has an executive committee of five members under the president, who receive expenses, as well as a paid administrative staff led by the general secretary Joe Murphy.[2] There is also a General Council of delegates who vote at the AGM. As well as the senior clubs, the General Council includes delegates from a variety of affiliated organisations:[3]
Recent changes have been made to the organisational structure following the publication of the "Genesis II" report (a non-independent report produced by and for the FAI, following the publication of the independent and highly critical Genesis report) of 2005. This includes the reorganisation of the national football league system in line with the recommendations.[7]
TheLeague of Ireland actually predated the FAI by three months. TheFAI Cup was immediately established along the lines of theFA Cup andScottish Cup competitions. A secondcup competition was formed in 1974 called theLeague of Ireland Cup. TheFAI Junior Cup andFAI Intermediate Cup are for non-League of Ireland teams. TheSetanta Cup was inaugurated in 2005 ascross-border competition between FAI clubs from the League of Ireland and IFA clubs from theIrish League. There is also an Under 19 League of Ireland and anunder-14 cup competition. ThePresident of Ireland's Cup, a game between the previous season'sLeague of Ireland andFAI Cup winners, was inaugurated in 2014.
The FAI also organises schools competitions, and international teams, includingthe senior team,underage teams,cerebral palsy (CP) teams and theOlympic team.
In the 19th century, association football outside ofUlster was largely confined toDublin and a few provincial towns. TheBritish Army teams played a role in the spread of the game to these areas, especially inMunster, as local clubs were initially reliant on them to form opposition teams, leading to the nickname "the garrison game". Association football was played in relatively fewCatholic schools; middle-class schools favouredrugby union while others favouredGaelic games.[citation needed] TheIrish Football Association (IFA) had been founded in 1880 in Belfast as the football governing body for the whole ofIreland, which was then a part of theUnited Kingdom and considered aHome Nation. TheLeinster Football Association was an affiliate, founded in 1892 to foster the game inLeinster, outside of the Ulster heartlands. This was followed by the establishment of theMunster Football Association in 1901.[8][9][10][11]
By 1913, the Leinster FA had become the largest divisional association within the IFA, displacing theNorth East Ulster FA, yet all but two clubs in the1913–14 Irish League were based in Ulster. While this largely reflected the balance of footballing strength within Ireland, southern members felt the IFA was doing little to promote the game outside of the professional clubs in its northern province. In the other provinces, association football was also under pressure from the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), which had banned members from playing or watching the sport as it was considered a "foreign" game. Furthermore, there was a growing feeling in Dublin of alleged Belfast bias when it came to hosting matches and player selection for internationals. This view was not helped by the composition of the IFA's sub-committees, with over half of the membership consisting of delegates hailing from the North-East, and the International Committee, who chose the national team, containing just one member from Leinster.[12] The Belfast members were mainlyunionist, while the Dublin members were largelynationalist.[citation needed] TheFirst World War increased the gulf between the northern teams and the clubs in the south as the Irish League was suspended and replaced by regional leagues, foreshadowing the ultimate split. Tensions were then exacerbated by theIrish War of Independence of 1919–21, which disrupted contact between northern and southern clubs further and prevented resumption of the Irish League. The security situation prompted the IFA to order the March1920-21 Irish Cup semi-final replay betweenGlenavon andShelbourne to be replayed in Belfast, rather than in Dublin as convention dictated. This proved to be the final straw and the Leinster FA confirmed their decision to disaffiliate from the IFA at a meeting on the 8th June 1921.[8][13][14][15]
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) was founded in Dublin on 2 September 1921 by the Leinster FA.[16] The Free State League (originally the Football League of Ireland and now theLeague of Ireland) had been formed in June earlier that year when the Leinster FA withdrew from the IFA.[17] This was the climax of a series of disputes about the allegedBelfast bias of the IFA.Both bodies initially claimed to represent the entire island. The split betweenSouthern Ireland (which became theIrish Free State in December 1922) andNorthern Ireland (which came into existence as a jurisdiction in 1921) did not produce a split in the governing bodies of other sports, such as theIrish Rugby Football Union (IRFU). TheMunster Football Association, originally dominated byBritish Army regiments, had fallen into abeyance on the outbreak of the First World War,[18]: 27 and was re-established in 1922 with the help of the FAI, to which it affiliated.[18]: 31 The Falls League, based in theFalls Road of nationalistWest Belfast, affiliated to the FAI, and from thereAlton United won theFAI Cup in 1923. However, when the FAI applied to joinFIFA in 1923, it was admitted as theFAIFS (Football Association of the Irish Free State) based on a26-county jurisdiction. (This jurisdiction remains, althoughDerry City, from Northern Ireland, were given an exemption, by agreement of FIFA and the IFA, to join the League of Ireland in 1985.) Attempts at reconciliation followed: at a 1923 meeting, the IFA rejected an FAIFS proposal for it to be an autonomous subsidiary of the FAIFS. A 1924 meeting inLiverpool, brokered by theEnglish FA, almost reached agreement on a federated solution, but the IFA insisted on providing the chairman of the International team selection committee. A 1932 meeting agreed on sharing this role, but foundered when the FAIFS demanded one of the IFA's two places on theInternational Football Association Board (IFAB).[19]: 23–25 Further efforts to reach agreement were made through a series of conferences between the IFA and FAI from 1973 to 1980 during the height ofthe Troubles in Northern Ireland.[8]
The IFA did not feel obliged to refrain from selecting Free State players for its international team. The nameFootball Association of Ireland was readopted by the FAIFS in 1936, in anticipation of the change ofthe state's name in the pendingConstitution of Ireland, and the FAI began to select players from Northern Ireland based onthe Constitution's claim to sovereignty there.[19]: 33 A number of players played for boththe FAI "Ireland" (against FIFA members from mainland Europe) andthe IFA "Ireland" (in theBritish Home Championship, whose members had withdrawn from FIFA in 1920).[20] Shortly after the IFA rejoined FIFA in 1946, the FAI stopped selecting Northern players.[19]: 50 The IFA stopped selecting southern players after the FAI complained to FIFA in 1950.[19]: 61
Therefore,
From the late 1960s, association football began to achieve more widespread popularity.Donogh O'Malley,TD and thenMinister for Education, began a new programme of state-funded schools in 1966, many with association football pitches and teams. TheGaelic Athletic Association's ban on members playing "foreign" games was lifted in 1971.RTÉ television, founded in 1962, andBritish television (available nearly everywhere oncable ormicrowave relay from the 1970s), broadcast association football regularly. Above all, the increasing success of the international side from the late 1980s gave increased television exposure, more fans, and more funds to the FAI.
However, increased media exposure also highlighted some inadequacies of its hitherto largely amateur organisation.
In January 1999, the FAI announced a planned national association football stadium, to be calledEircom Park after primary sponsorsEircom. This was to be a 45,000-seat stadium in City West, modelled on theGelredome inArnhem. It gradually became apparent that the initial forecasts of cost and revenue had been very optimistic. FAI and public support for project was also undermined by the announcement of theStadium Ireland in Abbotstown, which would have 65,000 seats and be available free to the FAI, being funded by the state. TheEircom Park project was finally abandoned in March 2001, amid much rancour within the FAI.[21]: Chapter 2: "Eircom Park and the National Stadium" [22]
During preparation for the2002 World Cup, the captain of the senior football team,Roy Keane,left the training camp and returned to his home. He was critical of many aspects of the organisation and preparation of the team for the upcoming games, and public opinion in Ireland was divided. As a result of the incident, the FAI commissioned a report from consultants Genesis into its World Cup preparations. The "Genesis Report" made a number of damning criticisms regarding corruption andcronyism within the association, but was largely ignored. The complete report was never published for legal reasons.[21]: 349–50 The FAI subsequently produced its own report of itself titled "Genesis II" and implemented a number of its recommendations.[23]
In 2002, the FAI announced a deal withBritish Sky Broadcasting to sell broadcasting rights to Ireland's international matches, as well as domestic association football, to be televised on its satellite subscription service. The general public felt it should be onRTÉ, the free-to-air terrestrial service, in spite of their offering much lower rates. Faced with the prospect of the government legislating to prevent any deal, the FAI agreed to accept an improved, but still lower, offer from RTÉ.[24][21]: Chapter 6: "The Sky TV Deal"
In 2002, the FAI made anunsuccessful bid with theScottish Football Association to hostUEFA Euro 2008.[25]
Following the respectable performance of the national team in the 2002 World Cup, the team's fortunes declined under the management ofMick McCarthy,Brian Kerr andSteve Staunton.
In September 2006,Lars-Christer Olsson, CEO ofUEFA, was quoted[26] as anticipating thatLansdowne Road in Dublin (actually owned by theIrish Rugby Football Union) would stage theUEFA Cup Final in 2010, and that the FAI and the IFA would co-host the2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. The 2010 final was ultimately awarded toHamburg,[27] but in January 2009, UEFA named Lansdowne Road as the host stadium for the renamed2011 UEFA Europa League Final.[28] In August 2010, chief executiveJohn Delaney said the FAI would have repaid all of their stadium debt of €46 million within 10 years despite the disastrous sale of 10-year tickets for premium seats at theAviva Stadium.[29][30]
In November 2007 the FAI moved to new headquarters at the Sports Campus Ireland in Abbotstown.[31] Its headquarters since the 1930s had been aGeorgian terraced house at 80 Merrion Square, which was sold for a sum variously reported as "in excess of €6m"[32] and "almost €9m".[33]
The president of the FAI is the highest honorary position in Irish football.[34] The position is nominated and elected by the General Assembly at the association's annual general meeting (AGM) and each term lasts two years.[35][36] The maximum combined service for the role is eight years.[37] The president chairs the General Assembly meetings, but cannot vote. An exception is made in the event of a tie, in which case the president casts the deciding vote.[36]
The first president was Robert Richey, who was elected on 2 September 1921.[16]
| Name | Tenure |
|---|---|
| Louis Kilcoyne | 1994–1996[38] |
| Pat Quigley | 1996–2000[39] |
| Milo Corcoran | 2001–2005[40][41] |
| David Blood | 2005–2010[42] |
| Paddy McCaul | 2010–2014[43][44] |
| Tony Fitzgerald | 2014–2018[34][45] |
| Donal Conway | 2018–2020[46][47] |
| Gerry McAnaney | 2020–2023[48] |
| Paul Cooke | 2023–present[35][49] |
Sport Ireland and the FAI established a governance review of the organisation on 26 April 2019 to reform the FAI's existing arrangements.[50] One of the recommendations arising from the review was to appoint independent directors to the FAI board led by an independent chairperson. Independent directors are nominated by the FAI's Nominations Committee and ratified by the General Assembly at the association's AGM. Independent directors serve a term of two years.[51]
The first independent chair was Roy Barrett, who was appointed on 8 January 2020.[52]
| Name | Tenure |
|---|---|
| Roy Barrett | 2020–2023[52] |
| Tony Keohane | 2023–present[53] |
The chief executive of the association is hired by the Board.[36]
| Office | Name | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| General secretary | Jack Ryder | 1921–1935* |
| Joe Wickham | 1936–1968 | |
| Peadar O'Driscoll | 1968–1988 | |
| Dr. Tony O'Neill | 1988–1990 | |
| Sean Connolly | 1990–1996 | |
| Chief Executive | Bernard O'Byrne | 1997–2001 |
| Brendan Menton | 2001–2003 | |
| Fran Rooney | 2003–2004[54][55] | |
| John Delaney | 2004–2019** | |
| Jonathan Hill[56] | 2020***–2024 | |
| David Courell | 2024–present[57] |
*First full-time secretary since 1928, Ryder died in November 1935
**Delaney was interim CEO from 2004–2006
***COO Rea Walshe replaced Delaney as Interim CEO, John Foley was due to be appointed CEO but withdrew, Paul Cooke then became Interim CEO but was succeeded by Gary Owens until Hill's appointment[56][58]
The association's structure can best be split into three sections: the General Assembly (previously known as the FAI Council), The Board of Management and Committees, and the FAI Administration Staff.[59][60][36]
The FAI's administration staff are based in the association's headquarters inAbbotstown, Dublin and handle the day-to-day running of the association.[59]
The FAI Council is made up of 60 members from across Irish football. The Council elects the FAI's president, a number of committee members and also pass major decisions. The Board of Management has ten members: the president, vice-president, honorary secretary, honorary treasurer, chief executive, and the six chairpersons of the Development (International, Domestic, League of Ireland, Legal/Corporate & Underage committees). The Finance committee is represented by the Honorary Treasurer rather than selecting a chairperson. A number of committee members elected by Council and a further number selected by the CEO, President and Council Representative (other than an officer). For balance within the committees, the person selected cannot be from the same affiliate as the person elected by council, while no one person can sit on more than two committees. The Chief Executive also sits as a voting member on the Finance and Legal and Corporate Affairs Committees.
| Office | Name |
|---|---|
| President | Tony Fitzgerald |
| Vice President | Donal Conway |
| Honorary Secretary | Michael Cody |
| Honorary Treasurer | Eddie Murray |
| Chief Executive | Vacant |
| Chair of International Development | Milo Corcoran |
| Chair of Domestic Development | Jim McConnell |
| Chair of League of Ireland | Eamon Naughton |
| Chair of Legal/Corporate | Paraic Treanor |
| Chair of Underage committees |
The FAI has been involved in a number of scandals and controversies during its existence, the most famous being the "Merriongate" controversy, which broke in 1996 when the media reported that in the1990 and1994 World Cups, the FAI had sought to acquire extra tickets for Ireland's matches by exchanging tickets it had been allocated for other games; sometimes with the relevant FAs, but sometimes withticket touts. The FAI was left with many unsold tickets and heavy losses from these transactions.[21]: Chapter 1: "Merriongate" ("Merriongate" refers to the FAI's then-headquarters inMerrion Square, Dublin).
The 2007 season saw the FAI start a five-year term of running theLeague of Ireland after merging with the League. There was controversy over the manner in which clubs were allocated between the twodivisions of the new League, as simplepromotion and relegation from the previous season's leagues was not used, but rather a weighting of results, infrastructure and finances.
In 2010 the FAI refused to sanction a high-profile friendly betweenLimerick F.C. andFC Barcelona inThomond Park, at first citing a clash of fixtures, despite none of the games involving Limerick. It was later revealed that the reason for the refusal to sanction was due to an agreement the Association had in place whereby any game with a capacity of more than 20,000 had to be agreed with by a third-party, and that the FAI was in discussions about organising their own friendly with Barcelona (which the Catalan giants later refuted). When asked if Limerick could hold the friendly if they agreed to cap the attendance at 19,990, the FAI then informed the press that the limit in the contract was in fact 15,000. This apparent back-tracking, combined with abject media performances by John Delaney and Fran Gavin when attempting to justify the FAI decision, was seen as a further slap in the face for the League of Ireland, many of whose clubs were in serious financial danger.[61]
Shortly before this scandal, the FAI announced the first association football game to take place in theAviva Stadium was to be betweenManchester United and aLeague of Ireland XI. When the announcement was made, it was mentioned that this game would potentially clash with aBohemiansChampions League qualifier, should the club progress. The FAI responded by announcing negotiations withUEFA about a fixture change, which contradicted its decision not to grant the Limerick game due to a fixture clash with other Irish clubs.[62]It was also noted that the game was set up directly by the FAI and not the supposed third-party, despite the attendance being over 15,000.[63] The game itself was seen as a humiliation for the League of Ireland, as the FAI looked to have turned their back once again on Irish clubs in order to accommodatePremier League fans.[64]
After the Aviva Stadium curtain-raiser, the FAI announced that they had debts of €38 million, and had only sold 6,300 Vantage Club tickets from a projected 10,000.[65] This was at a time when the Chief Executive, John Delaney, earned €430,000, double what 2010 League of Ireland Champions received in prize money.[66][67] The figure of 6,300 was later questioned by anIrish Independent report which suggested in fact only 4,077 tickets had been sold, with as many as 1,000 of those 4,077 have been allocated to 10-year ticket holders, mainly taken by financial institutions who have not paid for the tickets since the project began.[68]
When theAviva Stadium was built, the FAI launched an ambitious premiumdebenture ticket scheme called the Vantage Club to help fund the association's share of the renovation costs.[69] In September 2008, when the scheme was launched, it was estimated by the FAI that they needed to sell only 60% of the 10,000 seats to break even.[69] However, by 2019, just over 4,000 seats had been 'allocated' according to the FAI. The term 'allocated' included seats which were not being paid for.[69]
FAI Chief ExecutiveJohn Delaney confirmed he gave the association a €100,000 loan to help it through what he said was a short-term cash flow problem. In a statement on behalf of Mr Delaney, the FAI said the "bridging loan" was given in April 2017 and repaid in full to Mr Delaney in June of that year. In a second statement issued by the FAI, Mr Delaney expanded on his comments. He said he acted in the best interests of the Association, at a time, he said, when immediate funding was needed. He described the loan as "a matter of timing," adding the loan had no impact on the full financial position or performance of the FAI for the year.[70] In April 2019,John Delaney appeared before theOireachtas Committee on Tourism, Transport and Sport, stating he was precluded from making any further comments at this hearing in relation to the finances of the Association or his former role as CEO or the €100,000 loan.[71] The chairman of theLeinster Senior League then called for a change in how Irish football was run, revealing that a large number of the leading amateur league's clubs were "not confident in the direction the FAI board is taking". David Moran toldRTÉ Sport that the LSL committee had written to its 138 member clubs asking whether the Association's board should resign in the wake of revelations over a €100,000 loan from former FAI chief executive John Delaney to his employers.[72]
Accounts for 2016 and 2017 were amended in December 2019, replacing reported profits with losses.[73][74]
Withliquidation of the association a possibility,[75][76] themen's national team's participation in theEuro 2020play-offs was under threat due to the funding crisis.[77][78]
The FAI's CEO changed four times between 2019 and January 2020.[58] Delaney resigned from the post in September 2019,[79] with Gary Owens, former CEO ofIFG Group, appointed to replace him the following January[58] and former International and former chairman ofSunderland F.C.,Niall Quinn, appointed as interim deputy CEO, choosing to go without salary until the financial future of the organisation could be secured.[80][81] In January 2020, former board member Gerry McAnaney replaced Donal Conway as president.[82][83][84][85]
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