Brendan Menton has tendered his resignation as General Secretary of the Football Association of Ireland, following the release of a damming report into the FAI's handling of Ireland's World Cup campaign. Mr Menton's decision to quit followed a meeting of the FAI Executive, which was called to consider the report. FAI officers have unanimously recommended to accept the review, and a meeting has been set up for 29 November to start the implementation process.
Brendan Menton said that the problems with Irish football are not just to do with Saipan, but have spanned a long period. He said: "We're talking about a new organisation - a fundamental process - this will take a certain type of leadership. Having played my own part in football development. I have indicated to the board I would not consider myself as a candidate for CEO.
"In the light of this I will step aside from my position this evening. I will take up a different role in the association. I hope the changes will happen and the future of Irish football will be a bright one," he added.
Structures and culture strongly criticised
The independent inquiry, commissioned after the departure of Roy Keane from the World Cup squad, calls for radical change in the management of the national side. The report by Glasgow-based management consultancy Genesis, which cost €30,000, is particularly critical of the FAI's structures and culture.
It says there is "no culture of discipline" in FAI management, and that basic management techniques are non existent in the organisation. It also criticises its management of crises, saying that nothing had been learned from Ireland's involvement in previous major tournaments.
The report recommends sweeping changes. It says the organisation must first accept the need for change, and it must improve and modernise management and logistics. It says the present structure, which includes voluntary leadership and professional management, is incompatible. It recommends five senior professional appointments to manage the organisation - including a Chief Executive, a Director of Finance, and a Director of Communications.
Keane not informed about Saipan purpose
It reveals that the squad was told before Niall Quinn's testimonial that the purpose of the team's pre-World Cup base in Saipan was rest and recuperation. Roy Keane was not present at that meeting, and FAI officials never informed him about this. Keane said at the time that the training facilities in Saipan were "shocking" and "worse than a car park".
It says that the seeds of Keane's withdrawal from the squad were sown many years before, but the symptoms were not diagnosed. Many feel that the full impact of the Irish team in the World Cup was not realised.
The report says that although Saipan was a good choice for relaxation, it added too much to the logistics of the trip. It added that bringing journalists along meant that they had nothing to do but look for stories. It said that support for the press officer and team management was "totally inadequate," leaving manager Mick McCarthy to take charge. With no crisis management plan to fall back on, it says that Saipan exposed flaws within the FAI.
Accommodation planning praised
Unlike the English Football Association, the FAI will make a profit out of the World Cup. It says that planning in Japan and Korea was excellent in ensuring players, media and fans had adequate accommodation. It says bus transfers were also planned very well to minimise travel, and Ireland had an excellent relationship with the hosts.
The report finds that Ireland's rankings and commercial objectives are likely to be achieved, and ticketing is much more professional then in 1994. It says that the late arrival of skips of gear had little impact on the team.
Success due more to luck
It finds that overall planning for the 2002 World Cup was inadequate, and any success was more a matter of luck than good business practice. It says that the scale of operation was underestimated, and there was an inexperienced working group. It says that no formal lessons were taken from previous tournaments.
It says that most departments within the FAI have no job descriptions with objectives. It says there has been little change in governance and management, even though staff has grown threefold in the development area within the organisation, and says that the FAI has failed to recognise good practice as adopted by other sports.
Calls for "culture of professionalism"
The Genesis report says that the FAI should recognise that it needs to modernise to take football to a leading place in sport. It says the FAI must provide for players and coaches as a first priority, that charter flights should be used but the number of accompanying officials should be limited. It added that the media should not travel with the team or stay in the same hotel.
It says that the FAI must improve contracts of employment, improve job descriptions and objectives for staff. It also calls for a "culture of professionalism".
Genesis was employed to look at measures which could help the team to qualify for the finals of major competitions. Squad members and coaching staff were asked for their opinions on the affair, including a 90 minute interview with Roy Keane.
Filed by Greg McKevitt
