Stormy FAI meeting expected tomorrow

ALTHOUGH the horse may already have bolted FAI officers are desperately trying to conduct a damage limitation exercise this week, the high point of which is liable to be a stormy executive council meeting tomorrow evening.

Anger within the National League clubs is particularly acute, with one prominent official intimating that they will go to tomorrow's meeting looking for a head, and though any head will do, it's Louis Kilcoyne's they're after. "The first step is to get Louis Kilcoyne to step down and get someone else in to do the job."

The are angry over a combination of issues - Kilcoyne's admission that Mick McCarthy was not his first choice as national manager, the subsequent realisation that Millwall are claiming compensation, the potential for a ticket scandal, the mishandling of the refereeing controversy (and the judge's labelling of the association as "autocratic"), the financial loss brought about by refusing to accept an out of court settlement, the prospect of further actions by 142 junior referees and the resignations of two and probably three (and maybe four) of the association's employees.

"The officers of the FAI have been running the association on their own for the last 18 months," explained the same angry official yesterday. "The executive have only been called to ratify their decisions. That has got to stop."

At the very least moves are afoot to bring the officers to count for the bad publicity which the association has attracted in recent weeks. The signs are the officers may decide to become accountable by calling a press conference on Thursday morning.

While it's all very well and good that the clubs and other executives extract some response from the officers, the public are also entitled to a few answers. Remarkably, since the Anfield play off defeat, the FAI has called Just one press conference for Mick McCarthy's inauguration. Any wonder that an increasingly ravenous media have been left to devour unattributed leaks?

Yesterday the official information lines were reduced by the absence of Louis Kilcoyne, Joe Delaney and Des Casey, all of whom were in London. Thus the FAI vice president and National League president, Michael Hyland, was left to man a fort increasingly under siege.

Despite growing evidence to the contrary, Hyland denied there is a rift within Merrion Square between the FAI officers and its full time staff which is now beyond repair. "I can't speak for the other four gentlemen (Kilcoyne, Delaney, Casey and Pat Quigley) but I have no problems with any member of that staff in 80 Merrion Square and I don't know who has."

Yet, following quickly on the heels of the double resignation of chief executive Sean Connolly and the association's accountant, Michael Morris it transpires that national coach Joe McGrath has written to the FAI through his solicitors seeking, in turn, written assurances about his working relationship with them.

To this, Hyland said: "He (McGrath) is in dispute with the FAI at the moment in relation to certain aspects of his contract." Such as? "Various things, I can't remember what they are. I can't see why the Joe McGrath situation can't be resolved."

Asked if Michael Morris was pressurised into resigning, Hyland said "No he was not." Asked if Sean Connolly was, Hyland responded: "No he was not.

As to the reasons for Connolly's resignation, Hyland said: "Well, according to him, his health is not the best. The pressures were building up for him and he's going to new pastures." Similarly, Morris "had another job to go to. His notice was handed in months and months ago."

Hyland denied that the FAI's refusal to agree an out of court settlement before the court's resolution of the dispute involving demoted referees Michael Tomney and Tommy Traynor cost the association's rapidly diminishing coffers in the region of £65,000.

"That is not true. They couldn't get an agreement between the two barristers. It was certainly not in that vein, nothing like it," said Hyland though he admitted: "I don't know what the offer was.

It was subsequently leaked that Connolly had written to 142 other referees notifying them of their dismissals, which was in contravention of the court's judgment on the case. This, Hyland admitted, was due to "a recommendation by our legal department."

As to the revelation that £200,000 worth of World Cup tickets were allegedly absconded by an English agent, Hyland said: "I haven't got a clue." Nor was he aware of any officer meeting the shortfall with cheques of £130,000 and £70,000.

Hyland did accept that "the association is going through a very bad period. I'm quite confident that when the dust settles we'll get back on the road to recovery.

Likewise, Hyland reckoned that the vexed issue of Ian Evans - becoming a full time or part time assistant to Mick McCarthy would be resolved, with a compromise between the two. Ditto the merger between the FAI and the National League, which comes up for ratification after its two year trial this summer. "Common sense will prevail."

All of which is not nearly enough, though as Hyland reiterated throughout, "most of these matters will come before the executive."

Answers on Thursday then, maybe?