Setters settles his action against FAI

THE unfair dismissals case taken by Mr Maurice Setters against the Football Association of Ireland was withdrawn from the employment appeals tribunal in Dublin yesterday, and settled just before the hearing was to begin.

Details of the settlement were not disclosed and the only comment afterwards came from the chief executive of the FAI, Mr Bernard O'Byrne, who told reporters there was an "amicable settlement, the case is closed, it's all over".

Mr Setters, formerly assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland soccer squad and manager of the under 21 team, claimed he was unfairly dismissed by the FAI after the Republic's manager, Mr Jack Charlton, resigned in December 1995.

Mr Setters, who will be 60 later this month, had been Mr Charlton's "right hand man" since his appointment in 1986.

The FAI's view was that since both men were part of the same management team, Mr Setter's position of assistant manager automatically lapsed with Mr Charlton's decision to resign.

The star of yesterday's show, however, was Jack Charlton. "Big Jack" was in great form as he bantered with the waiting press. "Do you think the match will go ahead?" asked a reporter in reference to the employment appeal. "I don't know," he said. "It's not my game.

The case was scheduled to be heard at 10.30 a.m., but for almost two hours there was a flurry of negotiations in the corridors and consulting rooms of Davitt House between the legal teams. When the tribunal finally went into session Mr Roddy Horan, counsel for Mr Setters, told the tribunal chairwoman, Ms Moya Quinlan, that his client was withdrawing his claim.

Afterwards, a smiling Mr Setters, who emerged with Mr Charlton, would only remark to reporters: "I've nothing to say.

Later Mr O'Byrne emerged and said that there had been an amicable settlement. Asked why it had taken so long to reach a settlement, he replied that it was just the way legal matters took time to resolve. When he was asked to give an indication of the terms of the settlement, he said: "Absolutely not. There is a confidentiality clause."