FAI set to examine Rooney's position

The Football Association of Ireland's board of management looks likely to initiate an investigation into Fran Rooney's performance as chief executive of the organisation when it meets this afternoon to consider a letter of complaint from senior staff about the man hired last May to lead the association.

Little was being said yesterday by either side about what might happen today but with Rooney having apparently lost the support of former ally John Delaney it is probable the disaffection at Merrion Square will prompt an inquiry. If the organisation's track record is anything to go by, an attempt to force out the former Baltimore Technologies boss will follow.

It is understood the FAI president Milo Corcoran last night sent a letter to Rooney instructing him not to attend the meeting. However, prior to seeing the letter Rooney insisted he is entitled to attend.

Rooney said last night he did not know what would happen at today's meeting but insisted he would vigorously fight his corner.

He claimed to enjoy a normal working relationship with most of the staff at Merrion Square and emphatically denied having strained relations with the Government, the Irish Rugby Football Union or the Sports Council.

He also repeated his assertion he remained committed to the implementation of the Genesis report on which, he said, "huge progress has been made. But," he added, "the last element of Genesis is the appointment of the four executive positions recommended in the report and there is clearly some opposition in this area."

Specifically, though he declined to comment on it, there is opposition to a proposal a new position of financial director be the subject of open competition.

Delaney, the association's treasurer, is known to favour the promotion of Peter Buckley, the FAI's financial accountant, to the new post, and is believed to have informed the Sports Council's chief executive, John Treacy, he is opposed to idea of advertising the post.

Treacy has, in turn, insisted all of the new appointments should by filled by way of open competition. In the wake of a meeting between senior officials of the two organisations on the October 4th at which the FAI's representatives showed little inclination to embrace the idea the Sports Council has threatened to withhold €300,000 of this year's grant aid.

The allocation of the money in question was approved in March specifically to fund the appointments and so while the positions go unfilled the association is not actually out of pocket for they are unlikely to be deprived of the outstanding €200,000 of the normal €1.7 million annual grant.

Rooney, however, believes the association has a responsibility to heed the concerns of the Sports Council and the Dáil's Public Accounts Committee which has questioned Treacy on a couple of occasions regarding his views on how well funding provided to the FAI is being used.

At the meeting three weeks ago a document was presented to the Sports Council which ostensibly restated the association's determination to implement all aspects of the Genesis report but which went on to suggest that as the finance director's job was effectively being done by somebody within the organisation already there was no need to look outside for candidates.

"The preamble was positive enough," said a spokesman for the council yesterday, "but what was contained in the main body of the document was a little less robust than we would have expected and what has been said now is that they need to come back with urgent and meaningful proposals if we are not to withhold the relevant portion of their funding."

In a statement issued last night by the council the FAI was given until next Friday to come up with these proposals if it is to avoid the loss of the €300,000.

The association, however, seems unlikely to be able to fully resolve the issue within the time required given the deepening division between Rooney and Delaney on the matter and any attempt in the longer term to simply defy the Sports Council could have serious ramifications for the FAI's relationship with its main source of funding - the Government.

Rooney's difficulties look to be more immediate, though, with any investigation into difficulties within Merrion Square likely to broaden out into a review of his overall performance since being appointed almost 18 months ago.

While he remains defiant about the situation and maintains his record since taking on the post is good the scale of the changes he has championed has made him enemies. There are also a significant number of critics who simply do not believe he has done well in the job.

This afternoon's meeting will provide the first indication of the support he enjoys within the organisation but nothing less than a decision there is no case to answer would represent a real victory.

Anything less and he looks to be in for some difficult times ahead.