FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND
Preparation and Planning for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
Evaluation Review
Presentation
by
GENESIS
Strategic Management Consultants
12 November 2002
Overall Aims
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To examine the performance and role of the FAI in all operational
matters in the preparation and support of the Irish team at the
2002 FIFA World Cup
To consider the appropriateness and effectiveness of these
procedures and arrangements against other similar international
comparators
To examine how the Senior Irish team fits into FAI structures
In the light of the above to recommend a strategy for the FAI to
devise suitable policies to achieve greater and consistent success
during the forthcoming UEFA European Championship and
subsequent World Cup campaigns
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In detail…
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Review planning which the FAI carried out for the 2002 FIFA World
Cup, especially from the end of qualifying in November 2001
Assess quality of the plans for preparation for this Tournament
Review the events which occurred during the acclimatisation and
Training Camps immediately prior to the FIFA World Cup
Gather the views of stakeholders in the Irish international teams
Review the effectiveness of the FAI structures and staff in support of
the International Teams, especially for a World Cup
Assess the effectiveness of the FAI’s media relations and the
management of their public relations
Review management processes and procedures deployed by the FAI
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Our Approach
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Data review and analysis
Interviews (88 in total)
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27 interviews
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Team Management, Coaches, Management, Administrators
• 1 declined to be formally interviewed
FAI staff and voluntary leadership
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4 Interviews with Irish Sports Council, Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport
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18 interviews with journalists/media correspondents in Ireland and England
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9 Interviews with other stakeholders
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Attendance at Eircom League matches
Interviews with Players
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23 invitations issued; 14 inputs received
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6 interviews with Premiership Club managers in England
Comparator analysis
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Other national football associations - Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and England
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Peak Performing Organisations - comparison for FAI with research e.g. New
Zealand All Blacks, Netherlands Hockey, Rugby Football League
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Ireland’s International Achievements
In recent years Ireland have achieved:
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1990 World Cup (Italy) - 8th - with 4 draws
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1992 European Nations Cup - did not qualify - behind England in Group 7
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1994 World Cup (USA) - qualified for 2nd round; lost to Holland 1996
European Nations - did not qualify - lost to Holland (play off)
1998 World Cup (France) - did not qualify - lost to Belgium (play-off)
2000 European Nations Cup - did not qualify - lost to Turkey (play-off)
on away goals
2002 World Cup (Japan/Korea) - qualified for 2nd round; ranked 13th in
the world after the event
Highlights at Junior level:
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Junior squads have enjoyed consistent success over the last decade
frequently finishing in top quartile positions in European Nations
Tournaments
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The Context of Football
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Football as an international sport is booming
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The importance of the English Premiership
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The viability of football in Ireland and the FAI as an
organisation is closely linked to the success or otherwise of
its senior international team
The competition for Ireland, in the 2nd tier of football
nations, has intensified
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The Irish International Players
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Young players with potential tend to leave Ireland at 15-16 to join
a Premiership/First Division club in the UK
They participate in excellent competition in the top
English/Scottish Premierships
This experience has raised expectations for a much higher
standard of service/support than 10-12 years ago
Roy Keane is at the extreme edge of these expectations
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Ireland - the Celtic Tiger
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Irish squads, especially in the last 12 years, have appeared to
perform above expectations, in marked contrast to others
Most people felt this was due to:
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Strong morale and team spirit - almost like a club
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Feeling of ‘we have nothing to lose’
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Spirit of fun in the squad and ‘get on with it’ when in adversity
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Social relationship with one another and fans
Ireland’s national economic performance over the last decade has
more than matched that of its football teams.
Public sector funding for football is likely to be less available than
in the past, or at least to a lesser extent than previous grants
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FAI Objectives
Specifically for the FIFA 2002 World Cup
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No explicit objectives written down or agreed between FAI and
team management
Implicit, but not shared
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To qualify for the second stage
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To do as well as we could
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To earn net €1.5m.
No official structures and processes set up by FAI - just the
Working Group
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Preparing for Battle
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In December 2001 a Working Group was set up
No dedicated plan or budget was prepared for the 2002 World
Cup
Plans were made to improve ticketing arrangements and these
seem to have worked well
Pressure recognised by Board with secondment, in March 2002,
of 2 extra members of staff to handle commercial opportunities
Friendly matches chosen well against relevant opponents
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Saipan - Relaxation and Acclimatisation
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Chosen from a number of
alternatives
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1000 miles south of Tokyo
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One hour time difference
(forward) from Japan
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US ‘Commonwealth’ - US
culture
Serious training not on the
agenda
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Did the players really
understand this?
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Evidence that this was
explained and agreed at the
team meeting the day before
Niall Quinn’s testimonial
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Roy Keane was not present
5 star hotel and facilities
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Key staff arrived 2 days in
advance to ease check in etc
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Saipan - in Summary
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Good choice of venue for acclimatisation and relaxation, but it
added a disproportionately large complexity to logistics
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The Pitch and Skip incidents were hugely more damaging than
the technical impact on the team’s performance
FAI support for Press Officer and Team Management totally
inadequate
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Additional 3rd leg to an already tiring journey
Out of mobile phone/wireless contact for many
Journalists looking for a story
Mick had to take control of the management of media relations and
had little support from others
No crisis management policy or procedure to fall back on in
Saipan or at home
Exposed the flaws which were always there in:
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Leadership, Management and Communication
The ‘Them and Us’ between the Team and the FAI
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Saipan – the good, the bad and the ugly
from the Players’ perspective
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Was the purpose of Saipan clear and agreed by all?
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Hotel and other facilities were excellent
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Acclimatisation was good
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Roy / Mick debacle created real stress for the players
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The pitch was the major issue
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The late arrival of the skips with kit, balls and drinks was a much
lesser issue
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For the Future….
Transport & Logistics
Better planning and attention to detail
More direct (chartered) flights
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All training facilities and equipment to be checked and delivered on time
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Including good gyms in hotels
For the Players
Greater protection from the press
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Masseurs as well as physiotherapists
Arrangements made for families travelling to major tournaments
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and no expectation that FAI should pay
Greater attention to detail
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Minimise/remove players’ stress so that they focus only on the football
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Demonstrate respect for players and their needs
Need a bridge between the FAI and the players
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The idea of a team ‘manager’ well received
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PERFORMING
The Total Team on the Field
(Reviewed by David Whitaker)
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Planning the World Cup Campaign
Good Practice:
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Solid thought processes went into the choice of training camp at
Saipan
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This turned out to be ideal with regards to time zone, sympathetic
personal environment and heat and humidity
Good research and planning regarding acclimatisation to and
playing in these conditions
Experiences of both the medical team and the coaching staff
used to establish good practices for acclimatisation
Phases of the programme after departure from Ireland were clear
in the minds of the management team
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Capturing the Learning
Review Processes
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No formal processes in place to review campaign and capture
learning
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No reports written or requested by FAI
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No formal reviews by management team
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No formal reviews with players
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OVERALL FINDINGS
Reflecting on the Past
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Our Overall Findings
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The Irish Football team, in achieving a ranking of 13th in the world,
consolidated through their performance (12th place) in the FIFA 2002
World Cup, achieved a credible performance
The commercial objective of a surplus of €1m is likely to be achieved
The ticketing arrangements in particular were considerably better and
more professional than in 1994
The much publicised incidents relating to the late delivery of skips and
the quality of the training pitch in Saipan had little technical impact on
the performance of the squad in the World Cup
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They did result in Ireland’s Captain and arguably best player going home
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They were the final straw in a self fulfilling prophecy
The seeds which culminated in the captain’s withdrawal from the squad
had been sown many years before and well nurtured over an extended
period of time
Many observers believed the potential of the Irish squad was not fully
realised
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Our Overall Findings
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The overall planning by the FAI was inadequate for an event the
size and scale of the 2002 World Cup. The fact that the eventual
outcome was positive (on the field and commercially) was more a
matter of luck than effective management practice
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The size, scale and possible impact of the World Cup were underestimated.
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Except that carried out by the Team Management and a number of very
capable individuals - both groups working almost in isolation from the
FAI
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The inexperienced Working Group was too informal in its set-up and
operation and had little control over the outcome
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No formal learning was captured from previous major tournaments, or
deployed to benefit the planning for this tournament
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The impact of additional workload for the World Cup not considered
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Our Overall Findings
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In general there is not a culture of discipline in the management of the
FAI, with most basic management disciplines non existent
There were lots of words written about the FAI, its team and players
before and during the 2002 World Cup
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There was, however, little effective communication with stakeholders
The management of the crises which emerged before and during the
2002 World Cup left a lot to be desired
No management of high performance is practised by the FAI other than
that delivered by the Senior Team and other team management
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The Development Plan ‘One Game; One Association’ does not address this in
any depth
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There is no strategy or plans to develop key areas such as sports science and
medicine
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Given the clear talent emerging from Ireland this represents an opportunity
lost
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Our Overall Findings
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In comparison with other nations the following key points emerged:
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Country B – full debriefing carried out with players, management and staff
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Country C – planning by HQ staff and Head Coach; debriefing planned for
later in 2002
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Country D - have a World Cup Committee, integrating Team and Technical
Management
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The FA (England) began planning in March 2001, with a full time Project
Manager. No Journalists, or Officials are allowed to travel with the team. All
travel is direct, by charter flight
The scope and complexity of the activity carried out by the FAI have
grown significantly over the last decade. Little has changed in the
governance and management of the Association over that time
The voluntary leadership and professional management structures of the
FAI are designed to govern football domestically, and do not address the
needs of the International team competing as it does at the highest level
in the world
They fail even to recognise good organisational practice employed
elsewhere in sport, including in Ireland
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RECOMMENDATIONS
Creating the Future
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The FAI have a Choice
The FAI can improve its performance by
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Accepting the need for change in the way they do things
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Making a number of modest changes in areas such as travel
arrangements, PR/media and the way they treat their players
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Tightening up on management practices, processes and
procedures
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Improving the management and logistics for major tournaments
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This will not improve their competitive capability or
performance in the tough and more competitive world of
football, or resolve the major issues that emerged during
the 2002 World Cup
It will also not achieve the ‘new beginning’ desired by
almost everyone we spoke to during this review…
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No Choice?
Alternatively the FAI can
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Accept the need for transformation in the way it manages football
and the performance of its international teams
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Recognise that to compete successfully and exploit the current
growth in football as a sport and business, it needs to modernise
and professionalise the leadership and management of the sport
Set objectives for success over the next 8 years which will result
in taking football to a leading position in Irish sport
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recognising the importance of its players
and the FAI to a position as a peak performing organisation, admired
throughout the nation and the football world
Achieve a period of sustained stability
A new beginning is open to the FAI as a result of the crises in
2002, if it wishes to grasp that opportunity
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Our Summary Recommendations
Immediate Action (next 3 months)
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The FAI must accept openly
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need for greater professionalism
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need for change
They must acknowledge openly the importance
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providing for their players and coaches as the first priority
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planning and managing their arrangements
A number of changes should be considered to policies and practices
regarding the travel and other arrangements for international fixtures and
major tournaments e.g. charter flights, media arrangements, contingency
planning
The FAI needs to take action in the following specific management areas
e.g. contracts of employment, job descriptions, performance review
processes
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Our Summary Recommendations
Developing Effective Management and Functions (next 6 months)
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The FAI needs to make a number of senior appointments to lead and
deliver the change secure sustained performance
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Chief Executive of the FAI
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Director of Performance
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Director of Football Operations
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Director of Marketing and Communications
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Director of Finance & Administration
The FAI should prepare an International Performance Plan for the next
4-8 years to include:
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Setting up an International Performance Group
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Our Summary Recommendations
Developing Effective Management and Functions (next 6 months)
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Development and implementation of a High Performance Strategy
The FAI needs to embrace the need for a culture of discipline and
planning, within the ethos that is unique and special to Ireland
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Setting objectives and making plans
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Reviewing these plans regularly to secure successful outcomes
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Developing the skills of their people
The FAI should continue their excellent work of developing coaching in
Ireland, working with the NCTC to address especially the recruitment and
development of future high performance coaches
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Our Summary Recommendations
For the Long-Term (Planned over the next 12 months)
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A new beginning is open to the sport, if it wishes to grasp that opportunity.
To achieve this there must be:
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Greater engagement and development of the key stakeholders in the sport
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Football in Ireland should undertake a Development Initiative (4 Year Business
Plan)
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The focus for development should be tightened along the lines of the Regional
developments planned in ‘One Game; One Association’ with the League of Ireland
clubs fully behind these efforts.
Football in Ireland needs to determine its goals with an accompanying
strategy for the sport over the next 8-10 years (say to the 2010 World Cup).
If the FAI is serious about competing in the world class of 21st century
football, it needs to modernise and professionalise to reflect the needs of
21st century sport. The key areas to address are:
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Development of effective voluntary leadership, professional management and
structures
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Reform of the existing Board of Management and Council
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Implications
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Our recommendations are likely to involve an additional spend,
which we believe can be covered out of existing and planned
revenues
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Appointment of key executives is likely to cost an additional €400k
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Savings of €200k may be possible to compensate for these
appointments
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A target of €150k should be set for additional external income
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FAI should consider increasing annual subscriptions to raise a further
€100k, each year, to support the change over the next 4 years
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FINALLY, THANK YOU
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