The FAI’s Extraordinary General Meeting last Thursday confirmed the appointment of Governance specialist Una Henry as an Independent Director, but much of the public and political attention in the days that followed has centred on the controversy surrounding Ireland’s scheduled Nations League fixture against Israel in October.
Henry brings extensive experience in governance, commercial leadership and financial oversight to the role. A highly regarded business executive, she has held senior leadership positions with Bank of Ireland, PwC and Deloitte.
Her appointment continues the FAI’s efforts to strengthen governance standards and broaden the range of expertise at the board level following the reforms introduced in recent years.
However, the wider discussion around the EGM inevitably became intertwined with renewed calls for the Republic of Ireland men’s team to boycott its forthcoming fixture against Israel at the Aviva Stadium on October 4.
The debate has intensified amid the continuing conflict in the Middle East and follows a motion passed at an FAI General Assembly last November calling for Israel to be suspended from international football competition. Despite that motion, the FAI has consistently stated that it is obliged under UEFA and FIFA regulations to fulfil the fixture.
Calls for Ireland not to play have grown louder in recent weeks, with former Ireland international James McClean, former manager Brian Kerr and Bohemians Chief Commercial Officer Daniel Lambert among those publicly urging the FAI to withdraw.
Across media over the weekend, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O’Donovan warned that Ireland itself would suffer most from any refusal to play.
“I know that there’s a huge level of public anger and I know that there’s a huge level of public pressure being piled on the FAI, but at the end of the day, not fulfilling the fixture under the current rules means the Republic of Ireland would be the big loser,” he said.
Rather than a team boycott, O’Donovan suggested supporters could make their feelings known by staying away from the match.
“There are ways in which people can protest around that — by not attending the game, for instance,” he said. “I think one of the clearest ways people could say they’re not happy with this would be just to stay away from it, and that would obviously send its own signal internationally.”
The Minister acknowledged the strength of feeling surrounding the fixture but reiterated that the sporting and financial consequences of withdrawing could have serious ramifications for Irish football.
“I understand people’s anger, I understand that people don’t want this fixture to be fulfilled, but the question is: Who would be the loser then? It’s the lads in green, who these people are trying to support, who would be the big losers, and no one wants that.
“The FAI have laid out their stall. It’s almost like they’re damned if they do and they’re damned if they don’t.”
The appointment of Henry was another step in rebuilding confidence in the Association’s structures and leadership, but the pressure surrounding the Israel fixture is unlikely to ease in the months ahead as the October match approaches.
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