The FAI endured a torrid night at an EGM called to vote on a new Board structure that would meet the Government’s target of 40 per cent gender balance by the end of the year.
While there seems to be a broad acceptance of expanding the Board to 14 from the current 12 and ensuring both the new Board members are women, there is rancour over whether the new positions should bring the independent director ratio up to 50:50 or whether the new members should come from what has become colloquially known as ‘the football family.’
The vote on a proposal for the former that had been approved by the Board was accepted but only with a 66 per cent vote, short of the 75 per cent that is needed according to the regulations of the association.
Chair Roy Barrett who announced he would be stepping down confirmed he was doing so with immediate effect meaning that a new Chair will now need to be appointed in advance of the Association AGM due to be held on December 9th.
That would be the last chance to meet the 40 per cent gender balance and avoid what would be anger and frustration, backed up by the threat and likely immediate withholding of at least some degree of Government funding.
The reputation risk is greater still. The FAI has climbed back to favour in Government circles by managing its affairs as required under the memorandum of understanding that freed up money which staved off the potential collapse of the FAI after the challenges and fallout of the John Delaney era.
It has built a case for deeper funding to support an overhaul of facilities and is doing OK in terms of public support with 21,000 season ticket renewals for a less than glamorous year of fixtures at least in the early part of 2024 and a 36,000 crowd at the Aviva Stadium to support the Women’s National team.
There have been record attendances at the SSE Airtricity League of Ireland this year and Sunday’s FAI Cup Final will also break a record stretching back to 1945.
But in the firefly world of fleeting attention if the FAI is the only major sport that fails to meet a Government-backed call for gender balance, how will that look to Ministers, sponsors, fans and to the surging levels of interest in the Women’s game.
There is nuance in that this is more about the battle for dominance between the amateur and professional game but rest assured that will be lost in a likely damning response from those multiple stakeholders who will be looking for a resolution in the coming weeks.
There is a power play from the Leinster FA to hold a second EGM that would vote on an alternative to keep those extra seats on the board for women but to come from within football. That may or may not be possible, may or may not succeed but the clock is ticking.
With one board position of the current 12 still vacant, there is a fudge alternative which would mean Roy Barrett resigning as has happened and not being replaced, leaving an active Board of ten, four of which are women – Catherine Guy, Liz Joyce, Niamh O’Mahony and Maeve McMahon. That is 40 per cent, but it is only sustainable in the shortest of terms and would hardly be acceptable if the replacement Board members when appointed were not still both female making a six:six gender split.
We can only imagine the frustration around the FAI executive and in Government circles that it is still governance that is taking centre stage.
There is time to broker a solution but it has to be solid, and it has to make all sides satisfied if not happy. Maybe after drawing a breath and having some heart-to-heart conversations at the Sports Direct FAI Cup Final on Sunday and 11th-hour solution will emerge.
