Soccer/FAI dispute: Kevin Fahy remains, for now, honorary secretary of the Football Association of Ireland following president Milo Corcoran's decision not to put forward a proposal to a meeting of the FAI's board of management in Merrion Square yesterday that Fahy be removed from his position.
The proposal will be put to the association's council "at a later date".
Solicitors acting on behalf of Fahy had informed the FAI on Wednesday they believed the organisation's board would be acting improperly if it considered Corcoran's proposal, claiming under the organisation's memorandum of association only the FAI's council would be legally entitled to end Fahy's term of office, and, even then, two-thirds of its members would have to approve the decision.
Corcoran, however, in a statement issued after yesterday's five-hour meeting, said he was "satisfied on legal advice that I was, and remain, entitled to ask the board to consider my proposal and make a decision on same". It was as a result, though, he said, of Fahy's refusal to attend the meeting that he "chose not to put his proposal forward".
"Instead I have decided to put that proposal to the council of the association," he said. "I chose not to proceed with my proposal to the board for the following reasons: a) The honorary secretary has chosen not to attend today's meeting to respond to my proposal. It is important that we do our business properly and I want to afford the honorary secretary every opportunity to respond to my concerns within the association. b) I wish to give the Council, representing the wider family of football, the opportunity to hear the issues that concern me and to decide on the matter. I have therefore requested that a council meeting be held as soon as possible to deal with this matter," he concluded.
FAI chief executive Fran Rooney ruled out the possibility of the issue being dealt with at this weekend's a.g.m. in Derry. "It is important we give our council members notice, so we won't have it as soon as that," he said, "we'll have it as soon as possible, but not as soon as Saturday."
Fahy, meanwhile, said he was "delighted and relieved the matter is finally going to be dealt with in the proper form". His position within the FAI rests with the 60-strong council, where he should gain considerably more support than he would have received from the board of management, believed to be largely supportive of Corcoran.
Corcoran had sought Fahy's dismissal after questioning his competence in minute-taking at board meetings, accusing him of meeting his (Corcoran's) efforts to "achieve a standard of minutes which reflect accurately on the business transactions at board meetings" with "a reluctance, unwillingness and lack of co-operation that is tantamount to being obstructive."
Corcoran also criticised Fahy for voting against the adoption of the FAI's annual accounts.
Fahy, meanwhile, has claimed there has been a campaign against him since he and Brendan Dillon, who resigned as Eircom League chairman in January, questioned the remuneration package for FAI chief executive Fran Rooney, the general state of the association's finances and the manner in which the club licensing issue was handled. He had said he would consider legal action against the FAI if he had been removed from his post at yesterday's meeting.
Fahy will be hopeful of attracting the support of at least one third of the council members, the requirement for his survival. The body includes members who would share the concerns he has expressed about the running of the FAI and would, like Fahy, be critical of Rooney and the FAI treasurer, John Delaney.
The next council meeting is on September 3rd but it is likely the matter will be dealt with before then. For now it seems likely the handling of the Fahy "issue" will be raised under "any other business" at Saturday's a.g.m., by both his supporters and opponents. There is also more than a reasonable chance frustration will be expressed that, once again, the association finds itself embroiled in an internal dispute.
