Former Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr has revealed that FAI general manager Noel Mooney suggested he might take on the role of "media watchdog" for the FAI. The 66-year-old says that the proposal was made in one of two "baffling" emails that prompted him to ask Mooney not to contact him anymore.
At a Virgin Media event to promote the broadcaster's coverage of the Champions League this season, Kerr was asked if there had been any attempt by the association to rebuild its relationship with him since the departure of John Delaney from the chief executive's role back in the spring.
“I had contact,” Kerr said, “two rather haphazard approaches to attend the Under-17 Euro matches. I’ve [also] had contact from Noel Mooney, who was sitting about three rows back from me at the St Pat’s Europa League game.
"He said he was disappointed that I wasn't going to the presentations that Niall [Quinn] and Kieran Lucid were making at Abbotstown on the following Saturday. I said I wasn't available.
“To be honest, then I got two emails off him that were just baffling. When I got the second one, I asked him not to contact me anymore. It was off the wall stuff.
"He suggested I may have a role being a media watchdog in the future. For the FAI. I actually replied to him by saying I don't understand what a media watchdog is but it sounds like something from the soviet era and I'd appreciate it if you didn't contact me anymore in relation to the FAI. I don't really care if it's public or private but he suggested that Gerry Adams and Ian Paisley had found common ground so maybe myself . . . "
Kerr said he would consider any serious offer to play a significant role in the restructuring of the organisation but described the prospect of an approach as “most unlikely”.
“There are a lot of people highly qualified, possibly more qualified than me to do it, but I doubt they’d be approached unless they go through that formal channel of applying.”
Asked about the comments a spokesman for the association said that: “The FAI can confirm that General Manager Noel Mooney recently made contact with Brian Kerr – after they had met briefly at a League of Ireland game – in an effort to bring Brian back into the football family.
“The GM contacted Brian, by a private email, offering to meet for a coffee to ‘understand your views on how Irish football can perform better’. We are disappointed that these private emails have made their way into the public domain.
“However, the Association is receptive to Brian Kerr being involved in its key objective of the promotion and development of football in Ireland.”
