FAI out of Saipan and in the line of fire

THE Football Association of Ireland’s report into the Saipan disaster will be made public this evening and the reaction of key players in the organisation should make for reading as interesting as the report itself.

FAI out of Saipan and in the line of fire

Among those who will be expected to act on its findings are:

The President

Milo Corcoran sat at the top table with Mick McCarthy and several senior squad members on the team's last night in Saipan as McCarthy explained to the media why he was flying to Japan the next morning without Roy Keane.

Corcoran backed McCarthy all the way when the issue was confined to a simple manager-player row but now that it has thrown up questions about the FAI organisation, it is hard to tell where his loyalties will lie among his fellow officers or how much flack he will take and accept.

A full-time sales rep with Heineken in the south-east, he only reluctantly gave up his directorship of Waterford United when the demands of Merrion Square became too much to juggle.

In his 50s, he is a quiet workhorse who became vice-president in the wake of the infamous Merriongate clear-out and became president at the time of another purge when former chief executive Bernard O'Byrne was pushed out in April last year.

As head of the FAI's national council, a vocal and disparate bunch, he faces the often conflicting views and clamour of 56 members geographically spread throughout the country.

Recently elected to UEFA's youth and amateur committee, he is now responsible for organising international tournaments for younger players, a demanding role but one he relishes and would be keen to hold on to should he have to vacate the president's seat.

The General Secretary

Brendan Menton, 51, prefers this to his other title of chief executive which he considers too bossy but, like it or not, he is the boss and can expect critics to say that regardless of the findings of this evening's report, the buck has to stop with him.

In the FAI's own words, the administration of the association is under his control and is split into seven departments technical, planning and development, media, commercial, domestic, international and finance which just about covers everything that had an input into Saipan.

Thought to be on a salary of around 120,000, his is the key full-time appointment in the FAI administration and although it is more often than not overtime than full-time, the Dublin born economist has, like Corcoran, maintained a calm external appearance in the face of recent crises.

He also backed McCarthy and was sorry to him go because he genuinely liked and respected the former manager and he didn't fancy making even the modest pay-out which severed McCarthy ties with the FAI.

He is also watching the pennies as the association prepares to find a replacement.

There are those, whoever, who say next year's balance sheet may not be his concern and he has already said he will be considering his long-term future with the FAI in the coming weeks.

The Treasurer

The one with the Oscar Wilde hairstyle, John Delaney's name quickly became as well known as his face this summer due to geography and his ease, indeed eagerness, to be in front of a TV camera or a microphone.

Delaney, 34, was the one left behind to face the madding crowd while Corcoran was in Saipan and Menton was frantically flying from FIFA business in Korea to try to get to the earthquake centre.

Less the diplomat than Menton or Corcoran, he speaks his mind and RTE and even the FAI have stung from his criticism.

He toed the association line in backing McCarthy but there is a sense that his impatience with the whole lingering mess means he is just as happy to see all traces of it, human or otherwise, removed from Merrion Square so events can move forward with himself ever closer to the helm.

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