Future of athletics to be debated at EGM

Brendan Mooney

The call for the meeting was led by Leitrim County Board following the appointment of what has been termed loosely or otherwise a temporary CEO on foot of a directive from the Irish Sports Council.

Leitrim County Board held a formal meeting to discuss the issue, passed a motion calling for an EGM and sent it out to all the county boards under the jurisdiction of the AAI.

Under Rule 7, they needed the support of eight boards to secure a special congress. They got 14 and it is understood that many more were also in favour but did not return the forms.

Those who supported the motion included strongholds like Cork, Dublin and Limerick as well Galway, Mayo, Roscommon, Longford, Cavan, Louth and Offaly.

It would appear that the intention of those calling the meeting is to have certain issues raised constructively and without rancour, but some county boards are dissatisfied with rumours that there will be an attempt to rule out certain motions claiming that, up until last night, no meeting of the Standing Orders Committee had been held.

Initially they were also upset about the timing of the meeting 6.30pm at the Heritage Hotel in Portlaoise but despite the timing county boards from all over the country will travel in force.

And, contrary to rumour, they are quite prepared to hear chief executive Gary Owens, who will address the meeting.

They expect to hear of a new structure to govern Irish athletics which is understood to evolve around a president, a nine-member board to be chaired by an independent chairperson, with committees to look after juveniles, schools, competitions etc.

If this is to be followed through they will need to be convinced that the office of president will not cease to function and that the Irish Schools Athletic Association not lose its autonomy. They don't want a situation whereby a chairperson would be in a position to select the members of his committee.

But they are all anxious to hear how the AAI can become self-financing in the absence of huge gates at their championship events.

This will be one of the most important meetings in the history of Irish athletics. It would appear nobody wants it to be confrontational, but delegates will want to know awhere AAI is going and the role the Irish Sports Council is going to play in its future.