Hamilton appointed to board seeking new Irish boss

FAI PRESIDENT Milo Corcoran yesterday said the new international team manager would be expected to have a much greater involvement in football in Ireland than had Mick McCarthy or Jack Charlton.

“Our profile on the international field is much higher now than it was when Jack Charlton joined us,” he said, “and we will expect the new manager to do more than just turn up for international matches.”

Mr Corcoran was speaking after the FAI had announced the appointment of the former Northern Ireland team boss, Bryan Hamilton, to the interview board of four who will be responsible for appointing the new manager. He spoke enthusiastically of the qualities of Mr Hamilton and the experience he will bring to the process of identifying the new manager. He said the first priority for the committee of four was to draw up a job description for the incoming manager and in this regard the FAI intend to be more demanding than in the past.

He said: “We are now in a better position to make greater demands on a new manager because of the achievements of the previous two managers. It makes sense that a new manager should spend time in Ireland, working with our local coaches in developing our structures.

“It makes sense that all our international teams should be singing from the one hymn-book, that all of our teams would play to the one system. That way the players are tutored from an early age as to what is expected of them and the role each one plays in the general scheme of things.”

He stressed, however, that the principal responsibility of the new man will be to achieve success for the senior international team. “We expect that he will be extremely busy initially for we want to qualify for the European finals in Portugal in two years time. As Ireland have no points from the first two games against Russia and Switzerland we recognise that will be a difficult task but we do not consider it to be impossible. It is absolutely essential that we qualify for Portugal to build on what was achieved in the World Cup in the Far East and the new man will have whatever support he deems necessary to help him achieve that.”

Historically the international team manager took responsibility for the senior team and for nothing else. That can produce a busy schedule when the team qualifies for the finals of a major tournament, but outside of championship seasons Ireland may play as few as six matches. Bryan Hamilton’s appointment clears the way for the committee of four to initiate the process of seeking a top man with the president, Milo Corcoran, the acting general secretary, Kevin Fahy, and the hon treasurer, John Delaney, completing the line-up. “We have given Bryan Hamilton the file of applicants and he will go through the list, study the CVs, and also seek out the names of others who may be interested,” Mr Corcoran said.

“There are managers under contract who may be interested in the post but who cannot, for obvious reasons, make public their interest. When he has drawn up a short list then we will go through the interview process.”

The FAI are not prepared to confirm positive approaches from any particular individual but they have had upwards of 12 applications even before they advertised the vacancy. Brian Kerr, the successful manager of Ireland’s under-age teams is one, Philippe Troussier, the former Japan manager is another. John Aldridge, Bryan Robson and Ray Houghton are others who are interested.

Hamilton succeeded Billy Bingham as manager of the Northern Ireland international team. They failed to qualify for the finals of a major championship while under his control, but he was faced with an unenviable task in re-building the team after the retirement of several of their most experienced players.

Hamilton first came to prominence as a player with Ipswich Town in 1971 and he maintained a close relationship with the club throughout his career. He played 153 matches for them over five seasons and scored 43 goals and later served the club as coach and assistant manager. He also played for Everton, Millwall, Swindon Town and he gained experience as manager with Tranmere Rovers, Wigan, Leicester City and, in recent years, in America with Pittsburgh Riverhounds. He played for Northern Ireland in 50 internationals and while his spell as manager with them over two championship campaigns was not particularly successful, he could take credit for introducing Kevin Horlock, Neil Lennon and Keith Gillespie to international football.

“The job of manager of the Republic of Ireland is a very high-profile one and you need only look at the names of those who have already applied to appreciate that. “I am honoured that the FAI should ask me to assist them. The Republic have a top-class squad of players and I know everybody involved will do everything we can to make the right appointment.”