Bonner exit ‘bolt from the blue’

THE worst-kept secret in Irish sport this week has been officially confirmed with the announcement from the FAI that Packie Bonner is to leave his position as Technical Director when his contract expires on December 31.

Bonner, one of the heroes of Ireland’s Euro ‘88 and Italia 90 campaigns, is the most high profile casualty of a round of cost-cutting and redundancies at Abbotstown. The decision not to renew his contract as head of the FAI’s Technical Department was described by one source as “a bolt from the blue” for the Donegal man who, contrary to some reports which suggested that he might take up a position with UEFA, does not have alternative employment immediately lined up. Nor is there any substance to speculation that Bonner might enter politics and stand for election as a Fianna Fáil candidate. Instead, with eight years behind him of successfully heading up a large department in a major organisation, Bonner hopes to use that experience in “another meaningful professional role in Ireland or Britain.”

And while it seems that Bonner’s preference would be to remain working in football, it’s understood that he is not limiting his future career ambitions to sport.

FAI sources say Bonner’s exit was strictly a cost-cutting measure, and it’s not as yet clear if he will be replaced as Technical Director or whether the role will be absorbed into ongoing restructuring within the organisation. An FAI spokesman last night also declined to comment on reports that Bonner had turned down the offer of an ambassadorial role with the organisation.

In a statement released by the FAI, Bonner said: “Over my eight year term as Technical Director, great strides have been made in the development of our game throughout the country. This has been achieved through the hard work and dedication of all my colleagues and the thousands of volunteers who give up their valuable time to provide the opportunity for people to play the game we all love so much.

“In my time at the FAI I have learned an enormous amount and developed broader organisational and management skills that I believe have benefited the Association and that I now hope to put into effect in another meaningful professional role in Ireland or Britain. I want to thank the Association for the faith it placed in selecting me to fulfil such an important role in the development of our game.

“What has been achieved could not have been realised without the support of an excellent team of committed professionals and I would like to express my thanks to all my friends and colleagues who have helped me so much during my time in the Association.”

In the statement, CEO John Delaney also paid tribute to Bonner. “Packie’s role as Technical Director was hugely important as the FAI re-structured its football development plans. In addition to driving the Technical Development Plan forward so successfully in recent years, he has nurtured and developed a great team of people around him who implement the many programmes of the plan across the country.”