July 2 – Irish Football Association President Raymond Kennedy (pictured centered) and his deputy David Martin are on the verge of being forced to resign from their posts as the top two leaders in Northern Ireland football only two weeks after being re-elected unopposed.
It follows a critical Government-ordered inquiry into their roles into the controversial sacking of former IFA chief executive Howard Wells in October 2008.
That led to £516,000 ($760,000) going out of Northern Ireland football in settlement of an unfair dismissal claim by English-based Wells earlier this year.
The still to be made public report, compiled by Sport Northern Ireland investigators, was this week presented to members of the IFA’s ruling Executive Board, finally forcing their hand on the issue.
The report allegedly condemns the IFA as “not fit for purpose” and “needing structural change”.
The Northern Ireland Government are expected to demand the resignations of Kennedy and Martin in return for providing the funding needed to build a new 20,000 all-seater stadium on the site of Windsor Park.
The allegedly claims that Kennedy and Martin acted beyond their powers after removing Wells from his £105,000 ($222,000) a year job, with two years of his contract to run, ignoring advice from the IFA’s own lawyers.
It is claimed, in the report, that this exposed the IFA to the huge compensation claim as it put them in breach of their own constitution.
The two had been expected to face a series of questions at the IFA annual meeting last month but they were surprisingly elected unopposed.
Kennedy had controversially replaced Jim Boyce as President in 2006.
He is currently in South Africa as a member of FIFA’s World Cup disciplinary committee.
Related stories
June 2010: Irish FA accounts reveal £516,000 spent on former chief executive
December 2009: Ireland payout to Wells being investigated
November 2009: Irish FA President forced to defend Wells payout
November 2009: Irish Football Association agree to six-figure payout to Wells