Irish FA warned of consequences if Kennedy stays

By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year

August 6 – The Irish Football Association (IFA) is set upon a collision course with the Government after President Raymond Kennedy appeared to signal that he would not stand down next month as had been announced.

Kennedy and vice-president David Martin were heavily criticised in a Government-ordered report for ignoring legal advice over the sacking of IFA chief executive Howard Wells in October 2008 from his £105,000 ($222,000) a year post as chief executive, a decision which eventually cost the IFA £516,000 ($766,000) in compensation and legal fees.

Kennedy and Martin had agreed to stand down last month following unanimous vote by their own 11-member Executive Board of Directors, who feared that Northern Ireland’s Government would refuse to provide £30 million ($45 million) worth of funding to help renovate Windsor Park into a new national stadium if they did not.

Kennedy, though, negotiated a series of concessions, including being allowed to continue his roles at FIFA and UEFA, representing Northern Ireland at all away matches during the European Championship qualifiers for 2012 and attending International Football Association, Board meetings until the 125th anniversary in 2011.

But now he has stunned officials by claiming at an IFA Executive Board meeting earlier this week that he and Martin “were going nowhere”.

That has led to Northern Ireland Sports Minister Nelson McCausland making it clear what will happen if they do not step down, as promised.

He said: “Significant payouts to former employees have diverted resources from those who play and support football at all levels and as a result has eroded public confidence in the IFA.

“An extremely damaging independent review into the circumstances surrounding the sacking of the previous IFA chief executive found that the two most senior officers of the Association acted in the knowledge of the financial risk of their actions for the Association.

“I would have great difficulty in placing further public funds in the hands of an organisation where these individuals remained in a senior position.

“I have expressed my concerns previously about the IFA’s governance arrangements and am looking for early action to address these.

“It is of crucial importance that the IFA wins back the confidence of Government if the Association is to benefit from future support from the public purse.”

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