Hill has got his coat but the FAI will still feel the chill over this farcical boss appointment
CAN the FAI board stand over the appointment of an Ireland manager in part picked by a lame duck CEO who is now leaving the association?
Did any of the sought-after candidates interviewed by Hill leave a door ajar for one reason or another, knowing there could be change at the top as his exit isn’t really a shock?
Could they be enticed back to the negotiating table or is the FAI’S mystery man already in the bag and geared up for a Wizard of Oz-style reveal?
These are the questions facing the embattled football body in a week where they are – finally – supposed to be announcing
Stephen Kenny’s successor.
We only know that because the media were briefed a week ago to keep their diaries free for an appointment in the middle of this week.
There was nothing more concrete than that but it was still a significant development from an organisation that has deployed deafening silence as their preferred tactic to date.
One plan was to announce a manager tomorrow, in a press release, with an in-person press conference on Thursday.
Alternatively, if there were any hiccups, announce on Thursday for an event next Tuesday and thereby avoid taking the limelight off Friday-monday matches in the League of Ireland.
As of last night, there was no clear indication as to whether the unveiling plans are still in place in the wake of Hill’s departure.
Maybe the timing of his exit – which many felt was coming sooner rather than later – is just the FAI getting out ahead of the new manager news.
Hill has kept a low profile since the damaging Public Accounts Committee hearing in February. So much so, he wasn’t available for interviews last month when the FAI would normally have trumpeted the end of a near four-year wait to land a lead sponsor for the Ireland men’s team (left).
Had he fronted up of course, the PAC fallout would have dominated the headlines rather than any sponsorship news.
Hill’s last day in his postion is officially April 30 but chief operating officer David Courell (right) has already been promoted to the role of interim chief executive.
If there is a new manager this week, it’s unlikely Hill will have any involvement in the media events around the day as he is believed to be on holidays until he leaves.
He’s one of the orchestrators of this preposterous five-month
search, so his explanation of events would have been welcomed.
But the reasons for his own departure are, of course, entirely of his own making and compounded by his PAC explanation.
Irish football simply can’t afford any more blows to its relationship or its reputation with those controlling the public purse strings.
But the PAC hearing was a shambles in that regard as Hill’s version of events regarding the payment he received for holidays not taken was outlined.
And Hill’s fate was effectively sealed when FAI president Paul Cooke said at the Oireachtas hearing that his confidence in him “has been challenged” by the controversy.
There was no coming back from that.
And, when Hill’s future was subsequently discussed at a board meeting around the Switzerland game in March, the writing was on the wall.
It was a matter of when the
Englishman would vacate the top job, not if.
This is the longest hunt there has ever been to find a new Ireland manager, with Hill joining director of football Marc Canham and Packie Bonner as the lead headhunters.
It has been a process laced with setbacks and rejection to say the least.
Curiously, the FAI approach throughout has been to stay silent and weirdly just accept the relentless shoeing and derision that has come their way.
That’s all well and good if there’s a plan in place.
If not, it just smacks of outrageous arrogance.
Enough is enough. If the manager reveal is delayed once again, the FAI board owes it to fans to front up this week.
They have simply got to properly explain this utterly absurd and frustrating situation that we find ourselves in.