Cooke takes up lead role with FAI – but may only be in the job for weeks
THE FAI has confirmed that the new head of the association Paul Cooke, the fifth person to fill the main role in Abbotstown in 2019, may only be in the post for a matter of weeks.
And a priority for the former newspaper executive as he yesterday began work in his role with the title of executive lead of the FAI will be to try to reach out to Sports Minister Shane Ross.
The relationship between Mr Ross’s department and the FAI plummeted to an all-time low over the weekend, preventing former Athletics Ireland official John Foley from taking up the position of interim CEO.
Waterford native Mr Cooke, a one-time ally but subsequently a critic of former CEO John Delaney, had been in situ as honorary treasurer and vice-president of the FAI but he now moves into a paid role, albeit on a short-term basis.
“Paul Cooke will act as the executive lead for the next couple of weeks as the FAI awaits the appointment of an independent chairperson,” said an FAI statement, adding that Mr Cooke will “report directly” to current president Donal Conway.
Mr Ross has made it clear that hiring a CEO, and the delayed appointment of four independent directors to the FAI board, have to be completed before Government funding can be restored.
“The most urgent priorities for the FAI should be the appointment of the four independent directors, the independent chairperson, and the filling of the CEO vacancy, whether on an interim or fulltime basis,” said a statement issued by Mr Ross’s department, which stopped short of welcoming Mr Cooke’s appointment.
“Various stakeholders will continue to be concerned until such time as the board and the executive are led by completely independent people without any prior or present involvement with the FAI. Government funding cannot be restored until such independent directors and an independent CEO are in place.”
Staff at FAI HQ have had to prepare for working with five different bosses in 2019: John Delaney (CEO), Rea Walshe (interim CEO), Noel Mooney (general manager for football services and partnerships), John Foley (interim CEO, though despite meeting FAI staff he never took up the position) and now Mr Cooke (executive lead).
Mr Cooke and Mr Delaney were both on the board at Waterford United FC but their relationship suffered when Mr Cooke was seen as a critic of the FAI regime. The chartered accountant who worked with the ‘Irish Daily Star’ and ‘Sunday Business Post’ emerged from the cold and rejoined the FAI fold in the summer.