Who would Rooney have appointed?

**KR's Post** · 21/01/2006, 9:49 AM

Would he have sacked Kerr? If so who would have been his first choice? Surely not ''The man with the plan, Stan''!!!

**eirebhoy** · 21/01/2006, 10:48 AM

I doubt Rooney would have had a say in the appointment. No matter what job Delaney has in the FAI he'd be on the selection panel.

**KR's Post** · 21/01/2006, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

I doubt Rooney would have had a say in the appointment. No matter what job Delaney has in the FAI he'd be on the selection panel.

Oh right, sorry... I thought the job delaney has now was the same as the job Rooney had. Thought that involved the hiring and firing of the Gaffer!

**Stuttgart88** · 21/01/2006, 3:23 PM

Would Rooney have had any more money? He might have handled expectations better but I'm not convenced he could have persuaded O'Neill or that calibre of manager to join. Remember, it's VERY rare for any international team to have a high profile manager these days. All the money is in club football.

I'm convinced the FAI were right not to renew Kerr's contract.

**TheJamaicanP.M.** · 21/01/2006, 6:24 PM

I am convinced that it was the right decision not to renew Kerr's contract. In his final months with the Irish team, he looked like he wouldn't manage a p!ss-up in a brewery.
As for Rooney, the man is a scum-bag and I was glad to see him get the boot.

**klein4** · 21/01/2006, 7:29 PM

why is rooney a scumbag?????
and there is no evidance to suggest kerrs replacement could manage his way out of a paper bag either...he certainly couldnt speak his way out of one anyway...that we know for sure!

**SunnySweeney** · 21/01/2006, 8:00 PM

As for Rooney, the man is a scum-bag and I was glad to see him get the boot.[/QUOTE]

Recognise the source.....
Rooney is simply a highly intelligent savvy business guy in the private sector with strong roots in Irish football. Rooney is not from a privileged background and elevated himself by taking both night courses and a B Comm at night in UCD. He managed and coached the Irish ladies football team during a period of comparative success for them in the mid 80's to early 90's. He never received a bob for doing this.

I never met the man and I have no axe to grind. I do remember one comment from an American lady whose opinion I respect very much. She said Rooney was one of the smartest people she had ever met.

No one is perfect. I was disapointed Rooney left the FAI ....

**Student Mullet** · 22/01/2006, 6:51 AM

Rooney would not have appointed anyone. He would have taken the advice of someone who knows more about football than he does.

**Dodge** · 22/01/2006, 11:22 AM

Originally Posted by Student Mullet

Rooney would not have appointed anyone. He would have taken the advice of someone who knows more about football than he does.

Which is exactly the reason he got shafted by the FAI. He showed far too much common sense

**eirebhoy** · 22/01/2006, 3:02 PM

Originally Posted by SunnySweeney

Recognise the source.....
Rooney is simply a highly intelligent savvy business guy in the private sector with strong roots in Irish football. Rooney is not from a privileged background and elevated himself by taking both night courses and a B Comm at night in UCD. He managed and coached the Irish ladies football team during a period of comparative success for them in the mid 80's to early 90's. He never received a bob for doing this.

I never met the man and I have no axe to grind. I do remember one comment from an American lady whose opinion I respect very much. She said Rooney was one of the smartest people she had ever met.

No one is perfect. I was disapointed Rooney left the FAI ....

He also seemed a pretty nice man. I mentioned this before but my nephew got talking to him at the Romania (or Bulgaria) match and he brought him into the dressing room to meet all the players after the match. He was allowed in there for about 10 minutes chatting and getting autograph's.

TheJamaicanP.M. - Where did the scumbag comment come from?

**TheJamaicanP.M.** · 22/01/2006, 4:45 PM

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

He also seemed a pretty nice man. I mentioned this before but my nephew got talking to him at the Romania (or Bulgaria) match and he brought him into the dressing room to meet all the players after the match. He was allowed in there for about 10 minutes chatting and getting autograph's.

TheJamaicanP.M. - Where did the scumbag comment come from?

Maybe scumbag was too strong and inappropriate as a description of Rooney. I'm not going into the details of my dislike for Rooney. I aired my views on Rooney (on this website) long before he was ousted by the FAI, but my posts were deleted. Rooney had ulterier motives, which I won't go into on this forum. He was no different to Delaney or any of the other self-motivated clowns in Merrion Square. A lot of people on this forum will disagree with me because he provided an allocation of tickets (which visiting associations didn't want) to the Eircom League fans. The man was put on a pedistol because we played a couple of high-profile friendlies during his tenure. A lot of the fans who will thank him for bringing Brazil to Lansdowne are the same ones who were too lazy to go to the Canada game (18,000 in attendance) a couple of months previous to that. Anyone who thinks Rooney would have got Martin O'Neill or Guus Hiddink or any other top manager for Ireland are fooling themselves. Rooney would have done no better than Delaney.

**OwlsFan** · 22/01/2006, 5:10 PM

Originally Posted by TheJamaicanP.M.

He was no different to Delaney or any of the other self-motivated clowns in Merrion Square.

Self-motivated? We all have to motivate ourselves

At the risk of being boring, most of the people in the FAI are involved in soccer in Ireland at all levels. So since the perception is that the FAI is and always has been a failure, then it must follow that all soccer administrators in this country are and always have been stupid people out for themselves with no interest in the good of the game. Why is it that soccer, as opposed to the GAA, attracts such people in the view of most people on this Forum ?

**pineapple stu** · 22/01/2006, 6:46 PM

Originally Posted by OwlsFan

Self-motivated? We all have to motivate ourselves

Ummm...could it be that you fail to spot the obvious and fairly crucial distinction between being self-motivated and being motivated? Obviously everyone has to be motivated, but you can motivate yourself for the good of the game in general (motivation) or for your own petty agenda (self-motivation).

Originally Posted by OwlsFan

Why is it that soccer, as opposed to the GAA, attracts such people in the view of most people on this Forum ?

Because it's a "soccer" forum maybe?

**Student Mullet** · 23/01/2006, 2:53 AM

I think the key difference is that in the FAI people are not promoted on the basis of ability. Louis Kilcoyne is the classic example but even the current CEO was less than successful when he was in charge of Waterford United.

The position of FAI president, for example, is rotated between (i think) national league and junior clubs. Someone from a different area of the game is never appointed as president, no matter how qualififed they might be. Presidents are appointed when their turn comes up, no matter how unqualified they might be.

I don't know how the IRFU works but the GAA has a very strong grass roots democracy. Every club member gets a vote in major decisions and debates are held very publically. Decisions are made in the FAI behind closed doors. For example, the format for next season (which starts in March) has not yet been finalised and the Genesis Report called for a completly new format for 2007. These decisions should be debated openly, so that supporters, players, administrators and everyone else involved could have their say before a decision is made. Instead a format will be decided in private and we will be informed of it in due course. This is the type of decision making process which leads to the stupid 22 team league proposal which got voted down a month or two ago.

**klein4** · 23/01/2006, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by OwlsFan

Self-motivated? We all have to motivate ourselves

At the risk of being boring, most of the people in the FAI are involved in soccer in Ireland at all levels. So since the perception is that the FAI is and always has been a failure, then it must follow that all soccer administrators in this country are and always have been stupid people out for themselves with no interest in the good of the game. Why is it that soccer, as opposed to the GAA, attracts such people in the view of most people on this Forum ?

croke park would be one glaring differance. owlsfan have you ever had any dealings with the FAI????? Rather than criticise anyone who points out the obvious flaws of a bunch of chancers....why dont you point out why you think they are so great??????????

**OwlsFan** · 23/01/2006, 3:13 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Ummm...could it be that you fail to spot the obvious and fairly crucial distinction between being self-motivated and being motivated? Obviously everyone has to be motivated, but you can motivate yourself for the good of the game in general (motivation) or for your own petty agenda (self-motivation)

I think the phrase we're looking for here is "self-interest" not "self motivation". The latter has nothing to do with selfish actions.

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Why is it that soccer, as opposed to the GAA, attracts such people in the view of most people on this Forum ? Because it's a "soccer" forum maybe?

I am afraid you misunderstood the point I was making. The question is why are the people involved in soccer in the country at all levels so inately incompetent as perceived by most on this Forum ? Student Mullet has his theory

Originally Posted by Student Mullet

I think the key difference is that in the FAI people are not promoted on the basis of ability. Louis Kilcoyne is the classic example but even the current CEO was less than successful when he was in charge of Waterford United.

The position of FAI president, for example, is rotated between (i think) national league and junior clubs. Someone from a different area of the game is never appointed as president, no matter how qualififed they might be. Presidents are appointed when their turn comes up, no matter how unqualified they might be.

I don't know how the IRFU works but the GAA has a very strong grass roots democracy. Every club member gets a vote in major decisions and debates are held very publically. Decisions are made in the FAI behind closed doors. For example, the format for next season (which starts in March) has not yet been finalised and the Genesis Report called for a completly new format for 2007. These decisions should be debated openly, so that supporters, players, administrators and everyone else involved could have their say before a decision is made. Instead a format will be decided in private and we will be informed of it in due course. This is the type of decision making process which leads to the stupid 22 team league proposal which got voted down a month or two ago.

It's a much smaller organisation than the GAA and is not broken up into counties etc. I am also not sure whether there is a rotation system for the President but you may be right. Surely it is correct that all elements of soccer in Ireland should be represented by a President at some stage if what you say is correct. However, he/she is now elected by the FAI Council.

The Association's structure can best be split into three sections; the FAI Council, The Board of Management and Committees and the FAI Administration Staff.

The FAI Council is made up of 60 members, four more than in previous years, and will elect the FAI's President, a number of committee members and will also pass major decisions.

The Board of Management will comprise of ten members, down from 23, and will be made up of the Honorary Secretary, President, Honorary Treasurer, Chief Executive, and the six chairpersons of the Development, International, Domestic, eircom League, Legal/Corporate and Underage committees. The Finance committee will be represented by the Honorary Treasurer rather than selecting a chairperson.

What you want is a sort of Congress like the GAA has. This works well for the GAA with its county delegates. I am just not sure how it would work for soccer.

Originally Posted by klein4

croke park would be one glaring differance. owlsfan have you ever had any dealings with the FAI????? Rather than criticise anyone who points out the obvious flaws of a bunch of chancers....why dont you point out why you think they are so great??????????

I have explained in previous posts when soccer could never in its wildest dreams contemplate building a Croke Park in this country. Even in its more recent "affluent days" it looked at building a stadium (Eircom Park) and decided it couldn't afford it.

"Bunch of chancers" - I just love these phrases. So Irish soccer people are a bunch of chancers because it is 90% soccer people in this country who run the FAI. Where should be get the people to run soccer who aren't chancers pray tell?

As for what its achieved, I suppose the most recent success was moving the Eircom league from a Winter game to a summer sport. I think this has been a great success and has helped the Irish club sides perform much better in Europe. It has also successfully run the senior international team (sell outs for nearly all home games - how many teams can boast that, including friendlies) and our underage teams have also been very successful

I assume you've read the technical development plan for the future (eh ?) http://www.fai.ie/Techd1.pdf but I doubt it. Much easier to call those who devote their time to the game as "chancers". God knows I have yet to encounter the perfect organisation in any walk of life but I do believe the FAI has made great strides since the days it consisted of 3 or 4 people working out of decrepid offices and wondering where the next shilling was coming from

**klein4** · 23/01/2006, 3:35 PM

just very quickly.
FAI couldnt afford eircom park yet redeveloped lansdowne road they can now afford? they are basically funding it thru well overpriced 10 year tickets...
it has sell outs because the stadium is so bloody small it cannot accomadate demand for big games therefore fans are forced to buy tickets for freindlies to ensure they get a ticket for big games. talk about profiting from your own ineptitude.
summer soccer a success??? I think the jury is still out on that no?
I think Brian Kerr had a hand in both technical development plan and underage success yet he is not exactly fulsome in his praise of the FAI.