TWO OF THE FAI’s top sponsors have today heaped further pressure on the embattled Association by urging its Board to adopt whatever recommendations come from the ongoing reviews conducted by Grant Thornton and Mazars.
Three, the primary sponsors of the Irish national team, say they expect all recommendations of the reports to be implemented by the FAI.
In a statement released to The42, Three stressed their regard for corporate governance and their expectation that it is similarly important to the FAI.
“As primary sponsor of the Irish national football team and all international squads, our focus is on promoting the game of football for fans and our customers right across the country.
“Corporate governance is of upmost importance at Three and we expect the same from all partners we work with.
“We note that the FAI has commissioned two reports to review recent matters and we expect all recommendations to be implemented.”
Three have held a commercial partnership with the FAI since 2010, and in November 2015 they signed a deal worth €8.9 million to remain as the Irish football team’s primary sponsors until 2020.
Elsewhere, kit supplier New Balance have called on the FAI to implement the reviews’ recommendations as soon as possible.
“Regarding yesterday’s Oireachtas Committee meeting, we note with interest that the FAI has commissioned various reports to review recent financial and corporate governance matters and we urge the FAI to implement all recommendations as soon as possible.”
SSE Airtricity, the title sponsors of the League of Ireland, told The42 they intend to discuss recent events with the FAI.
“SSE Airtricity is a long-standing supporter of Irish football. We are in our tenth year as a sponsor, and we are proud of our role in helping to promote the sport at League and International level, which remains our focus.
“As part of normal business activity, we discuss matters with the Football Association of Ireland at regular intervals.
“We are monitoring current developments and will discuss these with the Association at our next meeting which will be scheduled in the coming weeks.
Other FAI sponsors were unwilling to comment, with Aviva telling The42 that they could not comment on matters relating to the governance of the FAI.
These sponsors’ statements follow a day after the FAI’s highly-criticised appearance before a Joint Oireachtas Committee on Sport, at which Executive-Vice President John Delaney was accused of “behaving disgracefully” by Sinn Féin TD Imelda Munster.
Delaney cited legal advice in declining to answer questions related to the €100,000 loan and his time as CEO of the FAI, a role he left on Saturday, 23 March.
Ruth Coppinger TD said that Delaney’s failure to answer all questions expected of him was akin to “Hamlet without the Prince”, while Robert Troy TD accused the FAI of being “evasive and non-committal” in response to certain questioning.
Sponsorship income is extremely important to the FAI, and it accounted for €8.3 million of the FAI’s €49 million turnover in 2017.
Sport Ireland, meanwhile, are reserving comment on the FAI for a second appearance before the Oireachtas Committee next Tuesday.
It was announced on Tuesday afternoon that Sport Ireland had decided to withdraw State funding from the FAI for their failure to disclose the details of Delaney’s 2017 bridging loan, in contravention to Sport Ireland’s terms and conditions.
- This article was updated at 19.39 to include a statement from SSE Airtricity.
