The departure of Jonathan Hill as CEO of the Football Association of Ireland marks the end of an era filled with many challenges.
Through my personal interactions, I found him to be an approachable man with a sincere desire to improve Irish football.
Yet Hill's tenure was a tumultuous period, shadowed by negative press.
Hill took the helm during one of the most trying times in Irish football history. The association under John Delaney had run up debts of up to €70m, and the FAI was in the middle of operational turmoil.
Despite his efforts, and while he has done a good job at lowering that debt, some of the fundamental issues within the FAI were not adequately addressed under his leadership.
His approach to leading the association while still living in London, the controversial Oireachtas display, where the cover-up of his holiday pay misstep appeared worse than the misstep itself, and the notable absence of a main sponsor for the men's team for four years, are points of contention that have left lasting impressions.
While the FAI's strategy to hold out for a high-value main sponsor is understandable, alternative options could have been explored. For instance, affiliating with leading charities such as Pieta House, As I Am or any of our worthy charities for that matter on a temporary basis could have enhanced public goodwill and kept media criticism at bay.
Enjoy the plaudits that come with providing this temporary good deed, while continuing the search for a suitable main sponsor. These are tactics used the world over.
Looking forward, the quest for a new CEO provides an opportunity for a significant strategic pivot. It is crucial that the FAI avoids replicating past mistakes, particularly the practice of hiring executives from the English FA or those primarily experienced in English football.
The landscapes of Irish and English football couldn't be further away from each other in terms of investment, brand recognition, and political influence.
A marketing head from within English football might reject one sponsorship offer due to an abundance of other options - a luxury not afforded in Ireland, evident from our many sponsorless shirts in the past three seasons.
If we go overseas for our new CEO, let it be from nations like Iceland, Croatia or other smaller countries with similar football foundations.
The FAI needs a CEO who understands how to market and sell in a tough environment, who can engage with government effectively to secure much-needed investment, and who possesses a clear, actionable plan for the future.
Not just a plan though, we’ve seen plenty of those. A detailed systematic approach towards achieving the objectives is what is needed. No more talking, Irish football needs action
A leader with the acumen to implement strict governance yet inspire change.
The potential candidates could be on our doorstep. The League of Ireland itself has shown signs of significant progress despite historic chronic underfunding.
The work of Daniel Lambert (pictured above) at Bohemians and John Martin at Shamrock Rovers exemplifies what can be achieved under strong leadership.
These two should be considered for the role. They are finding success in an environment where you must fight and scrap for your achievements. The FAI is in a similar position just on a larger scale.
Lambert has been instrumental in the survival and resurgence of Bohemians, aligning the club closely with its community and fanbase, while overseeing critical infrastructure projects like the redevelopment of Dalymount Park, the acquisition of the Oscar Traynor for their academy and signing a long-term lease with DCU for their training base, not to mention their global reach through merchandise.
John's achievements at Shamrock Rovers have also been impressive.
Within his first year, he introduced innovations such as LED advertisement boards and took the lead on the education and academy restructure, while securing Shamrock Rovers' future in Tallaght with a new long-term lease with South Dublin County Council.
His ability to navigate through the club’s complex ownership structure and his proactive engagement in European club networks underscore a robust capability for high-level management and innovation.
Just this week he hosted a commercial and innovation working group in Dublin with a number of Premier League clubs in attendance amongst others from across Europe.
"Both Lambert and Martin come from backgrounds which mean wanting better outcomes for Irish football is instinctual."
John's background is noteworthy. An ex-League of Ireland player who went on to coach at academy level, Leinster Senior level and League of Ireland level, all while holding a very prominent job overseeing and managing large scale projects ranging into the hundreds of millions for insurance firm Irish Life.
Yet his greatest achievement to date was giving me lifts home from training when I was breaking through at Shamrock Rovers 18 odd years ago.
Shamrock Rovers find themselves very fortunate to have a CEO with such experience and reputational credit amongst the football and business industries.
Both Lambert and Martin come from backgrounds which mean wanting better outcomes for Irish football is instinctual and they are achieving this through clever business acumen.
The examples set by the CEOs within our own ranks, such as Lambert and Martin, should serve as a benchmark for what we aspire to achieve.
Whether the newest recruit is from within Ireland or from overseas, the FAI’s next CEO must bring an understanding of Irish football from the grassroots up to international level.
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