February 14 – The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) have vowed to rebrand and lift the image of the debt-ridden organisation with a new logo and identity as part of a new strategic plan.
The governing body has launched an ambitious 2022-2025 strategy that includes delivering qualification for Euro 2024, qualification by the women’s team for either the 2023 World Cup or Euro 2025, a “new brand identity for the League of Ireland by 2023”, a new third tier for the men’s League of Ireland, and a second tier for the Women’s National League by 2025.
The FAI is also a part of a bid along with the English FA and the other three British associations for Euro 2028. Even if that tournament lies beyond 2025, the FAI’s Euro 2028 plans have not been welcomed at home because of longstanding institutional and domestic problems that some believe need prioritising.
“It is up to all of us now to deliver this new and progressive FAI, to capitalise on the governance reforms, the transparency and the clarity of thought and vision that have followed the events of recent years,” said CEO Jonathan Hill.
FAI chairman Roy Barrett was keen to stress that the association can no longer blame previous failings and the disastrous management by John Delaney for their current position.
The FAI is labouring under more than €60 million, which Hill stressed has been “restructured”.
Yet, the FAI remain deeply unpopular with the larger public, having alienated the fan base. A fraud investigation by the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement has been running for nearly three years. “Those things are in the background, but there is nothing that we can do to influence that, nor do we want to,” said Barrett.
Hill has also been criticised for not living in Ireland and for his scarce interaction with the media.
“I have been working 12 hours days every day since I started 15 months ago in relation to building my understanding of Irish football and talking to all of the many different stakeholders across the game. So I think that I have built a pretty good understanding of some of the core issues, and by the way, some of them are not rocket science,” Hill said in an interview with local media.
This year, the FAI celebrate their centenary and Belgium have been invited to play a festive friendly in March. Ireland’s national team remain without a title sponsor, but Hill believes that brands and businesses will want to be associated with what he calls the new Ireland.
“There is an element in relation to the brand and legacy issues, but I do genuinely believe that we are moving away from those legacy issues now and I think issues connected to a pandemic and Brexit means at the level of investment that we are looking at – brands and businesses that are operational in Ireland are looking carefully at their cost space, the way we are. But I think we have something in the senior men’s team and what is happening with Stephen Kenny and the young players coming through are reflective of a new Ireland that a brand and a business will want to be associated with,” said Hill.
“A brilliant business and brand Sky committed to the women’s national team.”
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1713290289labto1713290289ofdlr1713290289owedi1713290289sni@i1713290289tnuk.1713290289ardni1713290289mas1713290289