Rooney future looks bleak

SOCCER: FAI president Milo Corcoran yesterday provided the strongest indication yet the officers of the association are looking to replace Fran Rooney rather than simply investigate his performance since being appointed to the post in May of last year.

Speaking at a function prior to yesterday's FAI Cup final he described a meeting on Saturday of the organisation's Genesis report implementation committee as "a waste of time", and added, "to keep going forward, we will find it very difficult for the chief executive to work within the present structure of the Football Association of Ireland."

Corcoran said the officers found themselves completely at odds with Rooney over how to interpret the events of October 4th, when a delegation from Merrion Square met John Treacy and a number of other leading Sports Council officials to update them on progress being made in implementing the Genesis report.

"This is the first time the three of us were at complete odds with what Fran was saying," said Corcoran. "Fran had a totally different impression of what went on at that meeting to what we had. If I were on my own, I would have thought I was on a different planet, but three of us can't be wrong."

Central to that meeting was a document in which the FAI expressed its determination to hand the new finance director's job to Peter Buckley, who has performed a similar role within the organisation for the last nine years. There are allegations the contents of a previously agreed document used as the basis for the association's presentation were subsequently altered.

In the face of pressure from the Sports Council, Rooney seems to have broken ranks over the idea of advertising the finance job publicly after this meeting and this change in his stance seems to be a significant factor in his plight.

Corcoran criticised Rooney over a number of issues raised by senior staff in letters sent to him over the past week. He said while the non-payment of a bill for a lunch for 20 board members hosted by Rooney at Patrick Guilbaud's 10 months on was a "personal matter, you would expect that within a reasonable amount of time, that bills would be paid".

Corcoran declined to comment on the contents of the letters, saying the association's solicitors were considering them but he said he was "bloody well annoyed" by reports that match tickets dating back to the Brazil game (February 18th) still have to be accounted for by the chief executive and his office.

When it was suggested that, as part of the panel that interviewed Rooney for the job, he should accept some of the responsibility for the current situation, he replied: "Well, when you get married, you have to live with them before you know them."

Corcoran said the legal advice on the various issues involved is due tomorrow and a meeting of the board could follow the following day. The association's 60-strong council is due to meet on Friday but it appears Rooney's position may not be discussed for legal reasons.

"We're getting counsel advice on Tuesday," he said, " . . . We have to give due process, I would imagine he will get an opportunity to answer."

Asked for his views on Corcoran's comments last night Rooney declined to comment.