Presentation by GENESIS Strategic Management Consultants 12 November 2002

1. FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND Preparation and Planning for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Evaluation Review Presentation by GENESIS Strategic Management Consultants 12 November 2002

2. Overall Aims • To examine the performance and role of the FAI in all operational matters in the preparation and support of the Irish team at the 2002 FIFA World Cup • To consider the appropriateness and effectiveness of these procedures and arrangements against other similar international comparators • To examine how the Senior Irish team fits into FAI structures • In the light of the above to recommend a strategy for the FAI to devise suitable policies to achieve greater and consistent success during the forthcoming UEFA European Championship and subsequent World Cup campaigns

3. In detail… • Review planning which the FAI carried out for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, especially from the end of qualifying in November 2001 • Assess quality of the plans for preparation for this Tournament • Review the events which occurred during the acclimatisation and Training Camps immediately prior to the FIFA World Cup • Gather the views of stakeholders in the Irish international teams • Review the effectiveness of the FAI structures and staff in support of the International Teams, especially for a World Cup • Assess the effectiveness of the FAI’s media relations and the management of their public relations • Review management processes and procedures deployed by the FAI

4. Our Approach • Data review and analysis • Interviews (88 in total) • 27 interviews • Team Management, Coaches, Management, Administrators • 1 declined to be formally interviewed • FAI staff and voluntary leadership • 4 Interviews with Irish Sports Council, Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport • 18 interviews with journalists/media correspondents in Ireland and England • 9 Interviews with other stakeholders • Attendance at Eircom League matches • Interviews with Players • 23 invitations issued; 14 inputs received • 6 interviews with Premiership Club managers in England • Comparator analysis • Other national football associations - Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and England • Peak Performing Organisations - comparison for FAI with research e.g. New Zealand All Blacks, Netherlands Hockey, Rugby Football League

5. Ireland’s International Achievements In recent years Ireland have achieved: • 1990 World Cup (Italy) - 8th - with 4 draws • 1992 European Nations Cup - did not qualify - behind England in Group 7 • 1994 World Cup (USA) - qualified for 2nd round; lost to Holland 1996 European Nations - did not qualify - lost to Holland (play off) • 1998 World Cup (France) - did not qualify - lost to Belgium (play-off) • 2000 European Nations Cup - did not qualify - lost to Turkey (play-off) on away goals • 2002 World Cup (Japan/Korea) - qualified for 2nd round; ranked 13th in the world after the event Highlights at Junior level: • Junior squads have enjoyed consistent success over the last decade frequently finishing in top quartile positions in European Nations Tournaments

6. The Context of Football • Football as an international sport is booming • The importance of the English Premiership • The viability of football in Ireland and the FAI as an organisation is closely linked to the success or otherwise of its senior international team • The competition for Ireland, in the 2nd tier of football nations, has intensified

7. The Irish International Players • Young players with potential tend to leave Ireland at 15-16 to join a Premiership/First Division club in the UK • They participate in excellent competition in the top English/Scottish Premierships • This experience has raised expectations for a much higher standard of service/support than 10-12 years ago • Roy Keane is at the extreme edge of these expectations

8. Ireland - the Celtic Tiger • Irish squads, especially in the last 12 years, have appeared to perform above expectations, in marked contrast to others • Most people felt this was due to: • Strong morale and team spirit - almost like a club • Feeling of ‘we have nothing to lose’ • Spirit of fun in the squad and ‘get on with it’ when in adversity • Social relationship with one another and fans • Ireland’s national economic performance over the last decade has more than matched that of its football teams. • Public sector funding for football is likely to be less available than in the past, or at least to a lesser extent than previous grants

9. FAI Objectives Specifically for the FIFA 2002 World Cup • No explicit objectives written down or agreed between FAI and team management • Implicit, but not shared • To qualify for the second stage • To do as well as we could • To earn net €1.5m. • No official structures and processes set up by FAI - just the Working Group

10. Preparing for Battle • In December 2001 a Working Group was set up • No dedicated plan or budget was prepared for the 2002 World Cup • Plans were made to improve ticketing arrangements and these seem to have worked well • Pressure recognised by Board with secondment, in March 2002, of 2 extra members of staff to handle commercial opportunities • Friendly matches chosen well against relevant opponents

11. Saipan - Relaxation and Acclimatisation • Chosen from a number of alternatives • 1000 miles south of Tokyo • One hour time difference (forward) from Japan • US ‘Commonwealth’ - US culture • Serious training not on the agenda • Did the players really understand this? • Evidence that this was explained and agreed at the team meeting the day before Niall Quinn’s testimonial • Roy Keane was not present • 5 star hotel and facilities • Key staff arrived 2 days in advance to ease check in etc

12. Saipan - in Summary • Good choice of venue for acclimatisation and relaxation, but it added a disproportionately large complexity to logistics • Additional 3rd leg to an already tiring journey • Out of mobile phone/wireless contact for many • Journalists looking for a story • The Pitch and Skip incidents were hugely more damaging than the technical impact on the team’s performance • FAI support for Press Officer and Team Management totally inadequate • Mick had to take control of the management of media relations and had little support from others • No crisis management policy or procedure to fall back on in Saipan or at home • Exposed the flaws which were always there in: • Leadership, Management and Communication • The ‘Them and Us’ between the Team and the FAI

13. Saipan – the good, the bad and the ugly from the Players’ perspective • Was the purpose of Saipan clear and agreed by all? • Hotel and other facilities were excellent • Acclimatisation was good • Roy / Mick debacle created real stress for the players • The pitch was the major issue • The late arrival of the skips with kit, balls and drinks was a much lesser issue

14. For the Future…. Transport & Logistics • Better planning and attention to detail • More direct (chartered) flights • All training facilities and equipment to be checked and delivered on time • Including good gyms in hotels For the Players • Greater protection from the press • Masseurs as well as physiotherapists • Arrangements made for families travelling to major tournaments • and no expectation that FAI should pay • Greater attention to detail • Minimise/remove players’ stress so that they focus only on the football • Demonstrate respect for players and their needs • Need a bridge between the FAI and the players • The idea of a team ‘manager’ well received

15. PERFORMING The Total Team on the Field (Reviewed by David Whitaker)

16. Planning the World Cup Campaign Good Practice: • Solid thought processes went into the choice of training camp at Saipan • This turned out to be ideal with regards to time zone, sympathetic personal environment and heat and humidity • Good research and planning regarding acclimatisation to and playing in these conditions • Experiences of both the medical team and the coaching staff used to establish good practices for acclimatisation • Phases of the programme after departure from Ireland were clear in the minds of the management team

17. Capturing the Learning Review Processes • No formal processes in place to review campaign and capture learning • No reports written or requested by FAI • No formal reviews by management team • No formal reviews with players

18. OVERALL FINDINGS Reflecting on the Past

19. Our Overall Findings • The Irish Football team, in achieving a ranking of 13th in the world, consolidated through their performance (12th place) in the FIFA 2002 World Cup, achieved a credible performance • The commercial objective of a surplus of €1m is likely to be achieved • The ticketing arrangements in particular were considerably better and more professional than in 1994 • The much publicised incidents relating to the late delivery of skips and the quality of the training pitch in Saipan had little technical impact on the performance of the squad in the World Cup • They did result in Ireland’s Captain and arguably best player going home • They were the final straw in a self fulfilling prophecy • The seeds which culminated in the captain’s withdrawal from the squad had been sown many years before and well nurtured over an extended period of time • Many observers believed the potential of the Irish squad was not fully realised

20. Our Overall Findings • The overall planning by the FAI was inadequate for an event the size and scale of the 2002 World Cup. The fact that the eventual outcome was positive (on the field and commercially) was more a matter of luck than effective management practice • The size, scale and possible impact of the World Cup were under-estimated. • Except that carried out by the Team Management and a number of very capable individuals - both groups working almost in isolation from the FAI • The inexperienced Working Group was too informal in its set-up and operation and had little control over the outcome • No formal learning was captured from previous major tournaments, or deployed to benefit the planning for this tournament • The impact of additional workload for the World Cup not considered

21. Our Overall Findings • In general there is not a culture of discipline in the management of the FAI, with most basic management disciplines non existent • There were lots of words written about the FAI, its team and players before and during the 2002 World Cup • There was, however, little effective communication with stakeholders • The management of the crises which emerged before and during the 2002 World Cup left a lot to be desired • No management of high performance is practised by the FAI other than that delivered by the Senior Team and other team management • The Development Plan ‘One Game; One Association’ does not address this in any depth • There is no strategy or plans to develop key areas such as sports science and medicine • Given the clear talent emerging from Ireland this represents an opportunity lost

22. Our Overall Findings • In comparison with other nations the following key points emerged: • Country B – full debriefing carried out with players, management and staff • Country C – planning by HQ staff and Head Coach; debriefing planned for later in 2002 • Country D - have a World Cup Committee, integrating Team and Technical Management • The FA (England) began planning in March 2001, with a full time Project Manager. No Journalists, or Officials are allowed to travel with the team. All travel is direct, by charter flight • The scope and complexity of the activity carried out by the FAI have grown significantly over the last decade. Little has changed in the governance and management of the Association over that time • The voluntary leadership and professional management structures of the FAI are designed to govern football domestically, and do not address the needs of the International team competing as it does at the highest level in the world • They fail even to recognise good organisational practice employed elsewhere in sport, including in Ireland

23. RECOMMENDATIONS Creating the Future

24. The FAI have a Choice The FAI can improve its performance by • Accepting the need for change in the way they do things • Making a number of modest changes in areas such as travel arrangements, PR/media and the way they treat their players • Tightening up on management practices, processes and procedures • Improving the management and logistics for major tournaments • This will not improve their competitive capability or performance in the tough and more competitive world of football, or resolve the major issues that emerged during the 2002 World Cup • It will also not achieve the ‘new beginning’ desired by almost everyone we spoke to during this review…

25. No Choice? Alternatively the FAI can • Accept the need for transformation in the way it manages football and the performance of its international teams • recognising the importance of its players • Recognise that to compete successfully and exploit the current growth in football as a sport and business, it needs to modernise and professionalise the leadership and management of the sport • Set objectives for success over the next 8 years which will result in taking football to a leading position in Irish sport • and the FAI to a position as a peak performing organisation, admired throughout the nation and the football world • Achieve a period of sustained stability • A new beginning is open to the FAI as a result of the crises in 2002, if it wishes to grasp that opportunity

26. Our Summary Recommendations Immediate Action (next 3 months) • The FAI must accept openly • need for greater professionalism • need for change • They must acknowledge openly the importance • providing for their players and coaches as the first priority • planning and managing their arrangements • A number of changes should be considered to policies and practices regarding the travel and other arrangements for international fixtures and major tournaments e.g. charter flights, media arrangements, contingency planning • The FAI needs to take action in the following specific management areas e.g. contracts of employment, job descriptions, performance review processes

27. Our Summary Recommendations Developing Effective Management and Functions (next 6 months) • The FAI needs to make a number of senior appointments to lead and deliver the change secure sustained performance • Chief Executive of the FAI • Director of Performance • Director of Football Operations • Director of Marketing and Communications • Director of Finance & Administration • The FAI should prepare an International Performance Plan for the next 4-8 years to include: • Setting up an International Performance Group

28. Our Summary Recommendations Developing Effective Management and Functions (next 6 months) • Development and implementation of a High Performance Strategy • The FAI needs to embrace the need for a culture of discipline and planning, within the ethos that is unique and special to Ireland • Setting objectives and making plans • Reviewing these plans regularly to secure successful outcomes • Developing the skills of their people • The FAI should continue their excellent work of developing coaching in Ireland, working with the NCTC to address especially the recruitment and development of future high performance coaches

29. Our Summary Recommendations For the Long-Term (Planned over the next 12 months) • A new beginning is open to the sport, if it wishes to grasp that opportunity. To achieve this there must be: • Greater engagement and development of the key stakeholders in the sport • Football in Ireland should undertake a Development Initiative (4 Year Business Plan) • The focus for development should be tightened along the lines of the Regional developments planned in ‘One Game; One Association’ with the League of Ireland clubs fully behind these efforts. • Football in Ireland needs to determine its goals with an accompanying strategy for the sport over the next 8-10 years (say to the 2010 World Cup). • If the FAI is serious about competing in the world class of 21st century football, it needs to modernise and professionalise to reflect the needs of 21st century sport. The key areas to address are: • Development of effective voluntary leadership, professional management and structures • Reform of the existing Board of Management and Council

30. Implications • Our recommendations are likely to involve an additional spend, which we believe can be covered out of existing and planned revenues • Appointment of key executives is likely to cost an additional €400k • Savings of €200k may be possible to compensate for these appointments • A target of €150k should be set for additional external income • FAI should consider increasing annual subscriptions to raise a further €100k, each year, to support the change over the next 4 years

31. FINALLY, THANK YOU