THE IRELAND WOMEN’S national team has outlined the extraordinarily low-quality working conditions they are expected to perform under in a last-ditch attempt to receive better treatment from the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).
In a remarkable press conference attended by 14 members of the squad at Dublin’s Liberty Hall this morning, the players described the action as a ‘last resort’ and said they would refuse to play in next Monday’s friendly against Slovakia if a resolution was not found this week.
The core issues revolve around financial payments and representation of the players, with the FAI withdrawing the previous €30 per diem payment during international camps and failing to cover the earnings lost by members of the squad who are part-time.
One of the most astonishing revelations to come from this morning’s press conference was that players are forced to change in and out of team kit in airport toilets before and after away trips as the tracksuits are also used by underage teams.
Ireland captain Emma Byrne described it ‘as humiliating’.
Today’s event comes two years after the players first aired their concerns with the FAI, and despite the association being presented with a booklet outlining the exact issues last April, no meaningful action has been taken.
The team has sought the help of the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland (PFAI) to engage in negotiations with the FAI, but the association have stated that they will not deal with the players’ body and will only enter discussions with the players themselves via the help of an independent mediator.
The PFAI said the women’s international team is being treated as ‘a fifth class citizen.’
“It’s very important to understand that is something that hasn’t been taken lightly,” PFAI solicitor, Stuart Gilhooly, said.
“The FAI have refused to engage meaningfully in any way with the women’s national team. This process of attempted negotiation has been going on for nearly two years, either directly with the players themselves and then the PFAI.
“It’s about the rights of the players, about respect, dignity, equality, fairness.
“The women’s national team is not being treated as a second class citizen, but a fifth class citizen. They are the dirt off the FAI’s shoe. That’s how they see them.”
In a booklet produced by the PFAI and presented to the FAI, the primary concerns of the players are clearly outlined:
- Access to nutritionist, and individual strength and conditioning programmes.
- Gym membership for squad.
- Hotel accommodation to include at the very least working and reliable WiFi.
- Apparel for travelling to be provided to the squad prior to meeting up at airport.
- More home-based training sessions.
- All non-professional players to receive loss of earnings documented from their employers.
- Goalkeeper coach to remain for campaign, not change from game to game.
- Match fee for all international fixtures of €300.
- Bonus for competitive fixtures of €150 per win and €75 per draw.
- Qualification bonus to be agreed with team captain and player representatives at least four weeks prior to start of qualification campaign.
“We’re here because we want to be able to field the best national team possible and be able to compete at the highest level possible,” Byrne said.
“There have been issues, not just for the last few years, but for a very long time now. We’re here to try and get those issues resolved. We’ve been talking to the FAI and nothing has been resolved.
“We’re here as the last step to take these extraordinary measures because we need it resolved and we’re willing to do whatever it takes to get it resolved this week.”
In a statement released shortly after the conclusion of the press conference, the FAI said they were ‘deeply disappointed that members of the Republic of Ireland Women’s National Team have threatened to withdraw from playing for their country in the upcoming match versus Slovakia on 10 April.’
The statement added:
“The ultimatum by the players concerned comes in spite of repeated invitations from the FAI to the Players to discuss clear and tangible financial offers for the payment and compensation of members of the squad.
“Repeated efforts by the Association have been made in a bid to encourage the players to row back from their unprecedented ultimatum.
“On five occasions in recent months the FAI has attempted to bring the Players to the table, only to have the offer rebuked at every turn.”
Ireland are due to face Slovakia next Monday in an international friendly at Tallaght Stadium, a game which will be manager Colin Bell’s first home fixture in charge.
“All options are on the table at the moment,” Gilhooly added. “It’s a situation where there’s certainly a possibility where that game will not go ahead but we’re hopeful that the FAI will react well to this. That they’ll react sensibly but that is the absolute last resort [cancelling the game].
“The last thing the women’s national team wants to do is to not play a football match. That’s what they’re here for, that’s what they do. It’s a very simple operation for the FAI to ensure that happens. We’ve set out extremely reasonable and fair conditions in order to get to that point.
“I think everyone would agree that what we’ve set out is entirely fair. If they want to avoid that situation just pick up the phone.”
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I’m not a huge fan of the tap penalty, would lineout and maul not yield greater returns?
@brian o’leary: no guarantee you’ll win the lineout, that the other team won’t sack the maul etc. Tap penalty is the safest option to guarantee possession
@Niall Boyle: correct, but I wonder if there’s any stats available comparing the success rate of the two options?
@brian o’leary: scrum for me all day in that situation. Huge scrummaging machine pushes opposition pack backwards, secures another penalty, play of 8 around the house or 9 to the backline through one or two power phases..a thing of beauty…
@Stuart: ireland got a try from a 5 metre scrum, and two from lineout mauls v italy. We’re not converting from rucks inside 5m as much as we used to, getting held up a lot?
@brian o’leary: I’m still very in the fence about the held up law. It may because it feels like Ireland and Leinster get done by it a lot, which is maybe just my own perception, but it feels way too heavily weighted towards the defence. The attack could put together 5 or 6 great pieces of play to get themselves there and then one guy just needs to do one action to get his body under it and it undoes all of the hard attacking work and sticks you 30/40m back. That feels bad every time.
@Stuart: ireland have a poor record with ref’s and scrum penalties. If the opposition tighthead took a chainsaw to our frontrow the ref would give a penalty against porter for bleeding
Easterby’s best shot at being a 6n’s head coach permanently is with Wales. I think the IRFU will have noticed that the team has got progressively worse over the course of the championship under his watch. Is it all down to Easterby being there instead of Faz, possibly not but as an audition it definitely didn’t go well.
@Michael Corkery: maybe they’ll notice that being without their head coach for a period might not be the best idea, and will say no the next time?
@brian o’leary: Agreed. I think IRFU were wrong to sanction AF going off on Lions jolly at this time when Ireland were going for the 3 championships in a row and building towards WC….he is head coach and this is where he should be…end of. Coaching team need to look at their selection management over the entire 6n campaign.
@Dolores Scully: If the IRFU refused to sanction Farrell coaching the Lions, im pretty sure it wouldnt go down too well with Farrell.
@Jonny Miller: when will they get another chance to do 3 in a row?
Farrell should stay on his holidays if he is not committed.
@Jonny Miller:our coach could be told pre contract that its not an option?
I’m not sure why lions coach need to miss the six nations, he going to be familiar with all the players anyway, and stats can do the rest?
@brian o’leary: at the same time, in terms of succession planning, they got a look at the next man in potentially mid RWC cycle. They should have brought someone like Felix Jones in to concentrate on defense and basically have Easterby do the exact same role as Farrell but he kept his defensive role (which as a result of his attention being elsewhere fell well below the usual standard). For example if Easterby had left, wasn’t replaced and Farrell had to cover defense in his absence. Would we have seen similar regression?
@Dolores Scully: I don’t understand why AF didn’t coach the Irish side during the 6nts ..sat in the stands ? The lions squad are not even together yet…surely the lions gig is at mostly a part time gig at the moment with the administrational/planning stuff?
@Dolores Scully: Building towards a world cup. Same story every year
@Dolores Scully: rubbish there’s November series 25 &26, six nations 26 & 27 and a summer tour in 26 for Andy Farrell to be assessing options before the world cup.
@Oran Burns: maybe our best ever coach and you don’t think he’s committed?
@mark sheehan: well if you want to look at it like that the WC is a 4-year cycle and surely not getting past the quarter final should mean that building/ planning should start straight away. Also, as previously stated here, the 6n is worth a hell of a lot financially to the IRFU…needed to build the squad. And no, as head coach, the team should be front and centre…or is it another case of Sexton’s ” we lost but we won” rubbish.