THE IRISH AMATEUR Boxing Association (IABA) has finally broken its silence over the resignation of Billy Walsh as head coach of the High Performance Unit.
Yesterday, Walsh left for the US where he is set to finalise a contract with their women’s team.
Apart from a short statement issued on Monday night, the IABA had refused to make any comment on the collapse of negotiations with Walsh, who oversaw seven Olympic medals during his time in charge.
However, this morning, Joe Christle and Pat Ryan of the IABA appeared on the Pat Kenny show on Newstalk while their organisation simultaneously issued a lengthy statement on the issue.
Ryan explained the reason for the IABA’s silence was that Walsh was an employee of the organisation and so they could not comment.
“Up until Monday, Billy was an employee of this company and as his employers we are obliged not to discuss anything involving our employees. That’s the stance we have taken.”
Christle, chairman of the IABA, went on to clarify that a proposal presented by Sport Ireland to the IABA on 22 August was presented by him to his board on 25 August, but that he had taken the decision not to put it to a vote because he knew it “would not pass”.
“I did not want to get a knock back or a negative result that would a) have to be communicated on the website of the IABA and b) prejudice our future talks with (Walsh) to retain him.”
Christle went on to state that a further proposal brokered by Minister Michael Ring TD was agreed to in full by all parties and put to Walsh and his advisors.
“We met Billy and did a deal with him in the Institute of Management. (That deal) took into account the concerns of the IABA that had not been taken into account in the 22 August proposal.
“The three most important parts of any deal were, one, the finances to be provided by the Sports council.
“Second, that it was going to meet with the approval and satisfaction of Billy Walsh and, thirdly, that it would meet with the approval of the board of directors of the IABA.
“All of this was done with the full knowledge and approval of the Sports Council.
“In the meeting in the Institute of Management, the last thing that I said — having phoned each and every director of the IABA to ask for their approval, and I got their unanimous approval — I said to Billy Walsh ‘this deal must be acceptable to you’ and ‘must remove the threat of you going to America because that is what the IABA want.’
“He said to me, ‘I am satisfied with the deal.’ He looked me in the eye and he offered his hand and so did his advisor. That is a very important part of what we do in boxing. The last thing you do when you come out for a fight is that you shake your opponents hand and, when the fight is over, you shake his hand.
“That will be understood by boxing people and sports people.
“When I got into my car going home, I rang John Treacy (of the Irish Sports Council) to get up off his knees because the threat of Billy Walsh going to America is over.”
After this meeting, contracts were exchanged but Christle says the next communication the IABA had with Walsh was his resignation on 19 October.
He went on to confirm the agreed package included arrangements for the selection of all boxing teams to represent Ireland as well as bonus structures.
The chairman stated that team selection was under Walsh’s control, but would remain subject to the ratification by the Central Council “because it’s a rule, okay? Because it’s a rule.”
Christle added that the organisation now needed to “draw and line in the sand” and that Zaur Antia has been appointed on an interim basis as head coach to replace Walsh.
In a further development this morning, it has emerged that representatives from the IABA and Sport Ireland will appear before the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications on Wednesday next week to discuss the matter further.
Listen to the full interview on Newstalk here.
As clear as mud. Someone is telling porkies here
I’m inclined to believe Walsh.
Why believe Walsh, he’s the on heading to the States after all.
Far more credible to believe that he was offered a huge deal, one that the IABA struggled to compete against and that the move actually agreed with Walsh. So despite the IABA finally getting the finance together Walsh’s decision was already made before the the new IABA counter-offer was made. Everything else he’s saying is a smokescreen to make himself feel better about what he’s doing..
If he IABA made any statement publicly while Walsh was an employee, he could still leave, take the US deal and claim constructive dismissal to sue the IABA on top..
There’s absolutely no upside in the IABA lying about this, they wanted Walsh to stay and went the extra mile to find the additional funding to try to get him to stay, it’s not like they can make money appear out of thin air or that it’s a wealthy organisation….
Nothing about this changes his legacy or the fact that he’s a fantastic coach or that in the future he might be home to take charge again in the future though. The bottom line is that if Billy Walsh wanted to stay in Ireland then a deal could have been done…
The IABA suppose to talk to Pat Kenny on news talk earlier in the week about this and now they come out a day after billy walsh is gone?
Waited for Walsh to leave the country. Cowardly
How did Christle know the agreement wouldnt have been voted in if he never even told the other members what the deal was. So he is saying he agreed a deal with Walsh and the Sports Council and then never told the IABA about the deal,and changed the contract to suit himself. No wonder Walsh walked,u cant agree a contract and then change it last minute. Fella is a clown!!!
You got it as they Christie speaks with forked tounge
This article is so full of bull …. You have lost the best because of the attitude of the “IABA” and the fact that you as a body knew you had the best in Billy Walsh, and you couldn’t bare it. Shame on you all. The boxers of Ireland have lost someone very special. Our loss is America’s gain, as usual blinkered vision.
Iaba are cowards, they waited on the man to leave the country before they came out with their bullshit story. They have only given the head coach on an interim basis to get over media storm. They may have one of their own lined up for the longer term.
This is another failed, useless and rudderless QUANGO, that has become a political liability; a taxpayer-resourced dinosaur that will choke to death on its own incompetence. It is time for Michael Ring to line it up alongside FAS in the hedgerows of historical obscurity.
Why in this country do we get rid of all the good people!
chairman and board should b f****d out simple as that, what took them so long to make a comment on it because de waited till he was in U.S.A
The CEO is responsible, he’s the one on the salary paid for for by US, so why is he not speaking about this. I want to hear the CEO explain it.
Billy Walsh gone. Web summit gone . Because people in power sit on their hands.
So much of this Billy Walsh is about ego and power …….and I don’t mean Billy !!
Typical, these Muppets should of bent over backwards to keep Billy working with our fine Irish boxers, his record speaks for itself
Whatever about the merits of what he is saying, why not appoint Zaur on a full time basis?
I Imagine if the IABA filled the post without the proper application process taking place they would be slaughtered in the media. It is normal in any job when someone leaves that an interim appointment is made while the job is advertised.
They need to appoint a trainer with fresh ideas- Zaur is a great trainer and could bring a lot to another team but would probably bring nothing new to the Irish team.
Are we not winning medals? why do we automatically need something NEW? the fresh ideas could be crap
what a load of bull iaba run by all former boxers who think they are untouchable .when you let a coach like Billy Walsh slip through your fingers you need to be held accountable for your actions any other body would hold there head in shame
What else could they say to save their image, comes to my mind?
A national tragedy, Billy Walsh leaves the country, this is worse than the famine and the penal laws and the British and the bankers and the troika all rolled into one, how will we ever recover, abandon hope all ye who enter here.
Agree, Patrick. This is our 9/11.
I don’t really care, sounds like a process story when the real story is the actual boxers
Blah blah blah. He’s gone, your fault. Except responsibility
I never even met the man, how can it be my fault
blah blah – except responsibility ?
Ok, he always brought bourbon creams to staff meetings, I hate those biscuits, therefore I hate him
Bizarre amount of media fixation on this story.
Because boxing is one of the few things in which we actually win something.
David the reason for the media fixation, is it is a microcosm of all that is wrong in Irish life. Talented people unable to work in an environment that is run by out of control quangos, who’s main issue is control, inflated ego and personal gain which distorts the greater good. This hole issue encapsulates it in a nutshell.
Agree. Don’t get it. We may be good at boxing – the fighting Irish and all that – but it’s still a minority interest sport and the vast majority are not hugely interested in the story. Never heard of Walsh until this week so there you go. Now for the red thumbs….
I green thumbed you, but there is an orchestrated campaign here, as with many other issues common sense and the real facts go out the window
Absolutely garbage, it’s about money. Walsh had an offer way above what the IABA could afford to pay given it rely’s on funding. He took the offer and then the IABA managed to get some additional funding in case he was open to changing his mind, which he wasn’t.
He should be perfectly at home in the USA, because there seems to same percentage of cranks and conspiracy theorists as at home…
Well Rugby is a minority sport aswell but look at the interest it gets, at the end of the day we’re losing the most successful sports coach in this country,
Maybe try looking up a little more information on this story before jumping to the wrong conclusion
As a p articipation sport Rugby’s not though, for the number of participants Boxing gets a very high level of funding…
I would say Rugby is a minority sport no matter what why you judge it, as for funding our boxing team has delivered 6 out of our last 7 olympic medals, I’d say it’s money well spent
The IABA must have gone to the same classes as Enda. Lying and trying to blind people with their stupidity. Billy Walsh has proven himself over the years with great results. Not so for IABA and our sports minister and Enda
Pat Kenny was very weak. Felt he let the IABA dictate the interview. Clearly the IABA felt he was the easiest person to speak to. They were as well to just issue a statement because Kenny didn’t ask them any insightful questions
why didn’t Kathy Taylor and the other boxers support Walsh ???????
Offer he couldn’t refuse. ..get over it. …
Billy followed the big bucks fair play $$$$$$$
Great how the IABA make a statement when Billy left the country (cowards) nothing but a shower of brown envelope merchants, guarantee you Michael Carruth will get the job because of his brother Fergus being the CEO of the board (gangsters)
Big thanks to Billy & Zaur for all their hard work over the years & all the medals/success they brought Ireland
Hope Zaur gets the job on a full time basis especially with Rio16 next year
I’m a fan of boxing and recent result have been excellent, but you do appreciate the meaning of minority don’t you….?
http://www.irishsportscouncil.ie/Research/Irish-Sports-Monitor-Annual-Report-2013/
Page 21
https://cld.bz/LMjLlci#21/z
For participation sports rather than recreational, in Ireland Rugby compares well to the other field sports, even before you take technicalities of game into mind..