NIALL QUINN HAS expressed his frustration after saying the FAI President Donal Conway admitted to him that change “will be a slow process” in the association.
The former Ireland international said he does not believe the FAI is properly prepared to face into a new chapter, following a turbulent few months which included the resignation of executive vice-president John Delaney last weekend.
“I don’t think it’s moved on that far at all,” said a disappointed Quinn on Virgin Media Sport when asked if he would like to get involved in the new FAI.
“I think it’s been a bit of a let down over the last number of months, particularly when the Governance Review Group had this wonderful chance to change the game by putting together a new-look FAI, which sadly hasn’t happened.”
Quinn went on to remark on a conversation he had with Conway at the FAI Cup semi-final between Sligo and Dundalk last Sunday, where he says Conway admitted that change will come slowly to the FAI.
Quinn questioned this and said he believes the the association is still “in the dark ages.”
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“I had a very civil conversation with him but he more or less admitted that it’s going to be a slow process.
Donal would admit this when I spoke to him, it’s gonna be a slow change and actually mentioned that the two of us would be old and grey by the time it changes.
“My point, without being overbearing, was why does it have to be a slow process? Why can’t we take the game by the scruff of the neck and change it. Give six, seven or eight independent members board seats to brilliant, dynamic people who will still protect the game. They will protect the schoolboys, the junior leagues.
"Donal Conway mentioned the two of us will be old and grey before the FAI changes."
Niall Quinn met Donal Conway over the weekend.
The FAI President admitted change "will be a slow process" at the FAI.
“They’ll protect all the places that are covered; the League of Ireland.
“Given the people that should be coming in now and running that organisation, people with brilliant commercial experience [and] with great enterprise building behind them so that a whole industry in this country can go to the place it deserves.
Football is very important, that’s why it’s big news. That’s why we’re on the front pages and the back pages of the papers. But I will still point back and say that it is in the dark ages and why should we wait so long.
“I was not interested in taking part in this slow process.”
FAI President Donal Conway [file pic]. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Quinn concluded that Conway and the other board members will try to improve football in Ireland, but suspects that their efforts will succumb to the “old FAI way.”
“With the greatest respect to Donal Conway and the team in there, they will try and change but they will only change in the old FAI way, which has probably never happened before.
“It’s going very slow. The Governance Review Group are the people I think let down the opportunity for the game to develop much more quickly and turn a corner and put that talk of John Delaney in the background.
“Because we could already be on something exciting with a board that could have been created out of brilliant dynamic people with great interest for the game but have the expertise to bring to a whole new level.”
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'Donal Conway said the two of us would be old and grey by the time the FAI changes' - Quinn
NIALL QUINN HAS expressed his frustration after saying the FAI President Donal Conway admitted to him that change “will be a slow process” in the association.
The former Ireland international said he does not believe the FAI is properly prepared to face into a new chapter, following a turbulent few months which included the resignation of executive vice-president John Delaney last weekend.
“I don’t think it’s moved on that far at all,” said a disappointed Quinn on Virgin Media Sport when asked if he would like to get involved in the new FAI.
“I think it’s been a bit of a let down over the last number of months, particularly when the Governance Review Group had this wonderful chance to change the game by putting together a new-look FAI, which sadly hasn’t happened.”
Quinn went on to remark on a conversation he had with Conway at the FAI Cup semi-final between Sligo and Dundalk last Sunday, where he says Conway admitted that change will come slowly to the FAI.
Quinn questioned this and said he believes the the association is still “in the dark ages.”
“I had a very civil conversation with him but he more or less admitted that it’s going to be a slow process.
“My point, without being overbearing, was why does it have to be a slow process? Why can’t we take the game by the scruff of the neck and change it. Give six, seven or eight independent members board seats to brilliant, dynamic people who will still protect the game. They will protect the schoolboys, the junior leagues.
“They’ll protect all the places that are covered; the League of Ireland.
“Given the people that should be coming in now and running that organisation, people with brilliant commercial experience [and] with great enterprise building behind them so that a whole industry in this country can go to the place it deserves.
“I was not interested in taking part in this slow process.”
Quinn concluded that Conway and the other board members will try to improve football in Ireland, but suspects that their efforts will succumb to the “old FAI way.”
“With the greatest respect to Donal Conway and the team in there, they will try and change but they will only change in the old FAI way, which has probably never happened before.
“It’s going very slow. The Governance Review Group are the people I think let down the opportunity for the game to develop much more quickly and turn a corner and put that talk of John Delaney in the background.
“Because we could already be on something exciting with a board that could have been created out of brilliant dynamic people with great interest for the game but have the expertise to bring to a whole new level.”
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Donal Conway FAI Niall Quinn Not good enough