John Fallon: Gender balance challenge only starting for tardy FAI

On the football side, League of Ireland clubs have started playing friendlies, talks with prospective candidates for the men’s team manager’s vacancy have restarted while there’s also ongoing preparations for another bruising visit to the Oireachtas for a Public Accounts Committee hearing.

Simultaneously, the FAI are actioning the mandate received by members to have six females on their next expanded board of 14 directors.

The constitutional change to enact the increase got there the second time around at an EGM on December 9, the motion receiving the backing of 110 General Assembly members with just six objecting.

Of course, the football body are not alone in being obliged by the Government to ensure a 40% female presence at board level but the initial setback, moreso stemming from an unrelated concern around the portion of independent directors, elevated them into the firing line for funding cuts.

Any temporary fears were allayed by the tweaking of the wording for the sequel. From the current status of four female directors among the 12-person hierarchy, the two additional appointees are to be women.

One apiece is to come from the football and independent sides but the extra salient criteria for the latter is that they must possess a background in football.

For instance, a former player who did or since has operated in the business sphere could fit the bill. Names of likely contenders are already floating in the ether.

Likewise is the nominee from the football family, or to be succinct about it, the person who is elected by the General Assembly.

That’s the 139-strong forum representing all the pillars of the game from underage to national leagues, replete with newcomers from the governance overhaul such as the PFAI and