HE CAME, he saw, he commuted.
Jonathan Hill’s time as the FAI’s chief executive has left an indelible mark but that may just be his carbon footprint after three-and-a-half years of flights to and from England.
Today’s news of Hill’s departure as the FAI’s chief executive officer at the end of the month did not come as a surprise.
It may have lacked the drama of his predecessor John Delaney’s exit but it was equally inevitable.
His performance in front of the Public Accounts Committee in February had made it a matter of when rather than if, particularly when the Association President Paul Cooke had said his confidence in him had been challenged by events.
There are some who will have sympathy for Hill and can point out, with justification, that some of those who have been gunning for him did little to prevent the near bankrupting of the FAI on Delaney’s watch.
But any reservations there may be about his critics can surely be set aside to objectively assess Hill’s own performance.
Firstly, he has only himself to blame for the issue which has ultimately led to his departure.
Remember that in December he told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Tourism, Culture, Art, Sports and Media that he had nothing to do with him receiving €11,500 in lieu of holidays not taken.
That was in contravention of the FAI’s employee handbook and brought his pay package above a limit, imposed when the Government helped to bail out the Association in 2020, prior to his arrival.
Two months later, he said it was the result of a throwaway remark which had been interpreted as a request.
A similar arrangement had been approved for a junior employee as she had been unable to take previously-sanctioned holidays during a particularly busy time for the Association.
Hill wrote in an email: ‘Can you negotiate the same for me?!’
When the then-FAI finance director Alex O’Connell referenced that the payment would be made, ‘as per your request’, Hill did not object.
In fact, he said ‘perfect’. The money was paid into his account in March 2023 and was only repaid when an audit uncovered his pay exceeded the limit set by the Memorandum of Understanding which led to a suspension of Sport Ireland funding.
Some have sought to trivialise the episode, as though he had asked someone behind a counter in a takeaway to throw in a few chips with their burger and was pleasantly surprised when they agreed. (Note, do not try this in The Golden Chip, Phibsborough. Refusal may cause offence).
It is certainly true that the sum involved is insignificant compared to the excesses which occurred before Hill’s time but talk about missing the point.
It was patently obvious that the culture which pervaded the FAI during Delaney’s reign needed to change.
The idea that it would be OK to gloss over his permanent successor willingly accepting more money than he was entitled to as no biggie would ensure more of the same.
For an Association seeking an unprecedented level of public funding to bring about much-needed improvement of facilities at grassroots, League of Ireland and international level, it has to prove it can be taken seriously and trusted.
It is also an insult to the ordinary workers in the Association who are entitled to aspire to work for an organisation which does not have one rule for them and another for the top brass.
Some long-serving employees say the mood in recent months has been worse than in the final days of Delaney’s tenure.
Also, if you were to fill out a report card on the FAI’s work since Hill’s appointment in November 2020 it would not be nearly as glowing as the self-praise he provided for the statement announcing his departure, even allowing for the mess he inherited.
NOT ENOUGH
He spoke of developing ‘a new, dynamic senior leadership team, a clear strategic vision, a bold plan to address football’s wider infrastructure needs and a stable and growing financial platform for further and sustainable growth’.
The FAI’s Facility Investment Vision and Strategy is an impressive document but it has yet to be proven that it is a persuasive one.
There has been an increase in commercial revenues but, given it was supposed to be his area of expertise, it was a serious failure that it was not until the month before his departure that a shirt sponsor was found for the men’s team.
That he was not at the top table to announce it was a further indication of how his stock had fallen since his February visit to Leinster House.
A new head coach for the side has proven equally elusive.
Hill went on to reference the 2021 Equal Pay agreement which he said was ‘a vital catalyst for the rapid rise of the Women’s senior national team over this period, culminating in a historic first World Cup appearance in Australia in 2023’.
That was the right move and the FAI were ahead of many national associations in handing out the same match fees to women and men’s teams so no argument there.
NOT PROGRESS
But the next boast deserves serious scrutiny.
‘Our successful bids to host EURO 2028 and the UEFA Europa League Final next month are testament to the progress delivered by the FAI staff and their incredible commitment and hard work’.
On Delaney’s watch, the FAI secured the rights to host Euro 2020 matches and the 2011 Europa League final, so they cannot be viewed as a measure of progress, particularly as there were no other bids for UEFA to consider for Euro 2028.
It is like congratulating Charles for his accession to the throne in England following the death of his mother and holding it up as proof of his suitability to be a head of state.
And there was another serious underlying issue with Hill’s reign and that is his failure to base himself in Ireland.
Primary schoolchildren learn the term ‘absentee landlord’ almost as soon as they are handed their times tables to memorise.
Having an Irish organisation overseen by someone whose primary residence is across the water will never be a good look.
REMOTE WORK
Hill was hired during the Covid-19 pandemic when international travel was arduous so allowances were made.
But there was also an allowance given for him to relocate when restrictions eased. He did not do so for personal reasons.
We must take that at face value but, no matter how many times he argued it did not, some felt it affected his capacity to do the job to the best of his ability.
We may have all become more familiar with the concept of remote working in the past few years but for a leader to truly lead they need to live where they work.
It is not just the importance of visibility that is at issue but the practicality of being able to attend weekend events when you are regularly returning to England.
For a sport which needs to move mountains to realise its potential, relocating Hill would have been a start.