- guardian.co.uk, Sunday May 26 2002 22.29 BST
It's headquarters in a Georgian house on one of Dublin's most elegant squares is perhaps the grandest thing about the Football Association of Ireland. The FAI, which Roy Keane has branded as 'amateurish', is precisely that. While the top two per cent of the outfit are paid professionals, the bulk of its membership is made up of volunteers. Its president is elected on an honorary basis.
To date, its fame has stemmed from a flurry of minor financial scandals and the big success stories of Ireland's participation in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups. The fact that it was left to the treasurer of the organisation to handle the media frenzy which ensued from Keane's bizarre exit from its World Cup squad, tells much about the size of the organisation.
Almost every other official is with the squad in the Far East. Still, the travelling party that includes players and journalists numbers less than 100.
The limited resources of the association are legend. Journalists recall with relish the time when a former president 'borrowed' a painting from the wall of a Dublin hotel to present to a visiting football delegation. In 1985 former manager Eoin Hand famously flew his wife to Russia to cook for the team before a World Cup qualifier.
The FAI was on the verge of bankruptcy before Jack Charlton's appointment as manager in 1986 heralded Irish football's arrival on the international stage. Even then, its budget never extended to private jets, specialist chefs and all the other trappings associated with big-name teams.
For players like Keane, the gap between the resources of club and country was apparently too wide. Former Ireland captain Kevin Moran describes his dilemma. 'The likes of Roy look around at the Irish set-up and wonder if this is happening with England or other top teams. The answer is no and that's what gets under his skin. He's had the best treatment with Manchester United and he wants that all the time.'
The FAI does not have its own stadium. The domestic game is part-time professional and, despite the best efforts of its Premier League clubs, is likely to remain so for some time. Most of the grant money received from the Irish government goes into junior football.
But while its means are limited in relation to other international associations, its success rate is high. Ireland, with a population of just over four million, are eighteenth in Fifa's rankings. Although their preparations for major international tournaments in the past have been found wanting, staff at Old Trafford may have sympathy with the FAI's view that there is just no pleasing Roy Keane.
The picture-postcard island of Saipan where the squad was based last week was selected by the FAI's official travel agent, the former West Brom and Ireland player, Ray Treacy, together with manager Mick McCarthy.
While the island didn't have a football pitch, one was constructed by the authorities for their visitors. The six-star Hyatt team hotel was described by newly appointed captain Steve Staunton as 'fantastic'. Officials felt that there was an air of inevitability about Keane's complaints. His spats with the FAI have become as familiar to punters as rain-sodden afternoons at Lansdowne Road.
Two years ago, he challenged that security was too lax at the hotel in Dublin where the team had based themselves for many years. The hotel was changed. The same was true of the team's training ground in Dublin.
At the first qualifier of the 2002 World Cup campaign against Holland Keane com plained about officials sitting in first-class seats, while players were cramped in economy. By the time the squad flew out for their final qualifier in Iran last November, there were also several rows of empty seats between the official party and journalists, allegedly at Keane's request.
The FAI's chief executive, Brendan Menton, is adamant that every measure was taken to ensure the World Cup squad's comfort. 'There are lessons to be learnt from every episode, but we're a small association and we've done our very best,' he said.
Last week's sorry episode in Saipan told once again of the gulf between between the assets of the FAI and Manchester United. While McCarthy and his depleted squad caught a scheduled flight to Japan, United invited Keane to fly home in their private jet.
