OCI/Genesis Report on Beijing

thirtyfoot

The Genesis report was released today and I was looking forward to it. Nothing too revealing though and its very, very pro-OCI. At times I was reading it and it so smacked of Pat Hickey although I know it is an independent review by Genesis. Also, found it quite shabby and unprofessional in parts. I've done a few similar reports in my day in work and if I handed something like this up to the bosses it would have been thrown back and sent back to the drawing board.

All in all the recommendations are valid in that all sporting federations need to pull their socks up and they along with the Irish Sports Council, the Minister and the OCI should work together. It weighs too much in saying that the OCI should have more power I feel and this is where the Pav Hickey vs John Treacy fued seems to be a factor in lots of the recommendations. The OCI are painted as the shining lights and this is at odds with Olympians I know who have competed in the past 3 Olympiads.

In another twist, Pat Hickey was on Newstalk this evening and said the Irish Sports Council was behind Rob Heffernans knocking and slagging off of the OCI on the radio station after the Games. He says he has evidence of this and is willing to use it if needs be. Newstalk distanced themselves from the remarks at the time and said they were the opinion of Pat Hickey etc etc.

Its all a shambles really, everyone is killing each other. Its always a small few with the big egos who cause the hassle. A clean out of all is required whether OCI, AAI, ISC but it'll never happen. We have our own problems internally, problems with the ISC, the ISC have problems with the OCI. Pat Hickey is loving all this as he is really sticking it to the ISC and John Treacy.

One other interesting note was the Genesis presenter saying we shouldn't be employing 'washed up UK coaches' anymore. Interesting to say the least and a direct jab at the AAI I'd imagine.

Esroh

Did anyone here Pat Hickey on Newstalk s'Off the Ball' accuse the Sports Council of coercing Rob Heffernan into criticising OCI over the olympic preparations.Hickey says he has evidence that this happened and would be able to prove it when necessary. Rob Heff is coming back on prog 2mro night to answer the claim.
What hope do we ever have of getting anything right while the suits are fighting over who is the most important.

DaMooseDog

Must have a proper read of the report.... but in the wider context Pat Hickey consistiently comes across as a pompus twat..... his consistient politicking and flame throwing through the media over the years is unprofessional, and to commission a report about the ISC while refusing to participate in a corresponding ISC review is laughable. The fact that two separate reviews were carried out says alot, in my opinion the sports structure should be streamlined with one boss accountable for the whole setup, with the OCI a sub-unit of the ISC preferably.

That said, I'm not sure if John Treacy is all the man either for that job, in interviews he seems to take the line that what was best for him when he was a professional athlete is best for everyone - while he is a legend, a good player does not necessarily make a good manager. We need an experienced, professional, proven management type who knows how to run organisations and structures, is able to manage and raise relevant finances in innovative ways, while obviously having a good underlying knowledge of sports and the relevant bodies in Ireland. Gary Keegan (the boxing performance director) springs to mind, I'm sure there are other lower profile types who could do a better job than what's there right now. However with Hickey + co having an iron fist over things methinks we'll have to wait, sure he said it himself that nothing will really change pre-London.... lack of ambition or what.

plodder

The buck stops at the top. It's really the job of the minister for sport to sort out this kind of squabbling. Of course, it isn't just squabbling. There are some serious policy questions to be debated and decided on as well, and it's the job of a government to take the lead in doing that.

That said. Some of Pat Hickey's antics in the past leave a lot to be desired, eg. criticising the funding of some of the Irish team while they were still competing at the Olympics.

DaMooseDog

plodder wrote: »

The buck stops at the top. It's really the job of the minister for sport to sort out this kind of squabbling.

+1 they can add that to their growing list

Clash

plodder wrote: »

The buck stops at the top. It's really the job of the minister for sport to sort out this kind of squabbling. Of course, it isn't just squabbling. There are some serious policy questions to be debated and decided on as well, and it's the job of a government to take the lead in doing that.

That said. Some of Pat Hickey's antics in the past leave a lot to be desired, eg. criticising the funding of some of the Irish team while they were still competing at the Olympics.

Sme of that criticism is valid imo. Looking at the ISC core funding, begs a number of serious questions. For example, why do the GAA get separate funding for Women's football, Camogie and handball? Fair play to the GAA for maximising their funding potential, but any serious look at this would suggest that it's wrong to split an organisation into separate parts when funding is such a vital ingredient for success.

Of course the ISC has a wider brief in sport than just the Olympics; participation in sport is also one of their priorities, but surely if all reviews of sport in this country focus on Olympic success, shouldn't there be a bigger slice for these sports?

plodder

Clash wrote: »

Sme of that criticism is valid imo. Looking at the ISC core funding, begs a number of serious questions. For example, why do the GAA get separate funding for Women's football, Camogie and handball? Fair play to the GAA for maximising their funding potential, but any serious look at this would suggest that it's wrong to split an organisation into separate parts when funding is such a vital ingredient for success.

I believe they are actually separate organisations to the GAA - certainly women's football is. I don't know the reason but apparently, it suits the women to have it that way - maybe it is for funding.

PS. Eamon Coughlan on RTE Radio 1 now talking about the OCI vs ISC situation.