Billy Walsh quits ** SEE MOD WARNING #643 BEFORE POSTING

slow

This afternoon's meeting will be interesting. Is the 'decision' about to be reversed?

walshb

slow wrote: »

This afternoon's meeting will be interesting. Is the 'decision' about to be reversed?

Well, if both sides can communicate and compromise then surely they can come to some agreement? Maybe the damage is irreparable......

slow

August 31st 2015

The IABA have released the following statement today:

STATEMENT IN REGARDS TO THE POSITION OF BILLY WALSH, HEAD COACH OF IABA HIGH PERFORMANCE UNIT

This is an employer/employee matter. Billy Walsh is currently on annual leave and has not tendered his resignation to the IABA. This is an issue of the utmost urgency for the IABA and is being dealt with accordingly.

The IABA will release a full and thorough statement once these discussions have concluded.

barney4001

how many IABA officials travel with the boxers to the various games??

slow

For the Olympics, accreditations are very limited. Billy Walsh, Zaur Antia, Pete Taylor and Gerry Hussey were the boxing officials in London I think. For major championships, more are permitted.

barney4001

those are the only men needed then no one can replace them

Pighead

Seems that this is official now. It's just been announced that Billy Walsh has resigned. Just breaking on twitter now.

Walsh resigns as Head Coach of the Irish High Performance Unit and senior team

It is with deep regret that I am announcing my resignation, as of today’s date, October 19th 2015, as the Head Coach of the Irish High Performance Unit and senior team. This morning I forwarded my resignation to the Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) Chief Executive Officer Fergal Carruth.



Over the last five decades I have been immersed in the sport of boxing from boy to man and for club and country. I am hugely grateful for the opportunities that my sport has given me both as a boxer and coach.



Since February of this year I have been engaged in a process with the IABA to secure my future as Head Coach with the High Performance Unit and senior team. A protracted process that went on for eight months included numerous high level meetings that resulted in various proposals. In August a fair proposal was developed under the auspices of the Irish Sports Council (ISC) that was acceptable and fair but then not subsequently ratified by IABA.



I was hopeful in recent weeks that a final proposal arising out of an approach in late September by the IABA would lead to a successful conclusion but unfortunately it didn’t.



Regrettably the IABA have not made it possible for me to continue on in the role as Head Coach of the High Performance Unit and senior team.



In starting out on this journey back in 2003 our ambition was centered on building a sustainable system for Irish Boxing and I think we have achieved that. This has been achieved with the work of many excellent people including our outstanding club coaches who produce the pipeline of talent for us in high performance to work with.



Our high performance coaching team contains some of the finest and hardworking coaches in the world, both those from international shores and homegrown. These coaches are part of the legacy of all the hard work it took to build this system.



Zaur Antia, Jim Moore, Eddie Bolger, Pete Taylor, John Conlan, Billy McClean and Dmytri are well positioned to take my work and the work of the high performance programme forward and lead this senior team into Rio to compete for medals. I have the utmost faith and belief in them having worked alongside them for many years. I am certain our boxers will go to Rio in fantastic shape, ready to compete with the world’s best as the high performance structures are in place to ensure this.



To Emira who provides all our administration and logistics support and gets the team all over the world with little fuss thank you.



We are moving in to our 14th year together as a team and I can say that while there were many difficult and challenging times, I have never done anything in my professional life more rewarding.



The boxers I have worked with (too many to mention for fear of leaving some out) have inspired and challenged me in equal measure and I salute their efforts, their courage and their amazing performances down through these last 14 years. I wish to thank them for their trust and support and for allowing me to continue in their corner for every fight they fought on the international stage. I wish them all every success in their endeavors to qualify and secure Olympic Medals at Rio and nobody will be more delighted to see Irish boxers succeed in Rio than me.



To our outstanding sports science and medicine team of physiotherapists, nutritionist, psychologist, strength conditioner, performance analyst and doctor who for all these years operated and performed below the radar so that we could do what we did above it, thank you. This was always a team effort.



I wish to express my gratitude to the Irish Sports Council for all their support and commitment to the IABA High Performance Programme over the course of the last 14 years and most recently in trying to broker an agreement on this matter. The Sports Council have supported Irish boxing and worked tirelessly to find a solution.



I am very conscious that the negotiations have dragged on for quite some time, but the time has come, with the Rio Olympics in sight and with no solution possible, to provide certainty to all concerned.



Finally I would like to thank my wife Christine and my family for all their support and patience during this time.



While leaving the Irish Team has been one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make, my sights are now firmly set on my future role with USA Boxing. It is a huge honor for me as a coach to receive the opportunity work with such an iconic sporting nation that is the USA. I am greatly looking forward to the opportunities ahead in bringing my expertise and experience to the USA Women’s Team as they prepare for success in Rio and beyond.

walshb

A great man for Irish sport.

He will be replaced, and we will carry on.

Intersting listening to Kenneth Egan recently. I think it was on RTE radio. From listening to it he seemd to place more emphasis on Zaur. He praised Billy, but it came across as being just for the sake of it. Zaur for him was the man.

byronbay2

walshb wrote: »

A great man for Irish sport.

He will be replaced, and we will carry on.

Intersting listening to Kenneth Egan recently. I think it was on RTE radio. From listening to it he seemd to place more emphasis on Zaur. He praised Billy, but it came across as being just for the sake of it. Zaur for him was the man.

I think it's possible that Billy and Kenneth are not very close friends!

"The boxers I have worked with (too many to mention for fear of leaving some out) have inspired and challenged me in equal measure"

I wonder which group Kenneth fell into?

slow

A huge pity to see Billy go. If it was the same interview that I heard, Kenneth said that Billy had been sucked into having to do the role of High Performance Director in addition to Head Coach.

Billy got out while on top. Not many can do that.

I hope that the IABA can afford to privately fund his replacement. This is a huge snub to the Irish Sports Council who control the purse strings. With Rio so close, they'll cover over the cracks. But this snub won't be forgotten in a hurry.

efb

The IABA have serious questions to answer.

How did they let this slip? But knowing the politics there, I'm not surprised

efb

Well if the Sports Council had agreed and were funding it- they have a lot of questions to answer

walshb

efb wrote: »

The IABA have serious questions to answer.

How did they let this slip? But knowing the politics there, I'm not surprised

Yes, and before the OTT sensationalism (and anti IABA crap) maybe it's best we let them speak. There's two sides here.

efb

Describing my post as crap

efb

Classy.


I just feel their are too many chiefs and not enough Indians. Like most major organisations like Team GB until post Atlanta.

walshb

efb wrote: »

Describing my post as crap

Who did that?

I didn't mean you specifically. Surely you can see that?

walshb

efb wrote: »

Classy.


I just feel their are too many chiefs and not enough Indians. Like most major organisations like Team GB until post Atlanta.

BTW, do you know the ins and outs? Or are you basing this off Billy's statement alone?

efb

I am basing it on my experiences of working with the politics of the IABA.

efb

When you quote me and then say it it's not so clear. Quoting means you are referring to that post

efb

And don't call me Shirley

walshb

efb wrote: »

When you quote me and then say it it's not so clear. Quoting means you are referring to that post

The post of mine seemed clear to me that I wasn't lableing your post as crap. Apologies if it was ambiguous to you. No offence was meant.

Anyway, the rush to slate a whole organisation here is what puzzles me.

efb

I slated the politics of the organisation not the organisation.

walshb

efb wrote: »

I slated the politics of the organisation not the organisation.

C'mon, don't be obtuse here. The organisation is the people and its policies. Like I said, when I hear from both sides I will make a call. The rush to judgment based off one side's statement isn't right.

You haven't given any details or information. Just a kind of blanket criticism of the organisation, (sorry, its policies).

vicwatson

This is absolutely crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy

efb

Walshb read my post anyway you want. My dealings with the politics of it, leave me completely unsurprised by Billy Walshs resignation

walshb

efb wrote: »

Walshb read my post anyway you want. My dealings with the politics of it, leave me completely unsurprised by Billy Walshs resignation

I read it as it is. A blanket criticism based off your own experience with the politics of the IABA. An anecdote at best.

efb

Yes. That's all it is. That's all anyone has.

Mick Dowling not impressed on liveline

efb

The Sports Council brokered an agreement.

The IABA were the ones not to agree with it, the others were on board

efb

It's like if the Labour Court broker an agreement, the side that rejects it needs to say why

walshb

efb wrote: »

The Sports Council brokered an agreement.

The IABA were the ones not to agree with it, the others were on board

The others were on board? What others? Walsh and The Sports Council?

The IABA are the main player here. They are the organisation. The people behind Irish boxing. Ordinary people. So, if they were not behind the agreement then maybe they had very valid reasons for it?