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Donal Conway re-elected Presid...

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Donal Conway re-elected President of FAI with 96% in favour

Jake O'Donnell
Jake O'Donnell

12:38 27 Jul 2019


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Donal Conway has been re-elected President of the FAI at the organisation's AGM this afternoon. 

Conway, who has been a serving member of the FAI board since 2005, won 134 votes out of a possible 140. Five people voted against Conway, with one abstention.

Conway was the only candidate for the position at the AGM in Trim, Co. Meath. After his re-election, Conway said that he did not wish to sit on the FAI board after the 2020 AGM.

All nominees for the position had to have been proposed and seconded by separate AGM members, served at least two years on the FAI Council and be current serving members of Council.

Sports Minister Shane Ross had asked Conway to withdraw his candidacy for the position, claiming that the unopposed re-election would fall short of 'transparency and democracy' expectations of the association.

Minister Ross had called for "new leadership with credible reform credentials, in the best interests of football" in a letter to Conway which FIFA and Uefa expressed "serious concern" about.

Paul Cooke was elected FAI Vice President, replacing Noel Fitzroy after beating Gerry McAnaney by 80 votes to 57.

Former Vice President Fitzroy had looked to seek re-election to his position but pulled his candidacy prior to the AGM on Saturday after it became clear two other former board members looked to join the new board.

Reform proposals had said that no more than two previous board members should stay on after the AGM, with Conway and John Earley both rejoining the board.

Speaking at the AGM, Fitzroy said that he withdrew his nomination "with deep regret" but that it was necessary to "avoid further crisis" for the organisation.

"At this point of time, two members of the old board have been selected or elected so I find myself in an impossible situation.

"While this decision is devastating to me personally, I make it in the best interests of the Association," he said.

There are 160 delegates present at the AGM with 140 are entitled to vote meaning that 105 votes are required for resolutions to be passed


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