Details
Appointment of Independent Members to Association Committees
The Irish Football Association is the governing body for association football within Northern Ireland and is the fourth oldest association in world football. A number of positions within the Association’s participative governance committee structure have been reserved for independent members (those who are not connected to any of the Irish FA’s member clubs, leagues or divisional associations). It is expected that applicants should have an interest in and empathy with association football and would wish to make a positive contribution to its administration. Candidates with previous committee experience would be desirable.
All positions will be for an initial tenure of three years and successful candidates will commence their roles immediately. The positions are non-remunerated, although appropriate out of pocket expenses when incurred will be reimbursed. An induction session will also be conducted by the Association. Please note successful candidates must be in a position to attend face to face meetings at the Clearer Twist National Stadium at Windsor Park, Belfast.
The association committee positions are as follows:-
- Appeals Committee- two members
- Player Status Committee- Vice-Chair (legally qualified)
- Referees’ Committee- Chair
1. Appeals Committee (AC/25)
The Association is seeking applications from individuals who may come from any discipline, to serve as members of the Association’s Appeals Committee. The Appeals Committee is constituted under the Articles of Association and consists of six independent members (to include a legally qualified Chair and Vice-Chair) and six members of the football family. Each appeal is heard by an Appeals Board of three consisting of the Chair or Vice Chair, one independent member and one from the football family. It is likely that as a member of the committee you may be called upon four or five times per year to hear appeals against decisions of association committees, divisional associations and leagues.
2. Player Status Committee (PSC/25)
The Association is seeking applications from individuals who are legally qualified to serve as Vice- Chair of the Association’s Player Status Committee. The Committee is constituted under the Association’s Football Regulations and consists of the legally qualified Chairman and Vice- Chairman and six other members who represent the football family. Meetings are held on average every six weeks but may be held more regularly, if required. The Committee operates under Professional/Amateur Game Player Registration Regulations which are compliant with FIFA and UEFA guidelines. The Committee deals with registration disputes, transfer disputes involving an amateur player, contract disputes between a professional player and his club, priority of registration disputes, compensation disputes, to review, approve and monitor implementation of the regulations, to impose sanctions on leagues for non- compliance and any other player registration issues that may arise from time to time.
3. Referees Committee (RC/25)
The Association is seeking applications from individuals who would bring appropriate skills to the operation of the Committee, such as knowledge of the law, education, marketing or people management, to act as a non- voting Chair of the Committee. The Referees’ Committee is constituted under the Associations’ Football Regulations. It is comprised of the independent Chair, six former referees who are appointed by the Football Committee (at least three of whom shall have served on the FIFA list of International Referees or Assistant Referees at some stage) and the Council representative of The Northern Ireland Referees’ Association (NIRA). The Committee meet on a bi-monthly basis. The Referees’ Committee shall be responsible for all matters pertaining to Referees (other than the payment of fees and expenses to referees) including but not limited to recruitment, training, grading, dealing with complaints concerning the application of the Laws of the Game, instruction, appointment of international referees, other relevant appointments and assessment. It shall also annually produce a strategy for the development of refereeing and maintain a register of qualified referees and shall be entitled to remove a referee from the register or suspend them.
How to apply
To apply please forward your CV with covering letter to rebekah.shearer@irishfa.com. Your covering letter should include the reference number (found after the title of each role) for one or more roles you would like to apply for and a brief summary stating why you are suitable for the role/s. Please also state whether you meet the desirable criteria of previous committee experience. The closing date for receipt of CVs and covering letter is midday on Thursday 24th July. Late CVs will not be accepted.
All of the above positions are governed by the Association’s Articles of Association, Football Regulations and Standing Orders which can be viewed online at www.irishfa.com.
“The Irish Football Association is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons. However, as women are currently under-represented on our committees, we would particularly welcome applications from females. All appointments will be made on the basis of merit”.