Ireland's women’s national football team "threatened to go on strike" in a row over its treatment by the FA of Ireland, according to Aaron Rogan of the LONDON TIMES. The team is scheduled to play Slovakia on Monday but 14 players and officials from the players' union held a press conference on Tuesday "where they threatened to withdraw from the match" and claimed they have been treated like the "dirt on the FAI’s shoe." Stephanie Roche "described how players have had to change in public toilets after away trips" because they have to return their tracksuits "so they can be used by underage teams." Roche said that "all options are on the table" when asked about strike action on Monday. A list of requests was outlined, which included a match fee of €300 ($320), bonuses of €150 ($160) for a win and €75 ($80) for a draw, and "expenses and loss of earnings to be paid to non-professional players." The players "also asked for a qualification bonus to be agreed with the team at least four weeks before the start of qualification campaigns" (LONDON TIMES, 4/4). In Dublin, Daniel McDonnell reported Ireland's players "are understood to be unhappy about the fact that they do not receive a daily allowance" when they are on int'l duty -- there was a €30 ($32) fee in place that was removed. The members of the squad who have day jobs "take unpaid leave to represent Ireland and they are seeking an improvement in the conditions" as they are using their holiday time to fulfill national team obligations (IRISH INDEPENDENT, 4/4).
'FIFTH-CLASS CITIZENS': The BBC reported players representative Stuart Gilhooly said that they were being treated as "fifth-class citizens." The players have indicated that they will refuse to train on Wednesday unless the FAI "holds talks with their representatives" at the Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland and as of 5pm on Tuesday, "this had not happened." Former Arsenal goalkeeper Emma Byrne, who has played 127 times for her country, said that the team had "given up" trying to deal directly with the FAI. Byrne: "We are willing to do whatever it takes at this stage. We are fighting for the future of women's international football. This isn't just about us." In response, an FAI statement said that the governing body was "deeply disappointed that members of the team have threatened to withdraw from playing for their country." The statement said, "The ultimatum by the players concerned comes in spite of repeated invitations from the FAI to the players to discuss clear and tangible financial offers for the payment and compensation of members of the squad" (BBC, 4/4). In Dublin, Emmet Malone reported for their part, "the players insist that they have tried to negotiate directly with the association before but that it has not got them anywhere" and they are now "determined, they say, to have the matter dealt with on their behalf" by the union as they believe they are entitled to be "represented as they see fit." Roche said, "We’re footballers, we’re here to play football. There’s not any of us that are skilled negotiators and to ask us to do that is unfair" (IRISH TIMES, 4/4).
'ROY KEANE MOMENT': In Dublin, Jack O'Toole reported Gilhooly said that Tuesday’s press conference in Dublin was the women’s team’s "Roy Keane moment." Keane "famously stormed out" of the 2002 FIFA World Cup after he was "dissatisfied with Ireland’s pre-tournament preparation." His "public spat with the FAI" eventually led to the introduction of The Genesis Report, an "independent report commissioned by the FAI" which was conducted by external consultant Genesis, which "largely agreed with many of Keane’s criticisms" (IRISH INDEPENDENT, 4/4).
