The John Delaney Thread

[Eminence Grise]

Well the FAI should have thought of that before they committed the acts they have.

There just aren't enough rolling eyes memes to do justice to this level of insight.

[Cathalsmart]

Well if you are going to do nothing you aren’t a true Irish supporter... you were probably one of those clowns that was saying “come out and support the country” prior to the Georgia game instead of protesting...

[tetsujin1979]

Well if you are going to do nothing you aren’t a true Irish supporter... you were probably one of those clowns that was saying “come out and support the country” prior to the Georgia game instead of protesting...

so, anyone who supported the the team, is not a supporter of the team?

[Cathalsmart]

Anyone who acts as life goes on while the FAI board abuse their rights for their own greed aren’t true supporters yes

[Eminence Grise]

Well if you are going to do nothing you aren’t a true Irish supporter... you were probably one of those clowns that was saying “come out and support the country” prior to the Georgia game instead of protesting...

Indeed I was. Red nose, floppy shoes, a flower spraying water pinned on my lapel and a big honky horn I used for comic effect to antagonise true patriots like yourself, Cathal. And DELANEY IN painted on both sides of my clown car.

[tetsujin1979]

Anyone who acts as life goes on while the FAI board abuse their rights for their own greed aren’t true supporters yes

did you know there's no such thing as a true Scotsman?

[rebelmusic]

Honestly curious if the fear of legal action from Delaney is gone now with the mods? There was posts being blocked a fair bit in the past for 'speculation' but I haven't noticed any since the start of March.

We should never, ever again let one man attain so much power over the organisation of football in Ireland, that fans are intimidated to voice their opinions/speculations on football forums due to genuine and affirmed fears of legal action from that man.

I speculate that:
John Delaney is a money and power hungry narcissist
John Delaney is corrupt.


I hope he goes to prison for corporate fraud, albeit, if wishes were tickets his father might still be the CEO.



I know i'm being a smartass in this post but i hope it's read between the lines.

[bennocelt]

Think I remember reading he, or possibly his family, have a furniture company in Waterford.

Correct. I also remember reading that the furniture company lost money two years running and that poor old John had to bail them out with a loan of some type!:)

[bennocelt]

Thats why im completely against any supporter representation or the like, the ybig lads all thought he was great, then when "the best fans in the world" thought they were slighted by him after the Scotland ticket fiasco, he's a w**anker and should be out. they are a fickle self-serving bunch(fans in general) so I wouldnt want them anywhere near the board.

I also reckon they would feel they were the main instigators in getting Delaney out. A warped sense of reality.

Their hate of Delaney stems from that, it has little or nothing to do with LOI or anything else, as the grassroots club level they still love Delaney.

A few on here too let it be said!;)

[Cathalsmart]

did you know there's no such thing as a true Scotsman?

Nice change of subject there!

[tetsujin1979]

Nice change of subject there!
Not really https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_true_Scotsman

[Cathalsmart]

So I take it you are a fan of Delaney?

[tetsujin1979]

You know what they say when you assume

[youngirish]

It’s one thing to lob tennis balls onto the pitch when 22 multi-millionaire adults, used to being in high-pressure situations, are on it. But protesting at the u17 championships? They’re children. Legally, developmentally, emotionally. They’re out of bounds.
There was nothing I feared more when I stepped out onto the pitch as a teenager than a stray tennis ball coming my way. Thank God it never happened to me personally but I know a few lads who were unlucky enough to experience such an event. They've never been the same since.

[Charlie Darwin]

Anyone who acts as life goes on while the FAI board abuse their rights for their own greed aren’t true supporters yes
What have you done to protest the FAI over the past 15 years? Let's get a detailed list.

[Cathalsmart]

What have you done to protest the FAI over the past 15 years? Let's get a detailed list.

I live in the UAE, I can’t do ****. I’m getting ready do plenty in Copenhagen though so don’t worry.

[tetsujin1979]

A true fan would have done something

[Cathalsmart]

A true fan will be doing just that in June when he travels 6 hours to support his team and make his voice heard unlike you who will be likely sitting on the couch after falling for the FAI’s tactics of keeping us quite during the summer infront of UEFA.

[tetsujin1979]

I feel sorry for all the fake fans who won't be doing that.

[Olé Olé]

https://www.killarneyadvertiser.ie/opinion-delaneys-backers-should-be-ashamed/

Good article. O'Regan has been vocal and his motives are questionable and questioned here.

[Charlie Darwin]

I live in the UAE, I can’t do ****. I’m getting ready do plenty in Copenhagen though so don’t worry.
I hope you bought your ticket through the Danish FA.

[Cathalsmart]

I hope you bought your ticket through the Danish FA.

Did last time but won’t be this time, what’s it to you anyway?

[Charlie Darwin]

Did last time but won’t be this time, what’s it to you anyway?
Just curious as to whether sticking it to the FAI includes putting money in their bank account.

[Cathalsmart]

Well either I pay and make a impact in protesting or someone else will come and do nothing...

[Charlie Darwin]

Fantastic. I wish you'd protest me too while you're at it - could do with a few extra quid.

[Cathalsmart]

Fantastic. I wish you'd protest me too while you're at it - could do with a few extra quid.

Moving the goal posts again I see.

[Charlie Darwin]

That phrase doesn't mean what you think it does. And the fact you think I'm actually trying to have a serious discussion with you is mortifying.

[pineapple stu]

Latest revelation is payments of €60k from the FAI to Delaney's then girlfriend for consultancy (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/fai-payment-to-delaneys-ex-girlfriend-7mn5blsvz?t=ie). Said girlfriend denies receiving any money. Transaction was approved by Cody and Murray off the board. Cody was asked about it by the Times, but his solicitor answered -


“He would require the authorisation of the FAI board to release that type of information into the public domain and also the consent of the employee,” O’Higgins said. “This is not a confirmation nor is it a denial. He has obligations and responsibilities that he continues to take seriously. Cody has a sense of integrity, probity and doing things in the correct and appropriate manner. That will not change.”

Sounds like it already has there, in fairness.

[NeverFeltBetter]

What would Susan Keegan have been consulting on anyway? What's her job?

[Eminence Grise]

She has a pretty low profile, if media reports are anything to go by. None of the press coverage I've seen so far even has a photo of them together, and no details of career, where she lives, what she's doing now. It's only fair to point out that she has denied ever receiving the money, and, tbh, with what we know of the FAI, I'd have no reason to doubt her. Which opens up a whole new level of trouble for somebody (and I think we all know who...)

This is like death by a thousand cuts. A constant drip of info. All from the protected disclosure? Or was the 100k just the wrong block in the Jenga tower and it's all come crashing down?

[BonnieShels]

She has a pretty low profile, if media reports are anything to go by. None of the press coverage I've seen so far even has a photo of them together, and no details of career, where she lives, what she's doing now. It's only fair to point out that she has denied ever receiving the money, and, tbh, with what we know of the FAI, I'd have no reason to doubt her. Which opens up a whole new level of trouble for somebody (and I think we all know who...)

This is like death by a thousand cuts. A constant drip of info. All from the protected disclosure? Or was the 100k just the wrong block in the Jenga tower and it's all come crashing down?

It just seems to me that this is yet another case of hubris finally getting its man.

If he had not been so thick-headed he may have gotten away with it. But the sense of entitlement and assumption of power is what's bringing him down.

It's glorious.

[backstothewall]

Combined with the article on Sunday this has a smoking gun feeling about it

https://extra.ie/2019/04/21/news/irish-news/fai-now-under-investigation-over-second-set-of-accounts/amp?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialWarfare&__twitter_impression=trueq

[Nesta99]

Combined with the article on Sunday this has a smoking gun feeling about it

https://extra.ie/2019/04/21/news/irish-news/fai-now-under-investigation-over-second-set-of-accounts/amp?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=SocialWarfare&__twitter_impression=trueq

It sounds ominous for sure. Reading between the lines if public funds were used to settle a personal dispute then there will be consequences. There is also the example of a LoI club that had 2 seperate sets of accounts and were penalised by the FAI's independant licencing committee so it would be a case of of the FAI behaving in a manner in which they took a dim view of a member of their organisation doing similar. In accounting terms can payments be retrospectively named eg professional services to compensation for something like unfair dismissal? There will be a paper trail, or more pertinanly a lack of one easily identified by the 'payee'. Things sound like they are getting damn serious and moving from poor governance in to the the realm of fraudulant activity.
Revenue were always going to look and see if any expenses were a benefit in kind and if they were declared by individuals after the cash witdrawal reports on the company credit card especially, it would take a seriously organised person to have receipts that would prove that 6k cash was spent on football related expenses imo. Repayment of backdated taxes and a fine might be the least of the worries. It also seems to me that these are bigger stories than the initial 100k loan, so the unwillingness to engage on that issue has cranked up the scrutiny of finances in general and the wall of silence has backfired in a big way! Potential whistleblowers who feared speaking up in the past will be enboldened, people with an axe to grind for whatever reason will come forward. This is probably why there is a drip feed of these things rather than a newspaper sitting on info and publish it gradually to sell papers.
If there is a shrewd operator behind the scenes at the FAI who wants change in the organisation, gradually leaking info will keep the spotlight firmly on the former CEO. Possibly hoping for the impact of JD walking away and not look for a golden handshake or big pension, if he has any sense this could well be the sensible thing to do. I cant see the likes of Rea Walshe jepordising her career and reputation if she comes in to information as Interim CEO and not pass on what she knows and the same would go for other board members and staff, past or present especially in the finance department. For all the cronyism that might have gone on they will go in to self protection mode and shop any old pals.

For Delaney, he may have done himself out of the opportunity to seek registration with one of the professional accounting bodies, he could become too toxic for future companies/organisations to employee him and his term of office with UEFA will expire with no opportunity to get reelected. Its will be a serious culture shock when he realises that he will have no clout, possibly no job, could face a hit to his finances in fines and maybe worse. No more jollies with a bunch of people messaging his ego. He will have to actually work for a living maybe in the bakery he has a 20% share in.
The level or arrogance is astounding when you consider the potential risks being taken - digging a hole deeper and deeper thinking that constant denial might convince people of no wrong doing where a thorough investigation might suggest otherwise. Its amazing how smart people can get blinded by power and greed and not keep their bibs clean knowing theyre on to a good thing like having a job that pays 400k or so! After all the political scandals of the past public opinion wont be kind either and gone are the days of the Irish grá for the adorable rogue! All those injunction tactics are done for him where media outlets wont baulk at reporting for risk of a legal bill. There could well be new reporting on old stories that would be consider in the publics interest. Celebrity associates will gradually put some distance between them. Its all change for John. Even the OCI stuff could resurface and he cant bail to Brazil to get out of the media glare....

[sbgawa]

JD is being brought down over the €100,000 loan in the same way that Al Capone was done for tax evasion.
It was probably the least of his offences but as someone said above it was the wrong Jenga block.

[paul_oshea]

A true fan will be doing just that in June when he travels 6 hours to support his team and make his voice heard unlike you who will be likely sitting on the couch after falling for the FAI’s tactics of keeping us quite during the summer infront of UEFA.

Very well said, nothing better than sitting on the couch, thinking up things to write on an internet forum while watching Ireland play. Nowadays you can do it all at once with something wireless on your lap!

[paul_oshea]

I heard a good one over the weekend from two different sources that the provincials behind Delaney believe he is being used, and the fai to a lesser extent, by politicians to distract from the national childrens hospital.

That in itself means he and the board members more importantly still have the backing at the next EGM/AGM. So nothing changes until its members change.

[geysir]

Everybody who has previously been a ceo in the FAI has undergone a toxic cleansing of sorts, reborn as Dazz white shining knights without having to do any rehab, it's just a side effect of the Delaney shambles.
Ex ceo Brendan Menton has been quoted in the Irish Times (https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/brendan-menton-fai-at-a-crossroads-and-next-move-critical-1.3869581) fearmongering about government interference in FAI which could lead to FIFA sanctions, but that's a load of bollíx, typical of one who once spoke FAIspeak. Nevertheless his axe must grind against the FAI and Menton asks two pertinent questions
1. How could the Honorary Treasurer not be a signatory on the €100,000 cheque repaying Delaney’s loan? Was this in accordance with the bank mandate?

2. Who changed the previous policy, which forbade personal expenditure on FAI credit cards?

[pineapple stu]

If an electronic remittance was seen for the payment to Delaney, then it was likely an EFT transfer, probably part of a regular supplier pay file. The honorary treasurer wouldn't be signing off or reviewing those

[geysir]

If an electronic remittance was seen for the payment to Delaney, then it was likely an EFT transfer, probably part of a regular supplier pay file. The honorary treasurer wouldn't be signing off or reviewing those
Does that not depend on the terms of the Bank mandate? The terms of the bank mandate according to Menton would require a second signature for a sum of money to be paid out over and above an agreed figure. According to Menton the Eur100k figure is well above the agreed minimum figure.

I know this is the FAI but WTF when it comes to a wire transfer of Eur100k from the bank account. Does the bank say yes yes yes to some random low life FAI official or do they ask for a second authority, a second signature according to the bank mandate that Menton refers to?

[pineapple stu]

You would likely need two online banking authorisations, but I would be surprised if the honorary treasurer was one. He'd be too inaccessible. The Director of Finance would probably be one. Delaney would likely be another, but there'd be others too. Rea Walshe possibly. Somebody senior like that.

[Kingdom]

I could be wrong, but when I was on the NGB of a different sport, we had three signatures for cheques (President, Hon Treasurer, or Hon Secretary). Any two was sufficient, didn't necessarily have to be the Treasurer.
And we were under the aegis of SPort Ireland, so if it was acceptable for us, I'd imagine it would be acceptable for the FAI.

[paul_oshea]

You would likely need two online banking authorisations, but I would be surprised if the honorary treasurer was one. He'd be too inaccessible. The Director of Finance would probably be one. Delaney would likely be another, but there'd be others too. Rea Walshe possibly. Somebody senior like that.

Online banking is usually limited to about 10k or 25k depending on country and/or bank, both ways, into(from Delaneys) and out of(paid back into Delaneys) the account. SO any transfer would have to be done in person or over the phone I'm assuming. Therefore I'd assume there has to be two signatures from the board or one from CEO and one from Treasurer, but perhaps the board are far removed from this "day to day" running of the FAI?

[pineapple stu]

Online banking is usually limited to about 10k or 25k
No it's not.

Take the company's monthly supplier pay run. That could easily be €250k+ at one time. That would be done in one pay file uploaded to the bank and authorised by 1/2 relevant parties (not including the person who prepared the file - probably the FD). This would be done each month.

Also consider the wages pay run - do you think wages are paid in batches of max 10k at a time? Of course not.

The limit is definable but could easily be 500k if needed.

Individual payments also have a definable limit - but no reason for it to be capped at 10 or 25k. Those would be quite low in fact.

No Board would be involved in something so mundane as signing cheques or authorising online banking transactions. That's not the function of a Board.

[paul_oshea]

Monthly suppliers is not a BACS or CHAPS payment, this would have been a one-off payment so it would go through the normal fraud checks. DD/SO's are different but this would have been a one off payment and therefore I think it is under different criteria. But ya maybe they have pre-agreed limits with the bank for such payments, although in the UK Business accounts are definitely limited bank side on one-off payments, for online transactions*. Its all about protecting the bank, not the client.

*Wasn't clear, for any new payments to a new account. In the original post I thought I'd mentioned that.

[pineapple stu]

Well the limits for one-off payments still aren't 10 or 25k - they can be higher if required. And again, the Honorary Treasurer wouldn't be authorising those.

But the papers have reported that there's a remittance for an "invoice", which leads me to think it was repaid in the monthly supplier/creditor payrun - again, the Treasurer wouldn't have any involvement with that.

[jimhacker]

Correct. I also remember reading that the furniture company lost money two years running and that poor old John had to bail them out with a loan of some type!:)

It's registered office appears to be in Tipperary and it's called Gerfurn.

Strangely enough, it has no employees!

https://fora.ie/john-delaney-company-losses-3825820-Jan2018/

[paul_oshea]

Well the limits for one-off payments still aren't 10 or 25k - they can be higher if required. And again, the Honorary Treasurer wouldn't be authorising those.

But the papers have reported that there's a remittance for an "invoice", which leads me to think it was repaid in the monthly supplier/creditor payrun - again, the Treasurer wouldn't have any involvement with that.

I only know BOI In ROI, but in the UK hsbc/santander and Natwest business accounts limit new payments to new accounts online to max 25k. You have to get a written mandate(which can be faxed, but must be signed; most banks havent adopted DocuSign or Adobe sign as yet) for one-off payments above this amount.

Isnt the Treasurer normally on a Board though? He prepares the accounts for the boards surely? S/he signature and one other is required.

But the Invoice would suggest its a "payment" and that is not the same as a loan, that's deliberate concealment.

[pineapple stu]

I only know BOI In ROI, but in the UK hsbc/santander and Natwest business accounts limit new payments to new accounts online to max 25k.
New payments to new accounts maybe. But that's a niche payment. And there's no such limit with BoI.


Isnt the Treasurer normally on a Board though? He prepares the accounts for the boards surely? S/he signature and one other is required.
The Treasurer doesn't prepare monthly accounts; the Financial Controller/Finance Director does. The Treasurer is an honorary role (the hint is in the title "Honorary Treasurer"). He'd really be there to offer some oversight and strategic advice. He's not a full-time employee of the FAI and there's no way any large company could properly function if a part-time Board member was needed to make payments, or to prepare the accounts.

[paul_oshea]

New payments to new accounts maybe. But that's a niche payment. And there's no such limit with BoI.


But surely this was a "niche" payment, an extraordinary payment that's not normally executed?

Ya Honorary treasurer is not the same as treasurer, same as president isn't the same as honorary president. But I get what you are saying, on many boards the treasurer brings in the Auditer/FC for the AGM.

[pineapple stu]

No - this was just a repayment of a loan. No more niche than paying JD his expenses or his salary (assuming his expenses and salary were normal of course)

Seriously, the Treasurer would never be involved with something so basic as authorising payments. Way below his pay grade. And nothing unusual about that.

The comment about bringing in the auditor/FC for the AGM is irrelevant to anything here.