FAI troubles

[osarusan]

Thought it might be good to have one thread to follow this.

The latest in this saga is that Shane Ross and Sport Ireland have referred the FAI's accounts to the Gardai.

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2019/1127/1095599-fai-audit/


In a statement, Minister Ross's department said: "The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross TD, has received the Final Report of the Independent Audit of the FAI, conducted by KOSI Corporation Ltd, on behalf of Sport Ireland.

"The Minister said that Sport Ireland has today referred the report to An Garda Síochána.

Dan McDonnell in the Indo saying that publishing the accounts is the only way to regain any kind of trust.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/columnists/daniel-mcdonnell-theres-no-way-for-the-fai-to-rebuild-trust-without-the-publication-of-reports-38733008.html

Just a few days ago, the Irish Times reported that the FAI's debt was set to break €50 million.
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/racing/john-foley-expected-to-be-named-fai-interim-ceo-next-week-1.4092282

[Stuttgart88]

I presume the Gardai (over and above the corporate governance enforcement body) being involved suggests there's criminal activity suspected. Could be getting hairy for JD. If expenses are at the heart of the issue it'd be a metter for Revenue too, as expenses reduce the tax payable.

[dynamo kerry]

This could also be pretty benign. We don't know the process or trigger so probably best not to speculate on it too much.
Everyone agrees the governance was sub optimal and I for one am thrilled Delaney is gone but it's a but early to suggest anything criminal went on.

[osarusan]

Delaney's 50th birthday party cost FAI 69K, of which he repaid 50K, and the rest was put down as a footballing expense, as some UEFA wigs were involved.

http://cf.broadsheet.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/st-3-scaled.jpg

[geysir]

Delaney's 50th birthday party cost FAI 69K, of which he repaid 50K, and the rest was put down as a footballing expense, as some UEFA wigs were involved.

http://cf.broadsheet.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/st-3-scaled.jpg

50k?? that's a sizable hunk of money considering his after tax income and roller lifestyle.

[osarusan]

John Foley, who was expected to join the FAI as interim CEO, taking over from Noel Mooney, has chosen to decline, and given some pointed comments for his decision.


"Ultimately, it was not clear that the support for my appointment across key stakeholders was at the level required for me to succeed on delivering on the huge challenges to be faced by the Association in the coming months.

"Therefore I have decided not to take up the role of Interim CEO. I wish the staff, board, volunteers and players at all levels every best wish for the future."

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2019/1202/1096454-management-crisis-at-fai-as-foley-declines-interim-role/

[elatedscum]

I presume the Gardai (over and above the corporate governance enforcement body) being involved suggests there's criminal activity suspected. Could be getting hairy for JD. If expenses are at the heart of the issue it'd be a metter for Revenue too, as expenses reduce the tax payable.


If I were guessing, I'd say they forwarded it onto the guards to avoid it being published. It's a pretty water-tight excuse and even if there's nothing whatsoever incriminating involved, they can just kick it down the line for a year and if it comes up say the gardai decided not to forward anything to the DPP. Everything I've seen from the minister and sport ireland indicates they're competing with the FAI in campaigns of propaganda.


The whole thing is a ****show of unparalleled proportions. it's like Iraq. the moment Delaney and the FAI lost authority, you had a dozen different factions sensing weakness and all vying for relative power. The behaviour of the DDSL and the LSL in particular left a really sour note. There are genuine problems with participation levels within the country and a lot of people within the FAI were doing good work to try and address that and instead of improving the situation it's all reverted to the way it was before.


Meanwhile, the funding being withdrawn is making a terrible situation so much worse. Things are probably gonna get a lot worse before they get better...

[Stuttgart88]

John Foley, who was expected to join the FAI as interim CEO, taking over from Noel Mooney, has chosen to decline, and given some pointed comments for his decision.



https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2019/1202/1096454-management-crisis-at-fai-as-foley-declines-interim-role/"Key stakeholders" = Shane Ross

[nigel-harps1954]

I think it's fair to say, given all his faults, of which there are many, Shane Ross is playing a blinder with the FAI in attempting to rid them of the old guard.

[pineapple stu]

FAI being urged to sell their stake in the Aviva to help cashflow (https://extra.ie/2019/12/03/sport/soccernews/fai-advised-by-uefa-to-sell-aviva-stadium-to-recover-finances).

It's a logical, if large, step - though will they get what they paid into it? How will it affect future cash flows, both in terms of paying extra rent and losing out on commercial matchday income?

[pineapple stu]

"I want to see regime change, and that means [...] not going back to the FAI for people like Noel Mooney, people who in the past have had identification with the FAI. That's not acceptable anymore."

Shane Ross crosses the Rubicon. Again, I guess.

https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2019/1203/1096675-frustrated-shane-ross-wants-complete-cleanout-at-fai/

[elatedscum]

From a governmental perspective, isn’t there something inherently sexist about this:

“We're looking at ways of (restoring funding) for the women's national team, we're looking at ways of doing it for the sports clubs," he said.

And inherently wrong about this, that parents and volunteers with children in medium or large clubs should be punished, purely based on size:

"It's so important that the small sports clubs, the people who (bring) out young girls and boys on a daily basis for training, for health... that they're funded.

"I think you can expect (to see) something very soon to channel money to them, not through the FAI but through another way, to ringfence it in a way that it's safe that they get it."

[Mr_Parker]

@GerKeville: Paul Cooke appointed interim executive lead at FAI.
More on @IndoSport from @jfallondub shortly

[elatedscum]

"It means not going back to the FAI for people like Noel Mooney, people who in the past have had identification with the FAI. That's not acceptable anymore. We've got to see a complete clean out."

The problem is probably anyone who is remotely qualified to do the job, and who understands Irish football to the extend necessary to succeed, probably will have some association to the FAI at some point.

Furthermore, I've never met Noel Mooney but to say that someone should immediately be ruled out of the job, because they worked for the organisation 5 or 10 years ago, is just stupid. I think in any large organisation, be they functional or dysfunctional, you'll have really good people doing their job well and people doing a sub-par job. On the face of it, his experience with UEFA would give him unique insights and make him a decent candidate. Maybe sport ireland are hoping to appoint someone who was previously head of Cricket Ireland or Irish Hockey or whatever

[osarusan]

I suppose anybody who will meet the standards of Sport Ireland is somebody the FAI won't be happy with and vice versa.

I wonder is there any chance of bringing the current head of some other FA.

[Stuttgart88]

"It means not going back to the FAI for people like Noel Mooney, people who in the past have had identification with the FAI. That's not acceptable anymore. We've got to see a complete clean out."

The problem is probably anyone who is remotely qualified to do the job, and who understands Irish football to the extend necessary to succeed, probably will have some association to the FAI at some point.

Furthermore, I've never met Noel Mooney but to say that someone should immediately be ruled out of the job, because they worked for the organisation 5 or 10 years ago, is just stupid. I think in any large organisation, be they functional or dysfunctional, you'll have really good people doing their job well and people doing a sub-par job. On the face of it, his experience with UEFA would give him unique insights and make him a decent candidate. Maybe sport ireland are hoping to appoint someone who was previously head of Cricket Ireland or Irish Hockey or whateverI think there needs to be a clear-out and anybody closely associated with the failed FAI can’t be considered for an executive or Board role in any reformed organisation. But Foley’s connection was quite distant from the inner workings of the FAI and if he was successful in running Athletics (I’ve no opinion here) of course he should be considered as a FAI CEO candidate.

@osarusan Personally I’m not convinced a candidate from another FA is necessary. In my opinion the key here is experience of a mission-oriented not-for-profit or quasi-public institution. I think sports experience would be valuable, but not necessarily football.

[jbyrne]

three pull out of FAI sponsorship...
https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2019/1204/1097033-three-ireland-end-sponsorship-deal-with-fai/

[OwlsFan]

three pull out of FAI sponsorship...
https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2019/1204/1097033-three-ireland-end-sponsorship-deal-with-fai/

Is there any proven wrong-doing as yet ?

[elatedscum]

three pull out of FAI sponsorship...
https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2019/1204/1097033-three-ireland-end-sponsorship-deal-with-fai/

if we're lucky, we'll finally get jerseys without a sponsor plastered all over it...

[elatedscum]

some more info here: https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/fai-staff-told-of-deepening-crisis-as-paul-cooke-takes-on-executive-lead-role-1.4103459

[osarusan]

Is there any proven wrong-doing as yet ?

Not yet, but a sh!tstorm of negative publicity that Three can do without. And it's a story that looks like it can run and run.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Accounts release to be delayed till tomorrow. JD's payout, presumably enormous, is going to dominate headlines.

[tetsujin1979]

There has to be a decent chance that they'll actually get released late in Friday, to avoid the weekend press

[Mr_Parker]

Looks like the news on the accounts will be at least as bad as expected.

@FAIreland: FAI ANNOUNCEMENT

Donal Conway is to step down as President of the Football Association of Ireland at an EGM on January 25, 2020

Statement to follow...

[Lionel Ritchie]

Press conference delayed by an hour. They need a bigger calculator.

[nigel-harps1954]

Conway stepping down is another of the old guard going. Potentially a big step forward in getting government backing restored.

[Mr_Parker]

Concerning too that it has been reported that Airtricity are considering their future sponsorship.

[NeverFeltBetter]

Glad to hear the Conway announcement. His manner at the Oireachtas committee hearing was enough to convince me he had to go.

Edit: SIPTU making noise about likely strikes from FAI staff.

[Mr_Parker]

Press conference to be shown on the rte news Twitter and Facebook.

[Mr_Parker]

The accounts

https://www.fai.ie/domestic/news/2018-fai-accounts

[Mr_Parker]

Setting the actual numbers aside, the presentation to the press is so amateurish. Is that guy the FAI treasurer?

[NeverFeltBetter]

What happened with the 2017 numbers!?

460k payout for JD.

[Eminence Grise]

God, that’s a shambolic set-up for a crisis conference. Bad lighting, cramped, backs to the wall, a visually distracting backdrop with the TV screen and wooden pillar, clutter on the table… Amateur hour.

€57,000,000 in debt.

Conway gone, so Shane Ross will be happy (though I think the FAI could nominate the Pope and the Dalai Lama as independent directors and he’d still find reason to reject them. Roll on GE 2020!).

Anybody think that we’re seeing the start of the last days of the FAI? A crisis of this scale warrants a new association, or at the very least a root and branch reform with new board and senior executives, an amended rule book and modern way of doing business. Swim Ireland, Olympic Federation of Ireland … Football Ireland?

[ifk101]

Setting the actual numbers aside, the presentation to the press is so amateurish. Is that guy the FAI treasurer?

And cracking jokes to start it all off.

[Mr_Parker]

And cracking jokes to start it all off.

What was most cringing was watching his attitude and facial expressions towards the technician looking after the PowerPoint. He admitted himself he was late, so it was his own fault that he hadn't done a run through of his presentation, not the technician. His arrogance was shocking and his presentation was awful.

[shakermaker1982]

Only in Ireland....

Paying Delaney off. FFS

[backstothewall]

Conway gone, so Shane Ross will be happy (though I think the FAI could nominate the Pope and the Dalai Lama as independent directors and he’d still find reason to reject them. Roll on GE 2020!).

The guy is a clown, but for me he has probably done more for Irish football than anyone since Jack Charlton.

Whether the structure of the FAI survives or not, in the long run the game will end up better run for all this pain.

[Stuttgart88]

What was the original Aviva mortgage? Less than this €57 million I think. So much for debt free by next year.

[jbyrne]

What was the original Aviva mortgage? Less than this €57 million I think. So much for debt free by next year.

those debt free by 2020 reports were a complete con job as was delaneys 10% pay reduction only for him to take it away immediately with the other hand by getting paid the equivalent in a rent allowance...... on which, by the way, he paid no BIK and has left the FAI with an additional €1m revenue liability it appears.

it looks like delaney just wanted to hang on come what may until after the 2020 euros before heading off to a cushy UEFA job and leave others with a big mess to clean up after him..

[pineapple stu]

Wouldn't like to be the Finance Manager/Director going on some of the reports I was getting this afternoon (from someone watching the stream; not any inside knowledge)

Delaney's salary upped to €1m for last year once all "expenses" were taken into account - that's literally incredible.

2.7m tax liability as a result, and 3.6m in professional fees.

The accounts note Delaney had two contracts - Derry City will love that.

9m in losses last year alone.

Conway denying knowledge of things right to the end.

And all while the LoI is the problem child and is paying money into this *****'s coffers.

I actually hope Delaney goes to jail over this.

[Olé Olé]

The FAI finance director qualified as an accountant 4 years ago......

[pineapple stu]

Well it wouldn't be the incumbent's fault. But that does seem very inexperienced for a role like this.

[Guitd]

Does anyone know who is running our airtricity league fran Gavin is director but who is the league Chairman ? Haven’t heard from him ever ??

[Lionel Ritchie]

I never liked John Delaney.
I've a demonstrable track record in that regard.
He saddled Irish football with intergenerational debt on a national stadium it'll never own.
His oversight of the LoI has been ruinous -and that's from a low starting point.
He bought junior and schoolboy football with astroturf they deserved anyway. He made gifts and favours that had more strings attached than the cast of Thunderbirds out of provision that was supposed to be his core work and for which he was ridiculously well paid.

Anytime he spoke I just wanted to grab him by the ears and bounce his skull on a kerb till the hollow sound stopped.

But now -just once more for old time' sake I'd love to hear him say "When I took over as CEO of the FAI..." just to see how he'd finish that sentence today.

[Kingswood Rover]

Jeez i knew it would be bad but its way worse than most of us thought. The FAI needs to be folded up at this point, as a brand its Fcuked IMO and only a completely new and transparent structure has a much better chance of putting Irish football back to a place where people are proud to be associated with it. At this stage LOI teams looking into joining the NIFL does not seem so far fetched. Sad day. Presentation ah help us and the president not knowing, Chemical Ali stuff.

[Mr_Parker]

https://www.rte.ie/news/2019/1206/1097536-fai-accounts-key-facts/

[osarusan]

I suppose it can all be traced back to the decision not to sell the Premium section packages (Vantage Club, whatever its name as) to ISG a decade ago for 75 million, which was one million than they'd invested in the stadium..

[pineapple stu]

I think that's when the FAI's problems started maybe - but there's no linear path between that mess and double contracts, huge personal spending, and tax irregularities.

This is scarily incompetent governance - not just from Delaney, but from every person who was on that board, and others beside.

[TonyD]

I actually hope Delaney goes to jail over this.

Absolutely. If they were falsifying accounts might this be a possibility ?

I actually think it would be no harm if the national team missed out on a couple of tournaments due to the association going belly up. Might wake everyone up.

[pineapple stu]

It depends on how dirty his hands are. It's probably unlikely, but it's hard to think of a comparable case. Anglo was bigger of course, and no-one went to jail, but they were bankers, so that's different. :) But if the 2.7m Revenue settlement is his doing, and if he was signing contracts to himself (the Board deny any knowledge), and if was effectively embezzling funds, then you never know.

But your post raises another question - what does happen if the FAI goes bust?

Do Irish teams lose all coefficient points for example? So preliminary round of Europe, bottom seed in World Cup/Euro qualifying, League D in the Nations League?

Are we likely to lose a LoI club over this - are clubs owed UEFA Solidarity funding for example? Prize money is nil as it stands of course, but is there any sort of other support provided to the LoI which could be pulled?

I don't know where the end game in all this is.