Champagne Football

[pineapple stu]

Mark Tighe's compilation of stories about how Delaney was an incompetent ***** is out today.

Anyone pre-order a copy?

[Ezeikial]

Mark Tighe's compilation of stories about how Delaney was an incompetent ***** is out today.

Anyone pre-order a copy?

Yes.

Do you want a synopsis?

I'll send it by DM to you...............

[The Lilywhites]

Full book doing the rounds on WhatsApp.

[pineapple stu]

People acting the ***** over a book about how much of a ***** Delaney was. Bit ironic that.

[Yossarian]

Full book doing the rounds on WhatsApp.

Bad form really. Book probably only costs 15 quid.

[joey B]

I've seen di**heads on twitter saying the author deserves it for and I'll quote ''ruining John Delaneys life''..............

[The Lilywhites]

People that pre ordered the book over the past few months, as far back as May, only had their books dispatched this evening, so will be another day or two (possibly Monday for some where there's no Saturday post) before it's delivered.

Would have been better off buying it in stores today!

[John83]

Bad form really. Book probably only costs 15 quid.
I just bought it on the kindle for a few pennies over ten pounds sterling. It'll go straight on top of the (virtual) reading stack!

[EatYerGreens]

Anyone who's sending the book around for free needs to wise the fcuk up. Ignoring for a minute the fact that it's an illegal breach of copyright, if books get passed on free like that - especially within minutes of going on sale - no-one will ever write them. As it just won't be worth the considerable effort that's involved.

The two lads who wrote this book exposed the FAI for the utter shambles that it is, and brought Delaney down. Rightly so. If it hadn't been for them, there's a serious chance he'd still be involved with the FAI - bleeding it dry for his own benefit and destroying the game from the inside. They deserve a book payday for the public service they did in exposing the utter crook.

So if someone sends you a pirate copy, please don't be a dick and pass it on. And if someone offers you one, refuse it and tell them they're a dick for doing so. Otherwise there's a real risk that this sort of behaviour will go unexposed in future (at least to its full extent). Why would anyone bother to put the effort into books again in the future if they get ripped off and sold for free the minute they're published?

[EatYerGreens]

Yes.

Do you want a synopsis?

I'll send it by DM to you...............

We all know what you mean by this Ezekial.

Don't be a dick.

[Ezeikial]

We all know what you mean by this Ezekial.

Don't be a dick.

It is clear to me that you haven't got a scooby.

I also suggest you speak for yourself and not for others


You should withdraw your thinly disguised slur

[Nesta99]

Well as both a word of warning and a challange to see how far readers get before being p!ssed off - I made it as far as P2 of the Prologue before feeling a bit nauseated (p1 rolling of eyes). By p3 I seriously wanted to puke - regardless of who footed the bill for that 50th birthday party it was the cheesiest load of bull sh*t. Pukeworthy in its faux celebrity and self importantce. Dunno how i will get through the bits that had a direct and lasting impact on the game. Anything throwable is out of reach!! It's a super read and even with the dodgy copies mentioned doing the rounds, the bookshop said they were on their 3rd delivery of copies in 2 days and that they were all on order and not able to meet general demand.

[pineapple stu]

I take it you mean all that as a compliment btw?!

It's an unusual compliment, but I guess it is an unusual subject.

[Mr A]

Mine arrived today, looking forward to getting nice and angry.

[Nesta99]

I take it you mean all that as a compliment btw?!

It's an unusual compliment, but I guess it is an unusual subject.

Me? The book is excellent so far, a page turner, and considering that most people will know the bulk of the info already. From the perspective of anyone who loves the game, especially LoI and the emotional rollercoaster that goes with, its frustrating and infuriating to read also. The very early description of the birthday party sets the whole thing off well, but is nausiating in reading about such tastlessness and tackiness of the night. Wouldnt matter who they were, the only thing that wasnt 'cheap' and fake was the bill!

[bohsmug]

So I take it that I'm not the only one who had the "can I face how annoyed/angry/miserable I get by reading this" dilemma. I'm looking forward to reading it but I think I'll have to take long breaks where I have to put it down for my own good.

[Martinho II]

Yeah Mark Tighe was on Game on and off the ball last night. Hes an excellent journalist and takes no prisoners. Read small extracts from the book serialised in the Sun monday and tuesday of this week. It looks like a fantastic read! Tempted to buy it but will hold off for a while but will come in handy when theres nothing to do on xmas day!

[Scrufil]

Just heard Mark Tighe on Radio Foyle. He said the tip off about the Delaney loan was from an anonymous envelope left on his PC. I wonder is that journalistic speak for a man in a dark alley with a deep voice informed me...

[Nesta99]

Hadnt heard that but interesting. With the way that JD ran to the courts on everything, I wonder how anonymous that really is? So who in his newspaper would have had access to both offices and the lowdown on FAI backroom dealing - thats a sequel in itself! There are bits of info that ive either forgotten or a bit more light shed on them from Joe Delaney days. I dont think there's need for spoiler alerts but one nugget that made me laugh was the players nicknaming JD as 'Yorkie', yards of fun could have been had with that!! I always took Joe Delaney as a shady character himself but he sounds more daft that anything here. The whole 'George the Greek' tout running off with tickets seemed all too convenient, yet he was stung for covering the balance with his own money and it appears that was genuinely upset when forced to resign believing that he was a bit of a fallguy. I must dig out some of the other books that addressed the FAI ticketing scandals. Its like Tighe and Rowan are making a case for JDs motives!?

[colonelwest]

Hadnt heard that but interesting. With the way that JD ran to the courts on everything, I wonder how anonymous that really is? So who in his newspaper would have had access to both offices and the lowdown on FAI backroom dealing - thats a sequel in itself! There are bits of info that ive either forgotten or a bit more light shed on them from Joe Delaney days. I dont think there's need for spoiler alerts but one nugget that made me laugh was the players nicknaming JD as 'Yorkie', yards of fun could have been had with that!! I always took Joe Delaney as a shady character himself but he sounds more daft that anything here. The whole 'George the Greek' tout running off with tickets seemed all too convenient, yet he was stung for covering the balance with his own money and it appears that was genuinely upset when forced to resign believing that he was a bit of a fallguy. I must dig out some of the other books that addressed the FAI ticketing scandals. Its like Tighe and Rowan are making a case for JDs motives!?

There is absolutely a very good reason why the first chapter is called "Sins Of The Father" as it was Delaney's primary motivation for getting into the higher echelons of the FAI initially. The "I'll show them" mentality and settling grudges and scores as he was 100% adamant his auld lad was screwed over, which of course he wasn't. It wasn't just the tickets from USA 94 that did Delaney snr in in the night of the long knives.

Was rared on being told first hand experience of a lot of the FAI stories over the years, just bear in mind when reading that what's on paper in the book are only those that cleared legal before publishing!

[redobit]

Well as both a word of warning and a challange to see how far readers get before being p!ssed off - I made it as far as P2 of the Prologue before feeling a bit nauseated (p1 rolling of eyes). By p3 I seriously wanted to puke - regardless of who footed the bill for that 50th birthday party it was the cheesiest load of bull sh*t. Pukeworthy in its faux celebrity and self importantce. Dunno how i will get through the bits that had a direct and lasting impact on the game. Anything throwable is out of reach!! It's a super read and even with the dodgy copies mentioned doing the rounds, the bookshop said they were on their 3rd delivery of copies in 2 days and that they were all on order and not able to meet general demand.

Absolutely, read the prologue and started the 1st Chapter but stopped straight away. Couldn't read too much of that in one sitting. You'd be way too p1ssed off otherwise.

[wexfordned]

There is absolutely a very good reason why the first chapter is called "Sins Of The Father" as it was Delaney's primary motivation for getting into the higher echelons of the FAI initially. The "I'll show them" mentality and settling grudges and scores as he was 100% adamant his auld lad was screwed over, which of course he wasn't. It wasn't just the tickets from USA 94 that did Delaney snr in in the night of the long knives.

Was rared on being told first hand experience of a lot of the FAI stories over the years, just bear in mind when reading that what's on paper in the book are only those that cleared legal before publishing!

Delaney didn't take any legal proceedings against anything that the boys wanted to publish in the book. There were no more major stories left out. It's a great read and yet a depressing read as well.

You'd like to think Irish soccer fans are embarrassed at their fawning over JD down the years, but most of them probably will pretend it was only a minority who chanted his name in bars before/after games.

Bonner/Kerr seemed to have really been screwed by Delaney. Shocking treatment of two lads who gave so much to Irish football

[Nesta99]

One error in the book of note "Dundalk, managed by Stephen Kenny, had become the first LoI club to qualify for the Europa League group stages...".

[Charlie Darwin]

I've already burned my copy, thanks for the heads-up Nesta.

[Mr A]

Saw that mentioned online and Tighe said it was fixed in 2nd print run.

One thing that jumps out about the whole thing is the JD was so staggeringly incompetent. The accounts of negotiations again and again portrayed a man who was terrible at the job. From throwing Mick a bonus out of the blue to announcing Kerr before finalizing the deal to negotiating for Waterford and paying more than 3 times what UCD hoped for for a player- everyone was a winner with JD. Not the league though. Oh hell no.

[John83]

One thing that jumps out about the whole thing is the JD was so staggeringly incompetent. The accounts of negotiations again and again portrayed a man who was terrible at the job. From throwing Mick a bonus out of the blue to announcing Kerr before finalizing the deal to negotiating for Waterford and paying more than 3 times what UCD hoped for for a player- everyone was a winner with JD. Not the league though. Oh hell no.
I read that a little differently. It seemed to me like his priorities were:
(1) promote JD.
(2) See (1).
To that end, arranging a huge bonus for Mick made him the good guy with McCarthy (and all the drinking stories suggest it's very important to him to be liked), and simultaneously made trouble for the guys ahead of him in the organisation.

Prematurely announcing Kerr screwed over the FAI in contract negotiations, but it provided a distraction when awkward questions were being asked.

In every case, it seems like he was prepared to waste the organisation's money if it was to his personal advantage.

The negotiation with Dillan was funny though. He just ****ed up there.

[sbgawa]

I almost felt sorry for him in the book when they were describing him on the plane when he thought he was being pushed out and was completely freaking out.
It wasn't just potentially losing his job he was worried about (which would freak any of us out) but the prospect of all the plates coming crashing down once he wasn't there to spin them anymore.
Remember he was still spinning the debt free by 2020 story and he knew there was a 50million hole that was hidden and was bullet proof as far as he was concerned.

Not sorry for him in the sense he got what he deserved but the sheer scale of the **** storm coming must have been unbelievable to deal with........ I did say almost :)

[Mr A]

I read that a little differently. It seemed to me like his priorities were:
(1) promote JD.
(2) See (1).
To that end, arranging a huge bonus for Mick made him the good guy with McCarthy (and all the drinking stories suggest it's very important to him to be liked), and simultaneously made trouble for the guys ahead of him in the organisation.

Prematurely announcing Kerr screwed over the FAI in contract negotiations, but it provided a distraction when awkward questions were being asked.

In every case, it seems like he was prepared to waste the organisation's money if it was to his personal advantage.

The negotiation with Dillan was funny though. He just ****ed up there.

Fair point- certainly it's very clear that FAI money was used to buy (or attempt to buy) favour. But the UCD example also indicates that he was useless at this sort of thing anyway. Not the best combination for Irish football.

[pineapple stu]

I know it's something that's been mentioned before, but it does sound like the Board of Directors need to all be banned from ever being a director again. That's literally what they're there for. They're getting off fairly lightly in all this. That schoolboys numpty who said he wasn't going to resign because he was good at schoolboy football and sure he wasn't great with the aul numbers but he trusted JD - sounded like an entire Board of Healy-Raes.

Edit - oh, and let's not forget Deloitte, the auditors. Another right shower. Would really make you wonder what the point of an audit is.

So I guess the point is that while JD is the head honcho in all this, he couldn't have done it without his supporting cast...

[EatYerGreens]

I almost felt sorry for him in the book when they were describing him on the plane when he thought he was being pushed out and was completely freaking out.
It wasn't just potentially losing his job he was worried about (which would freak any of us out) but the prospect of all the plates coming crashing down once he wasn't there to spin them anymore.
Remember he was still spinning the debt free by 2020 story and he knew there was a 50million hole that was hidden and was bullet proof as far as he was concerned.

Not sorry for him in the sense he got what he deserved but the sheer scale of the **** storm coming must have been unbelievable to deal with........ I did say almost :)

I'm surprised he didn't have a breakdown tbh. It's a situation that would really damage/burden many better people than himself.

I wonder how Delaney sees and articulates everything to himself in his own mind now. To what extent he accepts that he fcuked things up, acted the complete ******, and only has himself to blame for his circumstances. Given that ego was at the root of a lot of the problems he caused, I fear he will have his own unique view of everything that happened and his own innocence within it. He moved so quickly into alternative employment in London that it's unlikely he had time for much serious self-reflection over it all.

[sbgawa]

His pals would point to the 5m he screwed out of FIFA over the Henry handball and the 10+m he got out of O Brien as being enough to offset his own personal enrichment.
There is an element of truth in that as well if he had just couldn't applied himmself to the job honestly and be upfront about stuff rather than create a dictatorship.
For example if he had turned around and said we got the ticket prices wrong but we are in a global recession so fair enough people would have accepted that , it was all the cover ups that killed him in the end.

My policy in life is when someone abuses their position in anyway you can assume it isn't the only way .....has never let me down.
The people who were around him especially the Board have gotten away very lightly, he is the fall guy for all of them...deserves everything he gets btw

[Calcio Jack]

I'm surprised he didn't have a breakdown tbh. It's a situation that would really damage/burden many better people than himself.

I wonder how Delaney sees and articulates everything to himself in his own mind now. To what extent he accepts that he fcuked things up, acted the complete ******, and only has himself to blame for his circumstances. Given that ego was at the root of a lot of the problems he caused, I fear he will have his own unique view of everything that happened and his own innocence within it. He moved so quickly into alternative employment in London that it's unlikely he had time for much serious self-reflection over it all.

I’d say he has little difficulty articulating it to himself , all he needs to do is remind himself of the millions in salary and expenses he ‘earned’ - people like him don’t ever consider they are the problem/cause but act in a Trump like manner of believing they are above the little people and deserving of Everything they can take

[Nesta99]

My reading between the lines was that of JD being a very very insecure individual that needed to flaunt his clout. He started off by doing people 'favours' eg the bonus to McCarthy that he never asked for. Curried favour by even being willing to pay over the odds for a UCD player in a 'look how well we are doing, making the club a PLC, sure Im so great at this job I can afford to be billy bigballs with other peoples cash. He should be studied by psychologists on how he didnt implode under the pressure of his own spin. Delusions that he could sort out a fix give time, paranoia, self esteem issues, lies to big himself up, believing his own hype, the neediness with the girlfriend English and the ott public displays of affection, private security trailing him and the missus, feeling entitled to spend money that wasnt his on personal items etc etc - they all, and more, fit in to criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder. I thought narcissism, maybe psychopathy was the root of his behaviour but the very obvious awkwardness and lack of awareness he showed in public would have been there with a narcissistic personality. Add in the sheer number of work relaionships soured. He was never very good, but he got worse when he seemed to be impressing the lady and losing out there when he was exposed would have been a tough one for him to take. He made his bed etc so no sympathy. The rule by fear, intimidation, and keeping other FAI officials in little bubbles where info was witheld from each little cell is classic manipulation. Many of them were weak and naive - but JD also had them manipulated in to knots and when anyone came close to outing him he destroyed them. Lots of egg on face stuff for politicians and cronies! It wouldnt surprise me at all if he is currently plotting a way back in to the public eye, he probably had/has any eye on running in a general election!!

[Martinho II]

The thing with JD though which I havent heard answered yet is could he face charges for the sins against Irish football? In other words could he go to prison for such criminal behaviour?!

[Nesta99]

Could he? Maybe, but highly unlikely. That John Tracey said he couldnt release some of the forensic audits to the public as the files were given to Na Gardaí must mean there is a case to answer and for maybe more than JD also. The OCED investigation has been untertaken by Gardaí under secondment and is still ongoing also. Some board members at the FAI wanted him sacked so there may have been a case for that but it would have been protracted and expensive so the FAI took the safe option in paying him off. There is still some rope left in this story so ye never know. Its more a personal matter for JD and family but if he duped family court on his income and hence skimped on his financial support to family, wouldnt that be some sort of contempt.

This book is made for a TV drama! Who'd play Delaney? Aidan Gillen did a fine job of playing that other scoundrel CJH!

[pineapple stu]

I think he definitely could, although we've not been great at cracking down on white-collar crime typically (ask the bankers!) It'd take time to put a case together, so silence wouldn't mean nothing's happening. There's some serious numbers being talked about, and surely - even though the FAI got hit with some of the tax - he'd have tax issues anyway, on top of the ongoing ODCE and garda investigation.

[Mr A]

It's the payments to the girlfriend that will get him. Money ended up in his own account. That's a hard one to explain away.

[Nesta99]

It's the payments to the girlfriend that will get him. Money ended up in his own account. That's a hard one to explain away.

She is also adamant that that its not to do with her and can prove it seemingly. Embezzlement!?

[NeverFeltBetter]

This book is made for a TV drama! Who'd play Delaney? Aidan Gillen did a fine job of playing that other scoundrel CJH!

Brendan Gleeson's been quite good at playing red-faced crooks recently.

[John83]

Brendan Gleeson's been quite good at playing red-faced crooks recently.
I've always thought there was a resemblance with Francis Brennan, myself. Granted, he's not an actor, and he's a bit too old, but feck it.

[Mr A]

Satan was lined up for it but felt it would damage his reputation.

[EatYerGreens]

The thing with JD though which I havent heard answered yet is could he face charges for the sins against Irish football? In other words could he go to prison for such criminal behaviour?!

Probably the easiest thing to get him on would be non-disclosure of all the benefits-in-kind he's received, as that is clearly tax evasion.

As Al Capone showed, often the easiest way to take down a gangster is via their tax file.

[sbgawa]

It's the payments to the girlfriend that will get him. Money ended up in his own account. That's a hard one to explain away.

100% this is the biggest problem for him.
All the rent, parties , legal expenses he can cover himself by saying the board signed off on it.

[pineapple stu]

It seems that stuff like the rent is what the FAI got stung on the tax for - so Revenue said the FAI paid Delaney nett amounts and had to gross it up.

Wasn't it an extra million or so in salary that the revised accounts stated?

[geysir]

One error in the book of note "Dundalk, managed by Stephen Kenny, had become the first LoI club to qualify for the Europa League group stages...".

Sometimes errors are so small as to be not worthy of note.

[Scrufil]

This book is made for a TV drama! Who'd play Delaney? Aidan Gillen did a fine job of playing that other scoundrel CJH!

Yes, Gillen would be ok but I would rather Joe Rooney. He has those rolling wild eyes that Delaney has.

Might take a while to make the screenplay complete as the story has a bit to rumble. All depends on the tax squeeze avalanche about to tumble forth and if there is a desire in Gov circles to recoup a loss that might take years to recover. Just easier to go after the non- lawyered up ordinary Joe.

[EatYerGreens]

100% this is the biggest problem for him.
All the rent, parties , legal expenses he can cover himself by saying the board signed off on it.

That may work from a corporate governance perspective - but not with the Revenue. If he didn't declare all the 'benefits in kind' that he received over the years, he will hopefully find himself with a big fine, a demand for back payment, and possibly also a bit of jail time too (though that is unlikely unless the sums were really big).

[Nesta99]

I kinda hope he continues his games and obstruction of imvestigations as if he annoys enough people, including the judge, they might just be incentivised enough to throw the entire book at him.

[sbgawa]

That may work from a corporate governance perspective - but not with the Revenue. If he didn't declare all the 'benefits in kind' that he received over the years, he will hopefully find himself with a big fine, a demand for back payment, and possibly also a bit of jail time too (though that is unlikely unless the sums were really big).

That's not the way it works unfortunately, he is a PAYE worker if his employer supplies him with benefits the employer is supposed to pay the tax on the benefits, just like it pays the tax on his monthly salary

When he allegedly diverted money from a supplier (his girlfriend) (that was not approved by the board.......you would have to hope) to his own account this will be hard to explain particularly as she is denying having gotten any money and is unlikely to back up some concocted story

He may say he helped her with the work hence took money she was going to give him anyway or something like that but she would have to back him up.....

[Nesta99]

Its not always down to the organisation to ensure tax on benefits is paid? Unless its unusual I know one person who was landed a 20k revenue bill upon retirement and seeking his pension as expenses hadnt been declared. This was a national organisation that would be highly regarded and appreciated by the people in need of their support.