The John Delaney Thread

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Why?.

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Because it might get worse, as per the Saddam analogy. The warring tribes might pull further apart or an even bigger charlatan might take the reins. Note use of word "might" each time!

I have doubts that Irish football governance can cure itself. I think some government action might be needed. If the state can call a special meeting of the relevant Oireachtas Committee to scrutinise the sale of GAA TV rights in the UK to Sky, then they can surely at least hold one meeting to discuss the FAI.

Perhaps if he was ousted we could go the courts and have the IFA nominated as a court appointed guardian of football in Ireland. Though we'd want to double-check and dot the i's on that application or we could end up with the Irish Farmers Association looking after sacar here. Could do worse I suppose.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Exactly what I was thinking, exactly. I think Irish football is such a diverse set of warring tribes that it'd be a miracle if anyone can join it up. Keeping everything ticking over quietly might be the best we can hope for. That said, I'd give it a try and I wish the ISC or whatever it's called now and the Minister for Sport would at least show some interest.

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Maybe it's time to start ignoring the "warring factions".

If they don't want to move along then feck them. Soon enough when the crumbs stop falling from the table they'll soon get on board.

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Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie

Perhaps if he was ousted we could go the courts and have the IFA nominated as a court appointed guardian of football in Ireland. Though we'd want to double-check and dot the i's on that application or we could end up with the Irish Farmers Association looking after sacar here. Could do worse I suppose.

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Dya not remember what the IFA (Bluebell) were getting up to last year?

http://www.thejournal.ie/irish-farme...62724-Nov2015/

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Originally Posted by BonnieShels

Dya not remember what the IFA (Bluebell) were getting up to last year?

http://www.thejournal.ie/irish-farme...62724-Nov2015/

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But he was only being paid what the The Remuneration Committee (should that not be com'tee?) decided. Blameless. More importantly it suggests an entirely empathic culture leading to a seamless merger.

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Why?.

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Because then we can treasure the relative tranquility of an organisation ticking over just as they did under somebody like Saddam --> Iran/Iraq, invasions, war, rape, pillage, genocide, chemical war, torture etc etc.
Happy days:)

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Because it might get worse, as per the Saddam analogy.

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It's not a great argument for the status quo.

The factions are warring regardless. It'd be the same war if Delaney was gone except with the possibility of the more sensible people in each seeking resolutions.

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Originally Posted by geysir

Because then we can treasure the relative tranquility of an organisation ticking over just as they did under somebody like Saddam --> Iran/Iraq, invasions, war, rape, pillage, genocide, chemical war, torture etc etc.
Happy days:)

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Oh come on, the point was clear and we can argue the merits of a removing a despot and all his regime entailed over the spread of ISIS and its consequences in Syria and in Europe all day long.

I think it's fair to throw it out there that removing Delaney by itself won't solve anything.

Sometimes things need to get worse before they can get better.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Oh come on, the point was clear and we can argue the merits of a removing a despot and all his regime entailed over the spread of ISIS and its consequences in Syria and in Europe all day long.

I think it's fair to throw it out there that removing Delaney by itself won't solve anything.

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If you choose to accept a Paul analogy at face value then you have to take the punches :)
The Saddam analogy was a very very poor choice to get across the message, self defeating.
The Marshall Tito/Yugoslavia example is probably a lot closer to what you were intending to convey.

Personally I wouldn't tolerate a despot inside the FAI just because there might be more of the same to replace him/her around the corner. It's hard to know where to start with the FAI as there's no rational organisational structure, along with no transparency or accountability. There's a widespread absence of trust. Much of those ills are embodied by Delaney. If by chance he did move on, then there is an opening for something to happen, an opportunity.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Oh come on, the point was clear and we can argue the merits of a removing a despot and all his regime entailed over the spread of ISIS and its consequences in Syria and in Europe all day long.

I think it's fair to throw it out there that removing Delaney by itself won't solve anything.

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But Stutts you have met the man on many occasions, is he a friend?

I've never even been to Iraq FFS.

And I met Delaney once for about 5 seconds - and I asked him about the LOI :)

I've long argued here that the organisation / structure of the FAI is antiquated and not fit for purpose. But it's the structure that allows someone like JD to operate like he does. The President is as bad if not worse. There is a risk, not a certainty, that his departure would just let another opportunist in, someone who the turkeys know will cancel Christmas.

Would I take the risk that things might not get better? Yes, of course I would.

Should the Sports Council - whatever it's called now, Sport Ireland? - be less compliant? Damned right. I can only see government (direct or indirect) pressure leading to any kind of organisational inquiry. GB Olympic success was built on a model where lottery money was only distributed to those organisations whose governing bodies were deemed fit for purpose. Prior to this sports NGBs were going bust left right and centre. One body even mislaid £20 million, the money turning up in a bank account they had forgotten they owned! A huge improvement in the quality of governance followed.

I've gone as far as writing to two ministers for sport and I was practically trolling John O'Mahony TD on Twitter (Chair of the relevent Oireachtas Comittee) asking him to take note of the governance failures at the FAI. Varadakar emailed back to say it wouldn't be right as Minister of Sport for him to be bothered, or something trite. I'd hardly do this if JD was my friend Benno.

Examples of how the UK is proactive in sports governance issues

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/n...-british-sport

You'd have to laugh at the prospect of the FAI having to be held to these standards. But in gombeen land it's all grand.

http://www.sportsmanagement.co.uk/Sp...damental-flaws

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

And I met Delaney once for about 5 seconds - and I asked him about the LOI ��

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I met him at a fundraiser in early 2012, was actually chatting to him for 10-15 minutes just the two of us. A bit of a waste really as I wouldn't have been too well up on his and the FAI failings! Not that he would have spent that amount of time listening to me if I was. He was a very nice guy to chat to though, seemed really down to earth!

"Thank you for your email. As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport it would be inappropriate for me to pass comment on the internal structures of a national sporting organisation.

In relation to your proposal for a parliamentary investigation, that would ultimately be a matter for the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications which also has responsibility for Sport. This committee's details can be found form the link below:

http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/oireachtasbusiness/committees_list/transportandcommunications/"


And for sake of transparency the FAI has never been anything less than really helpful to me on ticketing issues.

I honestly feel that had Tony O'Neill not died we'd have seen a very different last 20 years of domestic football.

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

"Thank you for your email. As Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport it would be inappropriate for me to pass comment on the internal structures of a national sporting organisation.

In relation to your proposal for a parliamentary investigation, that would ultimately be a matter for the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications which also has responsibility for Sport. This committee's details can be found form the link below:

http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/oireachtasbusiness/committees_list/transportandcommunications/"


And for sake of transparency the FAI has never been anything less than really helpful to me on ticketing issues.

I honestly feel that had Tony O'Neill not died we'd have seen a very different last 20 years of domestic football.

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Stick him in the what if pile with John Smith, Mo Mowlam and David Ervine.

Statement on the FAI website that the Brazilian warrant issued for Delaney has been withdrawn, and that in his role with OCI he knew nothing about ticket distribution or anything else.

Pity. The idea of him languishing in a Brazilian prison gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

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Originally Posted by BonnieShels

Stick him in the what if pile with John Smith, Mo Mowlam and David Ervine.

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Jaysus that's a depressing post as I read it again. FFS.

live feed of Delaney's questioning in the House of the Oireachtas right now: https://www.facebook.com/OireachtasN...5347601629239/

I just turned on. Only took 15 seconds of watching Philip Browne to mention rugby's values :)

I'm annoyed I missed Delaney. I hear he got asked about the AGMs and he evaded answering.

You can watch the whole thing back on tets' link.

JD going for UEFA exec committee

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/socc...ttee-1.2969608

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Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

JD going for UEFA exec committee

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/socc...ttee-1.2969608

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Does that mean he leaves the FAI position if elected? The answer to this question may or may not lead to me starting as "John Delaney for UEFA Committee" campaign.

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Originally Posted by Philly

Does that mean he leaves the FAI position if elected? The answer to this question may or may not lead to me starting as "John Delaney for UEFA Committee" campaign.

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Don't shoot the messenger but
'As a general rule, the UEFA Executive Committee meets once every two months,'

Successfully elected. 2nd highest vote of candidates running

The mind boggles

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Originally Posted by backstothewall

Successfully elected. 2nd highest vote of candidates running

The mind boggles

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Not at all.

He's a genius at this schnakey stuff.

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Originally Posted by backstothewall

Successfully elected. 2nd highest vote of candidates running

The mind boggles

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not really, I've been saying it for a while that his long term aim is to be president of UEFA, this is another rung on the ladder

I'm with bttw. I'm not even remotely surprised but yet my mind boggles. I know it sounds contradictory.

its being reported that he will earn another €100,000 on top of his current mad FAI salary. surely he should take a pay cut from his FAI salary if he wont have as much time to spend on FAI matters from now on??

To the outside eye though, he must be doing a great job. He's delivered the Aviva Stadium, overseen Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk become the first two Irish sides to break into European group stage football, seen Ireland qualify for successive European Championship tournaments, writing off massive debt in good time...

They don't see the mess that Irish club football is in, the disgraceful amounts of prize money 'awarded' to League of Ireland clubs, the lack of transparency in the FAI accounts, the hiring of his own missus to a cushy job, the enormous and ultimately ridiculous salary he has awarded himself, the shambles that is the Womens football team story that's come to light this week, the p!ss up's and lack of professionalism shown on Irish away trips, the refusal to take questions at FAI AGM's, the refusal to take interviews from Irish journalists, and probably a hundred other things I've forgotten about while writing this.

Daniel McDonnel's take on things

http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...-35594771.html

Delaney will go from strength to strength because those who keep him in power are well provided for.
As long as the blazers like Fitzgerard & his cronies are backing him we'll be stuck with him.

Fair dues to the International Womens squad for taking the stand they have.
If they didn't stand up they would still be waiting into the future.
Its like the mens team when the FAI blazers were travelling 1st class while the players were sitting in the cheap seats.

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Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

To the outside eye though, he must be doing a great job. He's delivered the Aviva Stadium, overseen Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk become the first two Irish sides to break into European group stage football, seen Ireland qualify for successive European Championship tournaments, writing off massive debt in good time...

They don't see the mess that Irish club football is in, the disgraceful amounts of prize money 'awarded' to League of Ireland clubs, the lack of transparency in the FAI accounts, the hiring of his own missus to a cushy job, the enormous and ultimately ridiculous salary he has awarded himself, the shambles that is the Womens football team story that's come to light this week, the p!ss up's and lack of professionalism shown on Irish away trips, the refusal to take questions at FAI AGM's, the refusal to take interviews from Irish journalists, and probably a hundred other things I've forgotten about while writing this.

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That's a really good post as it captures the disconnect between making headlines and making meaningful changes. JD is expert at the former and absolutely useless at the latter.

You could buy a lot of ladies' track suits with €100k. Pay the abysmally low bonuses that some of our national players deem sufficient compensation for their time and dedication. Maybe even pony up for some wifi access. I'm confident Delaney will do the right thing.:rolleyes:

An excellent post indeed Nigel. They're likely also unaware of details such as he's delivered a stadium the FAI will never own or derive non-football income from. That many at Rovers and Dundalk (and elsehwere) will say their successes are in spite of him. That the financial packages assembled to lure the big name managers have set a precedent that could haunt us for decades and leave us beholden to some right dodgy blokes -and that the debts have merely been 'restructured'.

He is made for UEFA. I only wish they'd take him altogether.

Perhaps it'll all go wrong for him and we'll look back at today as the day he flew too close to the sun.

Or maybe he'll use all his guile and duplicity to screw millions out of UEFA for Irish football

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Originally Posted by Eminence Grise

You could buy a lot of ladies' track suits with €100k. Pay the abysmally low bonuses that some of our national players deem sufficient compensation for their time and dedication. Maybe even pony up for some wifi access. I'm confident Delaney will do the right thing.:rolleyes:

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Yea the right thing for Delaney :mad:

Knowing John Delaney he'll give the women's team everything they have asked for, then despite having ignored them for a decade or more he'll hold a press conference with the squad to explain how although he wasn't aware of the issues (despite countless letters, emails & phone calls), as soon as he heard about the press conference he acted immediately to solve all the problems. Then he'll spin the whole thing to show how he's a man of action and a champion for the women's game. On the back of the spin he'll end up being responsible for womens football on the UEFA Exec Committee, and use the position to bring the 2027 women's World Cup to Ireland. A mobile phone video will emerge from a do in the Aras after the opening ceremony showing him ****ed out of his head and pinching President Mary-Lou McDonald on the arse, but it'll be all smiles between them by the time the final comes round at Lansdowne Road

The 100,000 euro hug of relief, our John and Zbig Boniek share the moment, with manly intimacy.


https://www.sportsfile.com/winshare/...72/1296836.jpg

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Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

To the outside eye though, he must be doing a great job. He's delivered the Aviva Stadium, overseen Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk become the first two Irish sides to break into European group stage football, seen Ireland qualify for successive European Championship tournaments, writing off massive debt in good time...

They don't see the mess that Irish club football is in, the disgraceful amounts of prize money 'awarded' to League of Ireland clubs, the lack of transparency in the FAI accounts, the hiring of his own missus to a cushy job, the enormous and ultimately ridiculous salary he has awarded himself, the shambles that is the Womens football team story that's come to light this week, the p!ss up's and lack of professionalism shown on Irish away trips, the refusal to take questions at FAI AGM's, the refusal to take interviews from Irish journalists, and probably a hundred other things I've forgotten about while writing this.

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To be fair, I don't think he awards the salary to himself. Is that not job of the Council on which there are 60 members or is that the Board's function?

Has the FAI not also arranged for Dublin to be awarded three group games and a last-16 fixture at Euro 2020 which is a bit of a coup.

I have lived through the days when the FAI was the laughing stock of the country (you'll say it still is) and the international team played its games in a dilapidated Dalymount Park. The LoI was well in decline before Delaney took over, due mostly to the Big Match and Match of the Day, but it certainly seems to be in a better state than our brethren across the border. Live LoI games on TV were never shown (are they ever shown up North?) - in fact it took a long time before RTE would even show the Cup Final live. I may be wrong but the first one I remember was in the early 1970s between Cork Hibs and Shels and I remember cringing because it was a 0-0 draw.

That's not to say that a lot of your points are not well made but the truth in most things is usually somewhere in the middle ground.

I'll go off and get my asbestos jacket now.