Potential ramifications for LOI after todays FAI accounts debacle.

The stars aligned on a few things. I'd say there is still some head shaking on why the story didnt just go away but any fooball fan should know that well worn tactics get stale and JD let complacency kick in. I think if hadnt try to bury the 100k story and not stonewall the PAC the public interest wouldnt have been there. While the ST made the most of things by drip feeding additional info there was also some great work done by the journalists in keepin the whole thing alive and we could do with a lot more of it across the board!

Not to mention the leak as well.

Story would have been a lot harder to break without inside evidence

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Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Not to mention the leak as well.

Story would have been a lot harder to break without inside evidence

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Whomever that leak was deserve the thanks of the nation. Without him/her the circus would have continued to stagger on.

Even those cynical of the Failures didn't expect the crater we discovered last week.

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Originally Posted by Mr_Parker

How many LOI clubs/reps helped to prop up the FAI regime through vocal support, statements or failing to question them at AGM's etc of the past decade or so, directly or indirectly, and would any of those same people end up involved in any new league set up via their club position?

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Not many, to be fair. Pat O'Sullivan at Limerick (who are about to go bust) was always behind him and Lee Power of Waterford, a recent blow-in who seemed to be seduced by Delaney before turning his back on him at the first sign of being stabbed in the back. The rest may have held their tongues through gritted teeth, while Pats and Derry went out on a limb and opposed him.

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Originally Posted by Mr_Parker

I would imagine, like in the IFA and other national associations, little if any grants come out of their own pocket, but rather are monies being distributed from UEFA, Sports Ireland, etc pots. Any attempt to deny money entitled to clubs would have seen those and similar bodies impose sanctions on the FAI.

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This is really naïve stuff Mr Parker.

You can't claim you've been denied what you never knew you would have had a shot at otherwise.

It was very easy for the FAI to direct government grants to the clubs and leagues that it liked. Especially as some of those funds were completely discretionary, and no applications were even required. How do you think Clones Town FC ended up with their refurbished ground being called 'John Delaney Park' ?

And for those sums where applications were required, it's very easy to minimise how much you give to things you don't want to - or leave them with nothing at all because the pot was over-subscribed.

All Delaney did at the FAI was to replicate the way FIFA was run under Blatter. Using patronage and funding to reward friends and punish dissenters - thereby keeping both in check.

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Originally Posted by Nesta99

Yes and dont know. Are you suggesting an asset firesale and making clubs homeless - well if its for the greater good United Park is worth 12-20mil!

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On what basis are you asserting United Park is worth those sort of sums ? That's a very big ball park from €12m to €20m.

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Originally Posted by EatYerGreens

On what basis are you asserting United Park is worth those sort of sums ? That's a very big ball park from €12m to €20m.

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I think Nesta is suggesting he sees 12m to 20m of enjoyment value out of seeing Drogheda homeless :)
12m as a short term happy day and another 8m of enjoyment watching them struggle.

Harsh very Harsh on the neighbours

Nesta your PM box is full again! That programme is in the post to you, cheers

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Originally Posted by EatYerGreens

This is really naïve stuff Mr Parker.

You can't claim you've been denied what you never knew you would have had a shot at otherwise.

It was very easy for the FAI to direct government grants to the clubs and leagues that it liked. Especially as some of those funds were completely discretionary, and no applications were even required. How do you think Clones Town FC ended up with their refurbished ground being called 'John Delaney Park' ?

And for those sums where applications were required, it's very easy to minimise how much you give to things you don't want to - or leave them with nothing at all because the pot was over-subscribed.

All Delaney did at the FAI was to replicate the way FIFA was run under Blatter. Using patronage and funding to reward friends and punish dissenters - thereby keeping both in check.

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Much of that may be true, but you help make my point. Unless scrutinised and challenged such was allow to become the norm, especially by going to those who supplied the funding, rather than the IFA. Outside funding going into the organisation is a matter of record.

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Not many, to be fair. Pat O'Sullivan at Limerick (who are about to go bust) was always behind him and Lee Power of Waterford, a recent blow-in who seemed to be seduced by Delaney before turning his back on him at the first sign of being stabbed in the back. The rest may have held their tongues through gritted teeth, while Pats and Derry went out on a limb and opposed him.

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So most of the clubs did raise questions at AGM's, Council etc, is that what you are saying? That was my question. Staying silent, by holding your tongues through gritted teeth or otherwise is in effect giving tacit support.

It was only through questioning, evidence being presented, legal cases, getting politicians involved etc by clubs year on year, that major change was brought to the the IFA. These are all well documented.

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Originally Posted by Mr_Parker

So most of the clubs did raise questions at AGM's, Council etc, is that what you are saying? That was my question. Staying silent, by holding your tongues through gritted teeth or otherwise is in effect giving tacit support.

It was only through questioning, evidence being presented, legal cases, getting politicians involved etc by clubs year on year, that major change was brought to the the IFA. These are all well documented.

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As far as I know, most clubs didn't openly question, especially at AGMs where most weren't even invited. Clubs were forced to cede the league to be run by the FAI in the mid-2000s due to their own terrible mismanagement and that effectively put them under the thumb.

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Originally Posted by sbgawa

I think Nesta is suggesting he sees 12m to 20m of enjoyment value out of seeing Drogheda homeless :)
12m as a short term happy day and another 8m of enjoyment watching them struggle.

Harsh very Harsh on the neighbours

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Yes tongue in cheek! I wouldnt wish United Park to be sold from under DUFC though there is a tiny bit of me that would smirk at the few Drogs that consistantly referred any issues with United Park to the FAI as owners of the ground, forgetting that it was purchased by the FAI to keep the club alive and that they agreed to seek only the money payed for the ground early 90s, non indexed linked. Therefore even though DUFC dont own the ground they would get almost full proceeds of a sale - yet there were those who billed the FAI for lightbulbs for floodlights etc.

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Originally Posted by seand

Nesta your PM box is full again! That programme is in the post to you, cheers

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Thanks Sean! Just so popular I cant keep up with the PMs........

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

As far as I know, most clubs didn't openly question, especially at AGMs where most weren't even invited. Clubs were forced to cede the league to be run by the FAI in the mid-2000s due to their own terrible mismanagement and that effectively put them under the thumb.

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Anyway with the FAI “brand” toxic and what’s left of the association fire fighting for the next couple of years surely the time for the clubs to look at a new structure ? Whether the FAI was good or bad for the League (Both IMHO) there is little doubt it is now unfit for purpose. Any chance of a Lucid like plan on the way forward ?

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Originally Posted by marinobohs

Anyway with the FAI “brand” toxic and what’s left of the association fire fighting for the next couple of years surely the time for the clubs to look at a new structure ? Whether the FAI was good or bad for the League (Both IMHO) there is little doubt it is now unfit for purpose. Any chance of a Lucid like plan on the way forward ?

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The clubs proposed a new structure a couple of years ago and the FAI completely disengaged. I can't see them continuing under the FAI now, particularly as clubs like Dundalk, Bohs and Rovers now have their houses in order. It's outlived its usefulness.

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Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

As far as I know, most clubs didn't openly question, especially at AGMs where most weren't even invited. Clubs were forced to cede the league to be run by the FAI in the mid-2000s due to their own terrible mismanagement and that effectively put them under the thumb.

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Invited to the AGM? Maybe I have misunderstood the construct of the FAI, but are not clubs not members in their own right of the FAI and therefore entitled to attend an AGM as well as being represented on Council?

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Originally Posted by Mr_Parker

Invited to the AGM? Maybe I have misunderstood the construct of the FAI, but are not clubs not members in their own right of the FAI and therefore entitled to attend an AGM as well as being represented on Council?

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Both these are correct, but there some provisions on the AGM which and willing to be corrected here have been used to prevent clubs attending.

Bit of context from April https://medium.com/@menton.brendan/r...d-8c3f53d9dfec

But by ignoring fifa rules and selectively implementing various reports (genesis is one everybody remembers) Kim Jong-un's donkey gave himself voting rights on the important committees reduced size of board, council and AGM(?). Removing NL clubs from board, and increasing the influence of the bloc bought and paid for by crumbs from the table, then erroded controls that had been put in place since the last public outcry.

So yes questions could have been asked, but all the apparatus was in place to discourage anyone sticking their head above the parapet. Including club licencing, which hasn't yet be implicated in this but with hindsight the slap dash fudge factory looks like something donkey could put on his CV as being one of the first in Europe to implement in his bid to continue on the uefa gravy train.

The ill timing of recent 2030 announcements leave me wondering if rather than some propaganda attempt this was what he was attempting to brazen it out for.

But as a matter of urgency the league needs its own management company independent of the association and the clubs. And the licencing needs to be seen to be a thoroughly independent arms length body.

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Originally Posted by A N Mouse

Both these are correct, but there some provisions on the AGM which and willing to be corrected here have been used to prevent clubs attending.

Bit of context from April https://medium.com/@menton.brendan/r...d-8c3f53d9dfec

But by ignoring fifa rules and selectively implementing various reports (genesis is one everybody remembers) Kim Jong-un's donkey gave himself voting rights on the important committees reduced size of board, council and AGM(?). Removing NL clubs from board, and increasing the influence of the bloc bought and paid for by crumbs from the table, then erroded controls that had been put in place since the last public outcry.

So yes questions could have been asked, but all the apparatus was in place to discourage anyone sticking their head above the parapet. Including club licencing, which hasn't yet be implicated in this but with hindsight the slap dash fudge factory looks like something donkey could put on his CV as being one of the first in Europe to implement in his bid to continue on the uefa gravy train.

The ill timing of recent 2030 announcements leave me wondering if rather than some propaganda attempt this was what he was attempting to brazen it out for.

But as a matter of urgency the league needs its own management company independent of the association and the clubs. And the licencing needs to be seen to be a thoroughly independent arms length body.

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Seen interesting piece in irish sun today about the scandal. Staff in FAI want it split in two-FAI to run international team and the government will step in and fund the underage etc themselves. Think LOI would prefer this more than FAI even if they hate Shane Ross altogther.

There didn't seem to be any clarity on where the the LOI would fall. It sounds like a stupid idea to be perfectly honest.

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Originally Posted by Mr A

There didn't seem to be any clarity on where the the LOI would fall. It sounds like a stupid idea to be perfectly honest.

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I'd hope the LOI was outside the tent (****ing in) looking after itself.