Printable View
Oh dear questions being asked now about the untouchable ceo, just how clever he is and for that huge salary. There has been a reluctance of late from the fai to answer financial questions recently. The pictures on todays indo creates more questions than answers. Genesis chancers were also given a fortune for ruining totally the LOI and now the league will have to revert to a 14 team league anyway. Delaney never gave a toss about our league. Its time he went
Yes indeed. The CEO who portrayed Limerick as liars earlier in the summer is now accused of being one himself in the Indo based upon the highly questionable sales figures he pronounced at the recent AGM.Quote:
Originally Posted by geezer
Is the credibility of the 430k per annum man about to come under serious scrutiny...
No matter how much scrutiny he gets i can bet you he'll still be around for a long while yet.
Teflon Delaney!
Any danger of a link or solid references....?Quote:
Originally Posted by geezer
Was discussed late on tv3 in a preview of Thurs newspapers.Quote:
Originally Posted by dcfcsteve
tbh tho if he does get the bullet, they will only replace him with a bigger fookin eejit (if that is possible ;) )
There five separate articles in a major write-up in the Indo.
If he does get the bullet it will cost the FAI millions.
Much ado about nothing that wasn't already known. What is the Indo playing at?
Is this just speculation?Quote:
Originally Posted by geezer
Indo - Daniel McDonnell
You have to hand it to Daniel McDonnell - he is always fair and somehow gets to the facts. Great journalist.
IRISH soccer's governing body is facing a crisis over the disastrous sale of premium tickets for the new Aviva Stadium, an Irish Independent investigation reveals.
The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) is millions of euro in the red after it failed to sell half of the 10-year tickets it planned to use to cover its massive borrowings. Thousands of empty premium seats were clearly visible in both of Ireland's first two home internationals in the €411m stadium.
And today's revelations will heap further pressure on chief executive John Delaney, who has continually denied the extent of the ticketing fiasco.
Mr Delaney and his board gave the green light for the association to take out massive loans to fund its €74m commitment towards the renovation of Lansdowne Road. It intended to cover the repayment from the sale of 10,400 premium-level 'Vantage Club' seats.
At the launch of the Vantage project in September 2008, Mr Delaney said the association needed to sell 60pc of the seats to reach break-even point.
However, figures seen by the Irish Independent reveal that International Stadia Group (ISG), a third-party company commissioned by the FAI to sell the seats over two years, had allocated just 4,077 seats when they wound down their association at the end of last month.
And the actual number and value of the premium ticket sales is far lower, our investigation reveals.
Some 939 of the 4,077 Vantage seats have been allocated to existing 10-year ticket holders, many of whom are from financial institutions who haven't paid a cent since the Vantage Club project was launched in 2008. They will not decide whether or not to renew their tickets until 2014 or 2016.
Orders
The figure of 4,077 seats also contains scores of cancelled orders that remain in the system. These include people who were sent out direct-debit forms more than a year ago and have chosen not to return them and clients and fans who informed the ticket sales team they would not be making further payments.
The extent of the poor ticket sales has raised serious questions over decisions taken by the Abbotstown hierarchy.
At the beginning of the project, ISG were prepared to pay the FAI €75m for all of the premium seats and bear the risk if sales were poor. The FAI believed it could earn more by remaining the backbone of the operation and paying ISG commission.
Last night, an FAI spokesman denied it turned down an offer for all of the seats. But in May, then FAI president David Blood stated the board had made the decision to press ahead with their own business plan, rather than accept an offer from a third party. Now the association, which has taken control of the sales from ISG, must manage the huge debt.
Ireland played their first competitive match at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday, with thousands of empty seats in the venue for the Euro 2012 qualifier with Andorra. Last month, they failed to sell out a glamour friendly with Argentina.
ISG struggled to sell the tickets because of the exorbitant prices, which ranged from €12,000 to €32,000 depending on the quality of view, to cover all soccer international games over the next decade.
The IRFU, who were partners with the FAI and the Government in funding the Lansdowne revamp, had sold all their premium seats at a flat price of €15,000 before the Rugby World Cup in 2007.
Many of those who bought the FAI's tickets have also secured them at significantly discounted prices, with a common reduction of 33pc for the cheapest seats.
At the FAI's recent AGM in Wexford, Mr Delaney, who is paid €430,000 a year by the association and was recently awarded a new contract, insisted 6,300 of the premium seats had been allocated, including 'sponsorship commitments'.
Yet he failed to reveal how many had actually been sold, either at discount or full price.
The Irish Independent sent a list of questions to the FAI yesterday with respect to the sale of Vantage Club seats.
In response to our queries, FAI communications director Peter Sherrard would only reply: "All of these questions were asked at the AGM and were answered by John Delaney in your presence. We do not have anything to add."
The Irish Independent understands the FAI has agreed a deal with 3 Mobile, the new shirt sponsors, which will see the telecommunications company taking up to 2,000 of the premium-level seats.
But it is not clear if the FAI will receive any extra profit from that arrangement. Mr Delaney has said the FAI's four-year deal with the mobile company is worth €7.5m to the association. A 3 spokesman would only confirm that "ticketing and supporter initiatives" were part of the sponsorship.
- Daniel McDonnell
Second article There are three more on Unison Front Page, no less
THE Irish Independent sent a list of questions to the FAI yesterday with respect to the sale of Vantage Club seats. The questions, and the responses from the FAI, are printed below.
1. Can the FAI provide an updated figure of sales of Vantage Club tickets for the new Aviva Stadium?
2. Last month (at the FAI AGM in Wexford) John Delaney said that 6,300 tickets had been sold/allocated 'including sponsorship commitments'. Can the FAI give the breakdown between sales and sponsorship commitments?
3. How many tickets have been sold at full price?
4. Can the FAI detail how much money, to date, they have accrued from the Vantage Club project from up-front payments, annual payments or direct debit payments?
5. Why did the FAI turn down an offer at the beginning of the project from ISG for all of the premium-level seats? Then FAI president David Blood said in May 2010: "At the time we made these decisions, we thought about them. It was well thought out, we feel."
6. Are the FAI confident that the existing 10-year ticket holders, who do not have to renew their seats until 2014 or 2016, will do so, given the current economic climate?
7. How many premium-level seats have been allocated to '3' mobile as part of their new sponsorship arrangement with the FAI?
8. Can the FAI confirm when the decision was made to start offering 10-year tickets at a discounted price and was this communicated to customers who originally bought tickets at full price?
9. Do the FAI believe they got the pricing of 10-year tickets wrong, compared to their counterparts in the IRFU?
10. Are the FAI covered if individuals who have signed up for Vantage Club seats cancel their tickets and refuse to make any further payments?
11. The FAI had a net bank debt of €38m at the end of 2009, and have subsequently paid a further €21.9m towards the completion of the Aviva Stadium. Have the FAI borrowed further in 2010?
In response to our queries, FAI communications director Peter Sherrard replied:
"All of these questions were asked at the AGM and were answered by John Delaney in your presence.
"We do not have anything to add to the replies which were given and reported other than to clarify, in response to question 5, that no offer was ever made to the FAI by ISG or any other party for premium seats.
That reporter has a bone to pick with Delaney from what I can see. I think Delaney has done a decent job. I would not agree with the Limerick stance though and the limit on capacity on clubs for friendlies. It's anti-competitive.
John Delaney was a failed businessman before he knifed Fran Rooney to fulfil his father's prophecy of gaining revenge against those who caught him for the ticket scams of the 80's and 90's. He is a major reason why football is not progressing as it should in Ireland and it has been said time and again that he has to go - but he won't, the man has no honour or integrity.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr A
The main tenet of the whole series of articles is thet the FAI have only sold 4,077 seats and not the 6,300 that Delaney has bleated about ad nauseum. And that out of those 4,077 seats, 1,000 have been allocated to 10-year ticket holders, among which are many financial institutions who have not paid any money since the 'Vantage Club' project began.
This undermines the whole credulity of the FAI financial stability and future, as trotted out by them at the recent AGM.
Throw in the very sudden departure of the chief financial honcho - and it all adds up to quite a bit of 'ado'.
It was clear form the strat that the pricing for the Vantage Cluib tickets was all wrong, and that they'd end up having to do dodgy deals and big discounst to shift them.
If ordinary supporters could see that, why couldn't the FAI's CEO ?
I'm also shocked to hear that Delaney is on near enough twice what the Taoiseach is. A bonkers salary.
The FAI has clearly fcuked up here on its ticket prices, and as a result left itself saddled with a huge debt. Paying off that debt is clearly now the association's key aim, rather than the interests of football. Therefore, decisions will be made (lke the Man U opening game) which are arguably not in the interests of Irish football, but are instead being driven by the need to rake in cash. Someone needs to stand up and take accountability for that.
Nobody will Dcfcsteve, because when the clubs have the courage to do something, he or one of his cronies will throw a bone to one or two, and then it all disappears - like the recent renewal of the club deal. He's a disgrace and needs to go, but he won't, because in Ireland we value the cute hoors of our society and our clubs will be afraid of having someone with a genuine brain and business sense in to clean up the game.
I think Delaney is doing a decent job.
Big swing there was a shortfall in premium ticket sales mainly due to the countrys economic woes. Delaney and the FAI have no control over the economy, and the FAI dont have the luxury of the elite upper class clique who control the mindset & marketing spend of most large companies that the IRFU have to fall back on.
When it comes to this type of story, I hate to see the media driving the story rather than reporting on it.
Most of these issues would be better reported on in business section rather the footie hacks stiring sh1te and trying to make a name for themselves.
Two years ago, the impending recession was evident. The FAI were, it seems, given a risk-free option of selling all the vantage tickets and didn't take it. There's no way you can absolve the FAI of blame because it was all the economy's fault.
At €12-32,000 a pop, it was blindingly obvious that the prices were wrong even for the good times. And when the good times went bad, they became catastrophically wrong. Don't blame the economy for poor pricing by the FAI.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mario
And then there's the question of whether they were offered a guaranteed figures for the tickets.
Take the chip off your shoulder Mario, and stop trying to argue with facts. The IRFU shifted their tickets as they were much more sensibly priced - a blanket €15k is less than HALF what the FAI were looking for their top tickets. Trying to claim the difference in sales that resulted is down to some sort of class stratification is just bullsh!t. And you're bonkers if you think those who run the marketing budgets in large companies are mostly upper class.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mario
This is a big story for football full stop. The FAI is now in a financial position where they can't prioritise the good of Irish football, and instead need to focus on raking in cash. That is a potential disaster for the game here. Dismissing this arrogantly as just being about some uppity reporter trying to promote themselves is at best naive. There is a big issue here. Stop trying to bury your head in the sand.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mario
Dead on summary Spud:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Spudulika
Also a major FF crony as well, least we forget
:rolleyes::rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Mario
Re what Steve said -
Delaney, the man u fan, has saddled the FAI with a huge debt, has done little or nothing for the LOI, and football in ireland is a laughing stock (compared to the rugby and Gah)
Yeah great job!!!:rolleyes:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mario
The Delaney spin has obviously caught some people in the web.
Couple of points here.
If Vantage had been launched earlier while the economy still had legs, like the IRFU, perhaps people with cash might have shelled out. Why was it not launched earlier? Perhaps cos Delaney's man, Stan, was in charge.
A CEO in any company, never mind one on 400k per year, would have seen the writing on the wall shortly after the launch and done something about it i.e. reduced prices.
In contrast, he's continued to tell the nation that paying 32k is value for money and no reductions would take place.
It was only after the Sunday Tribune recently set them up and they offered an up-front discount of 30% did they finally admit such arrangements were in place.
I'm a football fan and don't want to have to read the business pages in order to find out how badly the governing body is running the game.
This misjudged tactic is going to have huge repercussions at all levels of the game down to kids, and for many years to come.
All because the CEO's ego wouldn't allow him to admit he messed up on pricing.
I'm no fan of delaneys but need to point out that he is anything but a failed business man and is in fact a self made millionaire... as for him replacing Rooney.. IMO that was a good thing as IMO Rooney was useless and appeared to be more interested in making as much for himslef from the FAI as possible (e.g. his reported attempt to be paid a % of monies made from FAI merchandising/sponsorship deals whichQuote:
Originally Posted by Spudulika
could of generated millions for him).
So have no problem with the general thrust of comments being critical of JD but spare us the inaccurate stuff.
Bit of a contradiction there then:rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by Calcio Jack
Papa might have had a hand in all this, plus FF cronyism. Self made corruption more like
I can't how what I said is in any way inaccurate, can you explain ?Quote:
Originally Posted by bennocelt
for me the real issue is why the media continuously look for negative stories to write about in our game in this country and never seem to attack the GAA or IRFU in the same way. that is not to say that there is no story here but its the constant rush to portray soccer in a bad light that can **** me off.
FULL TEXT OF FAI STATEMENT:
The Football Association of Ireland today (September 9) reconfirmed, following its AGM last month, that sales of Vantage seats, including sponsor commitments have surpassed 6,300. At the recent match against Andorra the number of Vantage seats occupied on premium level was 6,900 and the overall attendance at the match against Andorra, the bottom seeds in the group, was third highest at all UEFA qualification matches taking place that day in Europe. Claims made in this morning's Irish Independent about a ticket fiasco are unfounded
The Irish Independent reported that Mr. David Blood, had stated that an offer was made by a third party to the FAI of €75m to bear all risk from the Vantage Sales Process. The Board of Management of the FAI this morning confirms categorically that the Board never rejected any such offer and David Blood acknowledged this to be the case.
This morning's Irish Independent also claimed that a number of Vantage seats have been cancelled. The Football Association of Ireland can confirm that these account for less than 100 seats in total. The Association has less than 4,000 seats available to sell on premium level and that the 6,300 figure reported at the AGM took account of this small number of cancellations.
The FAI also wishes to clarify that existing ten year ticket holders who purchased in 2004 and 2006 have paid for their ten year tickets in full and it is incorrect to claim that they have not paid for their tickets in the stadium.
The FAI has met all of its contributions to the €411m Aviva stadium which it jointly owns with the IRFU. In close consultation with its banking partners, the FAI has put in place detailed business plans that will see it debt free by 2020, while continuing to fund the development and growth of the sport at grassroots.
The Association's business plans, backed by record levels of turnover and a commercial portfolio which as (sic) trebled in the past five years will give the FAI a debt free status from 2020. These business plans have been agreed in close consultation with our banking partners who are comfortable with our seat sales and revenues.
Delaney's fingerprints are all over that statement. Half addressing the issues raised as usual.
as usual and for anyone who questions will be highlighted as hurlers on the ditch, naysayers etc.
What has happened to the financial controller at the fai?
The association €32million in debt is fast becoming a sporting anglo irish bank / dail eireann slush fund and the boys are creaming it. Everyone else will have to pick up the tab
Calcio Jack, he IS a failed businessman, count the number of companies he's touched that have gone to the wall. He's certainly not a self made millionaire and if you dig just a little into his background you'll see what kind of person he is. What I posted is not inaccurate, it is factual, to the point and is not what we want for the person tasked with running football in Ireland. The lies spouted about Fran Rooney came from.....John Delaney, who had a serious hand in his downfall and who repeatedly disappeared when questions were asked. Rooney was/is a self made millionaire and somebody who contributed to the game in Ireland before and during his tenure as CEO. I'm not a falg waving supporter of his, but he never stood a chance in Merrion Square where Delaney was lined up to takeover the CEO spot, but was banned from holding such a company position, so he waited until Rooney was pushed out and leapt in, if you remember the furore over the manner in which Delaney was handed the job - the FAI had to be threatened with funding removal before they advertised the post instead of just letting Delaney Junior take the reins.Quote:
Originally Posted by Calcio Jack
The sooner the man is gone and a clean up of the FAI takes place the better off football will be in Ireland. The Financial Officer didn't quit for no good reason.
Horrible statement, if they had the courage of their conviction they would have left their response to that given to the Indo (in other words, we told you the truth, now leave us alone). The ISG situation is going to haunt them, this is where the story will turn.
How many of these tickets were sold by King Johns errand boy, wearing out the tyres on his (free) car travelling the length and breath of the country flogging to junior clubs at big discounts, sucking money out of the grassroots of the game to feed the big hole at the top.
First off neither of us is an apologist for either JD or FR... but I have to disagree with you re Delaney as he is a self made millionaire...as for FR again have to disagree with you as (1) he blew it with Baltimore albeit he walked with some money for himself but that's another days debate and (2) what happened to him within the FAI was brought on by himself albeit he was unlucky to encounter forces that were as good as if not better than him when it came to "self entitlement" ..... so basically they are both the type that deserve each other but not the type I like to see running the game here.Quote:
Originally Posted by Spudulika
But thats not true really, he came from a monied background? True/false?Quote:
Originally Posted by Calcio Jack
True he came from a decent background ( not a hugely monied though) but false that that is where he got his money from as he made it himself so guess we'll have to agree to disagreeQuote:
Originally Posted by bennocelt
Much is made of the FAI's debt. Is there not an asset on the other side of the balance sheet? I'm in lots of debt, but I have a house too.
I'm not a Delaney apologist, though I'm far less negative about him than I was a few years ago, but surely the nature of the job means that only a smart politician can ever possibly expect any kind of tenure?
By all accounts Delaney was instrumental in securing the Europa League final for Dublin. Estimates are probably vastly inflated but Dublin Chamber of Commerce reckons an economic impact to the Dublin econopmy of EUR 100mm. I'm surprised that dcfc Steve thinks it's wrong that he should earn more than the Taoiseach. Perhaps the office of Taoiseach is underpaid, versus private sector or even other public service salaries? Have recent Taoiseagh been deserving of their incomes anyway?
I also understand that his EUR 430k pa salary is very much at the high end, if not the very top, of the range of national association CEOs across Europe. This doesn't sit well with me.
Did Genesis really kill the LOI, or is it public apathy & cronies like Cork City's owners?
You'd swear Delaney was some form of aristocrat based on some comments here. So what if he is anyway? It's his fitness for office that's the issue, not his previous career, education, family background etc.
What if you can't pay your mortgage?Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
Tell me about it! The size of the debt, not the cost of servicing it, has been the focus of all the attention though.