Great news

**outspoken** · 09/07/2010, 4:40 PM

well this is great news.......for barstoolers that want to see our league crumble

**SkStu** · 09/07/2010, 4:44 PM

Originally Posted by Kieran Burke

well this is great news.......for barstoolers that want to see our league crumble

how so?

**Riddickcule** · 09/07/2010, 4:45 PM

Originally Posted by galwayjames

What about Jonathan Roche? I've been very impressed with the way he has handled Shamrock Rovers.

Why would he want to give up his secure, popular post at SRFC to take control of a FAIlure of an organisation?

**Cuyahoga** · 09/07/2010, 4:57 PM

Originally Posted by galwayjames

What about Jonathan Roche? I've been very impressed with the way he has handled Shamrock Rovers.

I'm a Rovers fan but wouldnt agree with you there. Roche is the chairman but its more of a collective effort.The chairman is more like a publicity officer ! The secretary Noel Byrne makes a lot of the decisions.

**outspoken** · 09/07/2010, 7:03 PM

because delaney dosnt care about our league and if theres no one to help push it on we will go into a decline and crumble.

**1882** · 09/07/2010, 7:27 PM

Originally Posted by Kieran Burke

because delaney dosnt care about our league and if theres no one to help push it on we will go into a decline and crumble.

The clubs don't think that way. Every single club voted to extend the deal with the FAI to allow them to continue running the league.

**gael353** · 10/07/2010, 1:54 AM

Originally Posted by 1882

The clubs don't think that way. Every single club voted to extend the deal with the FAI to allow them to continue running the league.

the clubs voted for the FAI continuing to run the league as there was no better alternative, the vote on Delaney was done by the Board of Directors of the FAI. The clubs, nor any affiliate have voted for Delaney to continue which would seem to be weird as every other thing to do with the league seems to be referred back to every affiliate. Who could we get to replace delaney? Philip Browne of the irfu, Niall Quinn, and even from my clubs committee id see several candidates far far more qualified then the incombent. Oh and about that loan mentioned, i belive the AVIVA "sponsorship" is in fact a loan hence the performance of the stadium and its workings all being built into a massive repayment scheme to AVIVA over a long period of time. also like to point out that this "great news" broke in the media late in the afternoon on a friday. now if you want any bad news burried you release it on a friday so well done Peter Sherrard on that one

**Riddickcule** · 10/07/2010, 3:09 AM

I will be FAI CEO in 10 years time. I promise everything will be much better

**Spudulika** · 10/07/2010, 7:08 AM

Nobody in their right mind who has a shred of decency and corporate success in their background would step into the job. One of the most progressive businessmen and complete sports and football fanatics did (Fran Rooney), but it proved to be nothing more than a set up job to get Delaney Jr back in the saddle. This is the son of a man who was utterly corrupt and amoral (along with the blazer brigade of the time) and who vowed he'd get those who squealed on him back. And he has. John Delaney was a disaster as a businessman (how many company's did he run into the ground?) and has failed as the head of the FAI. However unless there is a cull in the association and it is run as a proper business, it will continue to be a financial and sporting disaster.

**bennocelt** · 10/07/2010, 9:53 AM

Originally Posted by Cuyahoga

I dont have a problem with this. He has made mistakes,but overall has done a good job!

You must be taking the pee, surely

**Riddickcule** · 10/07/2010, 4:39 PM

Originally Posted by Spudulika

Nobody in their right mind who has a shred of decency and corporate success in their background would step into the job. One of the most progressive businessmen and complete sports and football fanatics did (Fran Rooney), but it proved to be nothing more than a set up job to get Delaney Jr back in the saddle. This is the son of a man who was utterly corrupt and amoral (along with the blazer brigade of the time) and who vowed he'd get those who squealed on him back. And he has. John Delaney was a disaster as a businessman (how many company's did he run into the ground?) and has failed as the head of the FAI. However unless there is a cull in the association and it is run as a proper business, it will continue to be a financial and sporting disaster.

The problem will never be solved with that attitude.

**danthesaint** · 10/07/2010, 6:18 PM

Originally Posted by Riddickcule

The problem will never be solved with that attitude.

his attitude wont change when 5 year contracts are being dished out.

**bennocelt** · 10/07/2010, 8:33 PM

Originally Posted by Riddickcule

The problem will never be solved with that attitude.

No, better to go along with the dross

**outspoken** · 10/07/2010, 9:09 PM

Originally Posted by 1882

The clubs don't think that way. Every single club voted to extend the deal with the FAI to allow them to continue running the league.

As pointed out by someone else there was no other option and if your club voted against and the fai still got in that club would have all ties cut as the fai wouldnt give them any help in future eg. loans ect.

**Alf Honn** · 11/07/2010, 1:54 AM

Originally Posted by 1882

You surely didn't think that the FAI had the money in the bank to pay for their part of the Aviva without having to get finance from anywere did you?

No, but they indicated they had - absurd as it sounded. Remember our great failed business man declaring he could 'write a cheque in the morning' for the Stadium costs. We didn't hear that spin repeated.

The point here is that Delaney's grand plan was to rip the Corporate sector off with over-priced premium tickets, let it pay for the stadium and pocket the rest.

The calculations Delaney spouted on at the Vantage launch in Sept 2008 were this: 80% of the tickets would be sold by the opening game (that's next month).

Taking an average ticket sale of 20k (they are between 12-36k), selling the 10,000 available sales works out at 160mill of income. Even with costs factored in, that would have made the FAI a profit, after paying the 70mill stadium bill, of approx 50mill.

Instead, it's all gone Pete Tong. Can't offload the tkts for love nor money and the grassroots are being asked to buy them instead.

In other words, a complete business disaster from the CEO. If he had pitched the tkts at, say, 8-9 grand each, they probably would have all sold by now and no 'morgage' would be required.

If this was any other private business with vocal board members, the CEO would have been sacked by now, never mind given another sweetner contract.

**Macy** · 12/07/2010, 8:38 AM

Isn't it even worse than that? Didn't the FAI have the chance to have the vantage club tickets effectively underwritten, but at a lower guaranteed amount? He turned it down, and now the FAI are reduced to ridiculous friendlies of clubs in direct competition with the domestic clubs for fans and money, and blocking domestic clubs hold friendlies themselves, and twisting the arms of affliated clubs to take up the unsold tickets?

**marinobohs** · 12/07/2010, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by Macy

Isn't it even worse than that? Didn't the FAI have the chance to have the vantage club tickets effectively underwritten, but at a lower guaranteed amount? He turned it down, and now the FAI are reduced to ridiculous friendlies of clubs in direct competition with the domestic clubs for fans and money, and blocking domestic clubs hold friendlies themselves, and twisting the arms of affliated clubs to take up the unsold tickets?

The FAI did have an offer from a third party to take over the sale of seats in new Lansdowne. The FAI in its infinite wisdom decided that it would be easy to sell them and they could keep all the money - another business gem. While the rugger buggers shifted most/all of their tickets long ago the FAI wait until a collapse in the economy to go selling tickets. expect all clubs to come under huge pressure to sell tickets just to keep the FAI afloat.

**Macy** · 12/07/2010, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by marinobohs

expect all clubs to come under huge pressure to sell tickets just to keep the FAI afloat.

They already done so - look at the number of junior clubs, never mind LoI clubs, holding draws for the use of the tickets. There was talk of inducements - such as clothing and insurance vouchers to offset clubs. I'm sure clubs that didn't fall into line will have their payback...

**jbyrne** · 13/07/2010, 1:08 PM

Originally Posted by marinobohs

The FAI While the rugger buggers shifted most/all of their tickets long ago the FAI wait until a collapse in the economy to go selling tickets. expect all clubs to come under huge pressure to sell tickets just to keep the FAI afloat.

the lure of big rugby games at a weekend was always going to be a far far easier sell to corporate ireland than mid week qualifiers etc against mostly unglamerous opposition. also, the irfu had a huge waiting list for 10 year tickets in place well before the new stadium was even dreamt of. the comparison is therefore unfair.

the constant petty FAI / JD bashing around here is pathetic