I think it was a good job that he wasn't sacked after the Stan debacle. He has demonstrated that at least he recognises he makes mistakes and is willing and capable of putting something better into place. Also I don't regard the O'Brien cash as luck.
Consider that Delaney might well have a part in attracting such sponsorship like O'Briens. Sponsors like that don't come along with no strings attached if they consider the CEO to be an imbecile.
Before Delaney grabbed the reins, the FAI were an embarrassing administrative shambles, so much so that the Sports Council couldn't trust them with sports grants.
The League winning team gets around 200k. Delaney gets 400k.
Enough said.
I like high energy football. A little bit rock and roll. Many finishes instead of waiting for the perfect one.
I think by and large Delaney is doing a good job. We have a top class stadium and a top class manager in place, when were we ever able to say that?!!? Now Im not saying this is all his doing but he is the man at the helm overseeing this. Yes the FAI now have a lot of debt on board and that will be his big challenge in the coming years is the maintenance of this debt in a manner that will not grossly affect grass roots funding. The FAI are still unfortunately prone to the odd gaffe, the Barcelona/Limerick mess, Cork City, Vantage Club pricing (although I see the GAA have now priced their premium tickets at pretty much the same price as the VC - am not sure what realm the people who set these prices are in!).
Having somewhat defended Delaney, I still think the wages are grossly excessive. It is particularly poor reflection on the government who fund these sporting bodies to a significant extent that they let the powers that be in the organisation award themselves wages to that level. Then again we do live in a country where the head of a regulated electricity supply board pulls in a wages of 750k.
Delaney gets a salary, not a wage.
yours,
Pedantor.
And characteristic of a man so desperate for World Cup cash that he led a delegation into FIFA with this bizarre request and making us like fools home and abroad.
Difficult not to think of the FAI as administratively inept queuing for 45 mins from 7pm tonight to collect tkts from Lansdowne Terrace office.
It's rare that I find myself defending the FAI, and especially John Delaney, but Blatter was the one who decided to have a cheap laugh at our expanse over an idea that was the only way the FAI could ensure the Henry incident and its fall-out would be at least discussed at the subsequent FIFA meeting. It wasn't a serious request; just a means to this end. Anyone who seriously entertained the notion that we might have been awarded a 33rd place at the World Cup would need their heads examined. Didn't Liam Brady say as much after Blatter had his snide little laugh with the journalists?
From here: http://oneteaminireland.blogspot.com...p-blatter.html"I think when we asked for that we knew there was very little chance of that happening. We asked because we wanted to have them respond in a measured way and see what they had to say.
"After all Mr Blatter is responsible for the officials. He didn't say anything about the appalling mistake the official made to miss such a blatant handball.
"He didn't even have the grace to acknowledge the behaviour of the Irish players after the game. Not one player got booked after that incident, not one player got booked after the match.
"There were 20,000 Irish fans in the stadium. Not one fan caused trouble in the stadium in Paris that night, or in the city that night.
"Now I think my country deserves a little more recognition from Blatter than the way he presented it to the press conference in South Africa yesterday.
"I think the man is a bit of a loose cannon and embarrassment to FIFA."
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