I'm not supporting him but Delaney could argue all kinds of things in his favour. Improved financial stability in LOI, Europa League Final, Euro 2020, Euro qualification, WC near miss, increased turnover, debt-write offs, women's teams doing well, Ruud Doktor and his technical plan, exceptional work in economically deprived area etc. He's a politician and politicians are cunning spinmeisters. I think Delaney would argue that the FAI IS a professionally run organisation and that Genesis governance reforms etc were introduced post-Saipan. I don't agree, but it could be a heated argument if it came to it.
One big problem is that the ISC, whose job it is to determine whether the FAI is deserving of public money and whose job it is to scrutinise the FAI's governance, has been asleep at the wheel. also, the public and the mechanisms of government only take a casual interest at best in these matters so little public pressure has ever been exerted on the FAI to get its sh1t together. There has always been a casual acceptance of its gombeen blazer culture.
Compare the ISC to UK Sport. After a series of governance fiascos at UK NGBs, UK Sport now has a very thorough governance monitoring process and no NGB will receive public funding unless UK Soort is satisfied that it is run well. Several NGBs went bust in the 90s and 2000s and they are determined that this never happens again. They have a traffic light system to grade NGBs and to provide early warnings about possible mismanagement. I was at a talk last year by the lady who is UK Sports chief governance officer. I was SO tempted to ask from the floor whether their system might produce an amber or red light warning if one of their leading NGBs had no formal Board structures, whether the role of Chair and CEO were genuinely separated, whether there were any non-exec directors providing advice, whether the CEO being on 3 of the 6 standing committees was an over-reach, whether his salary was a cause for concern, whether the mutually agreed increase in retirement age among officers was a cause for concern, whether failure to publish financial statements outside its membership was a cause for concern, and so on. I'm no expert but my guess is that almost any one of these would have triggered an amber or red warning. Does anyone think the ISC provides this type of scrutiny? Does anyone think this Oireachtas standing committee should be asking these questions? I do.
Also, as a general rule, I hate the frequent comparison made in outrage in every country "he earns more than our prime minister". Why is the Taoiseach / PM anywhere the benchmark? That role is as a public servant that comes with all kinds of perks, not least opening up all kinds of lucrative public speaking, advisory and directorship roles after office (unless you're Bertie, but he lined his pockets before leaving office). Now, earning more than the Spanish FA equivalent is probably a fairer comparison!
Last edited by Stuttgart88; 10/06/2015 at 10:12 AM.
how could they possibly keep a straight face while doing so?Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954
they can compare JDs salary to other similar positions around the world but......
how much funding does the government put into the FAI? isn't it about 2.5m per annum? that's about 7% of FAI turnover
Last edited by jbyrne; 10/06/2015 at 10:27 AM.
According to this article in the Indo it'd appear any hopes I may have had of the Oireachtas sport committee getting interested in the governance of the FAI are forlorn hopes.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...-31292373.html
Gombeens overseeing gombeens.
Quite ironic that the rent a quote, wannabe z lister has gone to ground and refused several offers of comment since he realised he should have kept his mouth shut after putting his foot in it while trying to look the big man. I'm sure Barry Egan will tell us how much this whole thing that was in no, way, shape or form anything to do with him has hurt his and his wannabe wag's poor little feelings in due time.
I hope the media continue to exert pressure in spite of today's decision by the Oireachtas committee. Giving Delaney a grilling over what was essentially a private payment (although the nation has a stake in the wellbeing and uprightness of the national football association) probably isn't really within the remit of such a committee - that's fair enough - but I wouldn't like to see this matter sneak off into the sunset whilst everyone is focused on the admittedly massive Scotland game.
I wrote another piece on Back Page Football and thrashed out a lenghty list of outstanding questions/issues. It was a slight upgrade on a more-rushed and less-polished piece I'd already written for Slugger O'Toole.
Last edited by DannyInvincible; 10/06/2015 at 11:10 PM.
I doubt the media can apply any more pressure than they have been, short of more revelations about backhanders. The only people who could hold him accountable are the politicians who've moved onto the next flavour of the week, so it looks like he's gotten away with it.
They have moved on Charlie because there is absolutely nothing substantive to bleat on about. The money is totally accounted for, which by Ireland's standards is astonishing. The matter of how the FAI were given the money is of no actual legal concern The issue only provided fodder for the politicians to bleat to the ignorant, casting aspersions about impropriety in the accounting of this money. It is not a backhander when the 'bribe' is legally accounted for and spent accordingly for football, with no apparent quid pro quo.
Except bizarrely, the FAI were required to not pursue a legal case against FIFA, a legal case that I think would have instantly upgraded the FAI cringe factor to dimensions never before experienced.
If Delaney was the leader of a major political party, such is the public's disdain of him that he would have been replaced ages ago as leader. Also, if he was the CEO of a major publicly listed company he would have faced a shareholders' revolt over his self-serving and egotistic approach to his role. Therefore, I can't see why such a divisive individual like him should be able to keep his job just because it's a sporting position. The ongoing embarrassment and controversy he brings to the FAI means his position should be under threat. Having an AGM where questions aren't encouraged is another sign of bad leadership and a sign of someone who believes he and the organisation are one and the same. The FAI would be a better more respected organisation without him, so bugger off John!
There's probably no political reason for an enquiry over the FIFA payment, but it would have been something to see him defend his stewardship of Irish football. When no-mark countries like Iceland are on the up and we're stagnating, you have to ask questions
Is why we were given it of no significance? Why did FIFA insist on a confidential arrangement if all was right and proper? Why were we given it and why were we accepting it? The idea we had a strong legal case is fanciful.
I honestly don't see why a general inquiry couldn't be called. Not so much on the basis of our performance but because so many governance red flags are being waved by an institution that receives public funds. If the GAA can be called up over some retired country and western singer, why not Delaney over the perception that he runs Irish football in exactly the same way Blatter ran FIFA?There's probably no political reason for an enquiry over the FIFA payment, but it would have been something to see him defend his stewardship of Irish football. When no-mark countries like Iceland are on the up and we're stagnating, you have to ask questions
obviously the handball is no basis for a legal case but what about the seeding issue?
can you change the rules (ie seed the play-off draw) at a stage when the competition had already almost run its course based on no seeding for the draw and not expect some sort of legal threat?
Did Delaney Extort 5.5 Million Euro from Sepp Blatter.
In Gangster circles a payment of 5.5 million Euro for no apparent reason is normally down to Extortion !
Could other nations not make a claim against FIFA for this? There was three other teams that fell foul of the seeding. FIFA changed the seeding rule before the play-offs so there wouldn't be a case there imo. Costa Rica were knocked out by a dodgy off-side goal to Uruguay in their play-off but didn't go on with the rubbish that Delaney did. The FAI were entitled to nothing. If FIFA gave them this loan in goodwill why didn't Costa Rica, England and Mexico not get it too?
If the FAI felt they had a case over the seeding then they should have pushed on with it. At best it's hush money.
maybe they could. maybe they did and also got pay-offs. who knows?
they could hardly introduce seeding after the play-offs so I am not sure what your point is in that regard.
the fact is that FIFA changed the seedings situation when the qualifying groups were over and this is a change of rules during the competition. hardly fair and probably hardly legal?
when you are thinking of legal action it is always considered making a settlement out of court. effectively that's what the FAI seem to have done
I think the relevant question is - is there a reason why you can't?
I would imagine the FAI have signed up to FIFA/UEFA rules, whatever they are.
The FAI have pulled a couple of quickies to suit clubs in their time - thinking the Setanta Cup announcement in 2005, for example, when the FAI didn't announce until the morning of the League Cup semi finals that the League Cup winner would get a spot; this seemed to outsiders to be giving time for Shels to pick up their league form, and when they didn't, it was decided their best chance of qualifying was through the League Cup instead. Nothing you can do (apart from beat Shels with two injury time goals of course) cos you've signed up to the rules, whatever they are.
Best reason I can think of is Blatter got so used to throwing around a few quid that five mill for this was force of habit.
The FAI are accountable to the state, because they go cap in hand looking for funds.
There are criteria to follow in order to satisfy the terms of accountability for those funds and be deemed organisationally competent to receive those funds. The FAI are sufficiently compliant. Outside that, the state have no constitutional or legal mandate to interfere with the internal workings of a functioning organisation such as the FAI. Unless there are official complaints, offhand I can only think that the tax authorities can waltz in and make demands.
The FAI are deemed a functional organisation running football in this country. We can have opinions about how it is run, but organisationally it is being fully run according to the constitutional agreements of its various entities.
The FAI are performing their duty of accountability for the funding their receive and performing their duty of making submissions for further funding.
It would be an astonishing error of judgement by the government to go into a fully compliant organisation and throw some shapes. It was entirely out of order for Kenny to publicly call into question FAI actions, that was a mere stunt, which typical of his ilk was badly acted. If there was a point to be clarified with the FAI, then it's the duty of the sports minister to make contact with Delaney, clear up the matter, then make a public statement after the fact.
Last edited by geysir; 11/06/2015 at 9:11 AM.
The point being that before the groups ended and a couple of months before the draw was made FIFA announced the seeding change. If FIFA had of announced it on the morning of the draw or after the group stages, then you'll might have a case. FIFA regard the play-offs as a separate campaign to the groups just like the promotion/relegation play-offs here or the Football League play-offs in England.
about 2 weeks before the last two rounds of matches to be exact. the rules therefore changed very late in the whole process.
I'm not saying the FAI had a watertight case but possibly enough to cause FIFA some serious thought
Last edited by jbyrne; 11/06/2015 at 10:14 AM.
The FAI had no legal case whatsoever. I think we should be clear on that point.
Either Blatter got used to handing out sympathy money, or Delaney had some other dirt.
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