I think it's relevant to whether Delaney was stoking up sectarian tensions or not, but I agree it shouldn't be up for debate that it was sectarian. On the other hand, a man with a diplomatic role like his should be able to realise that some people will interpret it deviously and a more intelligent man would have the cop on not to embarrass the organisation like that.
Wasn't it just a few posters in a John Delaney thread on YBIG? I'm not sure what its nature was exactly, but the whole thread was promptly deleted and a number of posters decided to make a donation to a charity of Emma English's choosing as a means of apology, as far as I know. The Irish Mirror (I think) was reporting there was abuse directed towards her on Twitter and Facebook, but I'm not even sure that was the case. Unpalatable stuff from a few pseudonymous unsavouries, certainly, but it's so obviously being slyly exploited by Delaney as a means to distract from genuine criticism. It's completely irrelevant to the clumsy sing-song matter and other concerns arising or outstanding regarding Delaney's fitness to run and represent the FAI in a professional and discerning manner, so it's frustrating to see it being used to help sweep genuine questions and potential ammunition for change under the carpet.Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
The statement licks arse and insults the intelligence of anyone who cares about Irish football. The board might like to think they can publicly "close matters" when they want and John Delaney might even try to gag people with legal threats, but nobody's being fooled (or silenced). This is the information/communication age. People are free to continue talking and will do so.
The Telegraph went with the following (ridiculous) headline earlier: 'Attempted cover-up of John Delaney sectarian scandal by Football Association of Ireland would make Nixon proud'
That first sentence is excruciating - it's not even grammatically correct. Not to mention the clumsy attempt to link the bullying and the singing, and the lack of an actual apology - "if he offended anyone."
Clueless.
The CEO of the Spanish FA and the Italian FA get €150,000 each. That's €250,000 extra a year Delaney gets! Why? It's not as if the FAI is a great success story and we have the money to throw around. Imagine how much difference €250,000 a year would make to Irish football at grass roots level?!
It makes poor old John Boy the victim!
Heard it on Newstalk this morning. Chris Donoghue started the report with...
"OOOOHHHHH JOHN DELANEY.... HE USED TO BE IN TROUBLE BUT HE'S ALRIGHT NOW"
Ha, indeed. It refers in opening to two clearly distinct and independent matters, and then refers to the closing of "the matter" in its ending, as if both of the previously-mentioned separate issues combine to constitute a single matter. They don't. It would seem to suggest a rather desperate attempt to contrive a mention of the online abuse into the staggeringly-brief statement by any means, even if it is a logically irrelevant red herring that causes grammatical awkwardness. Truly contemptible.
To be honest, if it was anyone else other than Delaney, I don't think I'd be as indignant, but what the hell. There was a certain satisfaction to be taken from seeing a snake on the ropes, but I think he's managed to dodge the bullet (again), so it looks like he'll have the last laugh. As another poster opined, it'll take a concerted boycott to oust him, but that's not something I can envisage happening any time soon. The Scotland tickets fiasco stirred massive discontent within loyal regulars, but if that wasn't enough to provoke a general boycott for even the US friendly game, I'm not sure what would do it. I'm not saying I have some expectation of loyal fans to initiate a boycott either. It's easy for me to talk as I'm not a regular traveler. It's completely their choice and I totally understand why they'd be reluctant to engage in something like that as it would deprive the players of support (and themselves of something they love), but, unfortunately, I think it's really the only thing that could bring Delaney down given the FAI's reliance on the national team for income.
Was thinking last night, it's unlikely that last week was the first time Delaney has sung that song, or any other rebel tune for that matter, and probably equally as unlikely that it's the first time he's been recorded doing so.
Is the recent bad will towards him, with the Scotland tickets fiasco and the heavy handed approach from stewards at the USA game, the reason this recording in particular was made public? Like Richard Keys and Andy Grey before him, will more recordings surface in the coming days?
That's got to be some of the most patronising claptrap ever;We're not American tourists...
Except we can't all go on there, so a bit of a pointless assertion...
I dunno, I think there is a general truth in GR's post. Some "rebel" songs are more politically charged than others. Songs referencing The Troubles era are likely to be more sensitive than the good old romantic idealistic days of the Irish independence movement. As a rule of thumb I think it's acurate enough although obviously passing judgment on a song's potential to offend can't be rule driven. The Town I Loved So Well is a Troubles era song and as far as I know (I don't really know the words) it couldn't really offend anybody. Danny?
Tets, sorry, but isn't debate on the political-ness and possible offensiveness of certain songs relevant to appraisal of JD's behaviour?
Last edited by Stuttgart88; 27/11/2014 at 9:32 AM.
I've no problem which forum you choose to allocate various discussions to, but this is hair-splitting and a bit silly. My point was all about Delaney: if the present sh*t-storm was just about obvious incompetence, drunkenness, ludicrous press statements and inability to sell tickets fairly or nobble the media, he'd have resigned or been forced out years ago.
No, I was just drawing a straightforward distinction to simplify things, as I said. It's all subjective, of course. For me, McDonnell and any gobsh*te lauding him are fair game from a different point of view: they intimidated me out of home and primary school while habitually murdering Irish people.
Yeah, but we all knew that decades ago. It's hardly news or even worth saying...
Especially when it's done to claim the moral high ground.
As for JD it wouldn't matter if he'd sung 'The Fields' or 'Go On Home', the man's a fool not for his singing (which was rank) but his general behaviour, especially given what's common knowledge.
But he's right. Songs like 'God Save Ireland' or 'A Nation Once Again' wouldn't and shouldn't be class a Republican ballads as they came from a different era and circumstances. A song like 'The Town I Loved So Well' is a Troubles era song but it's not Republican it's about someone talking about the impact the Troubles have on their town. Joe McDonnell is seen as a terrorist to some people. So people do feel songs like that are bad taste as they support a man involved in a terrorist organisation who killed four people innocent people.
To get back on track, regardless of his sing song, any other CEO of a football association would have been sacked long before now if they had Delaney's record. Not given a massive six year contract. I posted a list of problems that most Irish football fans have will John the Baptist on a Sunderland forum and people were laughing that a man like that is charge of anything nevermind the CEO of FAI!
The way he has acted this week is the most sickening!
Just for the record, here's a graph of our FIFA ranking since recording began in 1993 (thanks Coca-Cola®!).
The point at which Delaney became chief executive of the FAI is marked with the red dot; December of 2004. At the time, the national team was ranked 12th, its highest ever position outside of the very early years prior to mid-1995. From October of 2001, we hadn't dropped outside of the top twenty, but that all changed in 2005 and, by November of that year, we had plummeted to 49th. We have since fallen as low as 70th and currently sit in 61st. We peaked again at 18th in April of 2012, but, more than anything, it looks like it was a short-lived deviation from a general decline.
The national team is the FAI's cash-cow and Delaney likes to put it to the forefront. It's supposed to be his success story given the disproportionate level of attention he devotes to it. It's anything but. If the decline had been as a result of taking a hit you might expect from a diversion of funds towards investment in a sustainable model of development (that might also have involved improving the general footballing structure within Ireland), you could forgive him, but he's instead been throwing money at high-profile managers (and assistants) in the hope they'll be able to paper over the cracks and glaring deficiencies of his reign.
I would agree with you, definitely. He's said he has often sung the song himself and stated he's from a republican background where the rebel sing-song is tradition. There's nothing even remotely wrong with that, but I reckon the media sense he's there for the taking. He's down and ripe for a kicking, so it's a case of latching on to anything that can cause further damage. (I won't complain.) If he didn't have baggage already, I doubt there'd even have been an issue made of the sing-song, because it's really not that big of a deal in isolation. The outrage towards the particular song is amusing in itself. I mean, he's been video-recorded in plenty of potentially-embarrassing situations or where he's making an idiot of himself before, but little was made of those recordings; people just laughed at his foolishness then. Now, though, the knives are out.
I wonder what he'll be singing in the next video...
It'll be all part of a 'rebranding' exercise, so "Ireland's Call" probably, now that really is offensive!
You're right. Each song should be judged on its own merits (or lack thereof). 'The Town I Loved So Well' is a pretty neutral Troubles-era ballad; definitely not a rebel song or anything of the sort. Not even the serially offended could find fault with it. It laments both "the armoured cars and the bombed-out bars". It was written by Phil Coulter (son of a Catholic RUC officer) and has even been recorded by the telegenic and universally-safe Irish Tenors.
That's a Phil Coulter one too, of course.
I just pictured Johnny Giles as an X Factor judge.
Posting Permissions
Quote
Bookmarks