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One Million Dollars
Fantastic story taken from Limerick forum (thanks lfc at heart) as I think it could interest league fans in general.
RICO action
Ex-Limerick owner sues FAI for $1 million
THE FORMER owner and chairman of Limerick football club, Jack McCarthy, has filed a $1m lawsuit in the US against the FAI and a number of individuals connected with it, including chief executive John Delaney. The action is being taken under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), normally used to deal with gangster and Mafia related crime in the US.
The Irish American lawyer, who is based in Princeton and who has previously promoted high-profile friendly games in the United States, is claiming three times as much money as he says that he lost on his 22-month involvement with the League of Ireland outfit.
During that time, he says, he “came to love” the club but ultimately realised that, having paid off its debts, he could not afford to keep funding it as it had become apparent that he would not be able to operate it on anything approaching a break even basis.
This was despite having been assured by FAI officials prior to taking over that he would have all the access he required “to the expertise within the association in the areas of running a club in the eircom League of Ireland from club promotions and marketing to the financial and organisation structures required to ensure the club is successful”.
The RICO legislation under which the legal action has been filed was introduced in the USA at the start of the 1970s with the intention of combating organised crime. It has regularly been used in cases of alleged extortion, blackmail and money laundering and at the heart of criminal prosecutions taken against, amongst others, the Gambino family and insider trader Michael Milken.
It has, however, also been used before in disputes between owners of sports clubs and governing bodies most notably when, almost 10 years ago, the owners of Montreal Expos filed suit against Major League Baseball in a dispute which was eventually resolved by arbitration.
In this instance, McCarthy is seeking damages of $1,285,500 (around €960,000), which amounts to exactly three times the amount he claims to have lost as a result of his involvement with the club. His action is against the FAI, its then internal compliance officer Pádraig Smith, Delaney and current head of league marketing and promotion, Noel Mooney.
McCarthy insists that “the case has merit,” but in a statement issued to The Irish Times, the FAI rejected the allegations. “The Football Association of Ireland and its employees strenuously deny ALL (their emphasis) allegations made by Mr McCarthy as baseless, unsubstantiated and defamatory. The FAI intends to contest this action with the utmost vigour possible.”
It is the third time in recent years that owners of Limerick’s league team have taken legal action against the association with McCarthy’s predecessor, Danny Drew, having taken a High Court action in an attempt to prevent the club he owned, which had been refused a licence to participate in the First Division for the 2007 season, being replaced by the newly formed Limerick 37.
Current owner Pat Sullivan, also went to the courts to fight an FAI decision to refuse him permission to stage a friendly last summer against Barcelona in Thomond Park. The latter case was resolved through arbitration.
In court documents that have been filed in New Jersey and seen by The Irish Times, McCarthy outlines a number of ways in which the support he received from the association fell short of what he felt he had been led to believe he could expect and one of the instances cited is the difficulty he encountered when attempting to stage fund-raising friendly games at Thomond Park himself.
In an email dated June 12th, 2009, McCarthy expresses “deep disappointment and frustration,” in relation to the way he and club have been treated by the association and in a later letter he suggests that the two parties might seek mediation.
In a strongly worded email from Delaney to McCarthy dated June 16th, 2009, however, the association’s chief executive rejects all of the allegations and threatens legal action for libel against McCarthy.
Instead, the action has been initiated by McCarthy in the USA with papers sent on September 15th from America to be served on the FAI which has an initial 21 days from the day they arrive to respond. There is case law to suggest the New Jersey courts will be prepared to assert jurisdiction in a case like this and McCarthy is seeking to have the case heard in front of a jury in the state. The FAI could seek to have any case transferred to the Irish courts
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...305086766.html
One Million Dollars
Deeeeeelighted fair play Limerick seem to be good at this type of thing haha, but I don't think he will win honestly.
So,
A former owner of Limerick who was looking to make some money out of the league and failed is now suing the league for $1 million and you think it's a good thing?!
I phoned the speaking clock to hear a voice speak, it said - "At the tone you will be very much alone"
He's suing the FAI not the league, ye I'm sure if he won it would effect LOI money but the FAIlure are going to keep cutting our money anyway so at least someones trying to take it off them
actually he might have a case. he is in american court filing charges against the fai and john delaney. as chairman of the fai delaney really cant be owners of drogs they have to be inpartial. also look at bohs how did they get a licence to play in the prem this year? with the shels match rumors being fixed and the fai did nothing. all he has to do is prove corruption and he has a case. if the fai are covering up something or infact breaking the law he might win. limerick were an "american" company operating in ireland at the time so any case can be tried in american court. i think there is proof of corruption in the fai with delaney getting away with owning drogs while being in charge of the fai and with shels and bohs being overlooked. he is a lawyer and ihope he wins the case. princeton nj is not far from me about 35 miles. i really hope mccarthy wins this will be a huge blow to the fai if he gets a result
Let nobody kid themselves this is in any shape or form "good" for the LOI. Any money this guy "wins" will be lost to irish football. How that can be "good" for LOI is beyond me, fully understand why people dont like John Delaney but supporting this action is cutting off your nose to spite your face stuff.
It's basically the same thing.Originally Posted by outspoken
More importantly though, does he actually have a case? Delaney's threatened to sue him for libel, but never did - always struck me as the actions of a bully calling someone's bluff. O'Sullivan's got nothing to lose now either given he's nothing to do with Limerick any more.
Jebus H Crimbo ..... this could get fairly serious :O
The SFAI are the governing body for grassroots football in Ireland, not the FAI. Its success or the lack of is all down to them.
How much money does the FAI put into the league every year?
Genuine question.
Im going to say the opposite - How much does the FAI take out of the league each year?
When you consider that
- prizemoney is less than what clubs pay to enter the league
- they take in money from fines
- they take their cut of the gate for Cup games
- clubs pay for stewards, medals, FAI VIPs to the game etc in a League Cup final
There is likely more, but all in all is it a case that the LOI is helping to pay off the Aviva and the jobs for the boys in the FAI quite well?
Manager: Fergal, have you your boots with ya?
Fergal: Ya, I have them here.
Manager: Ah good stuff, well give them to this man so, he forgot his!
That's what I was getting at, much obliged.
Can we start our own organisation and take over Irish football?
"What we gonna do tonight Roddy?"
"Same thing we do every night Rico....TRY TO TAKE OVER THE FAI"
Like some sort of Irish football association? Hmmmmmmmmm... I dig it!
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
I was thinking more in terms of Irish Football Organisation rather than association...I think thats taken already.
By whom?
We have never had an Irish football organisation. Don't think that sort of optimism is well-founded.
Now, a Federation of Undeniably Destructive Gimps and Elves... we could use one of them!
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
how about an Association for Football in Ireland?
In which case, a million of a fine would mean the FAI would probably look to take more out of the league each year.
There's numbers less than zero too.
Nothing like a bit of decent FUDGE when it comes to the LOI
"Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins."
"Homer Simpson, smiling politely."
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