John Delaney may be a mug - discuss

Fr Tod Umptious

AGC wrote: »

Do what most organisations do when there is empty seats....Reduce teh prices, do special offers etc...

Off course it will sell out tonight, you will see the return of the event junkie.

I had a block book tickets for close on 15 years but didn't renew when I saw the ticketing structure for Aviva. Nothing has been done to try and get my business back, even with 20 odd thousand at games.

But they have done so, and introduced a good value season ticket

There are threads here every time there is a game at the Aviva with people pissing and monaing that prices are too high, even though they have been reduced.

But hey, you can never please the boards.ie keyboard warriors

dan1895

Keyboard warriors?

On here is not the only place I give out about the pr**k.
I've been going to Ireland games for about 14 years and have given it up because the prices aren't justified and am now in a state of self imposed exile from Ireland games and I'm not the only one I know who's done this.

For the record, I'm hoping we put another four past the Estonians tonight, my hatred of Delaney and the FAI doesn't filter down to the team

stovelid

AGC wrote: »

I had a block book tickets for close on 15 years but didn't renew when I saw the ticketing structure for Aviva. .

Or told we couldn't renew because of capacity but would we still like to purchase vantage tickets. And then get spammed to come back into the fold when the vantage thing fell flat.

JD isn't pushed about us anyway. We're just the saps that warmed seats when nobody gave a fuck. The class of '88, '90, '94 and '02 are back in the fold to cheer on The Goys. .

Will never pay into an Ireland game again. Let the blow-ins keep you going when soccer falls out of fashion again.

AGC

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

But they have done so, and introduced a good value season ticket

There are threads here every time there is a game at the Aviva with people pissing and monaing that prices are too high, even though they have been reduced.

But hey, you can never please the boards.ie keyboard warriors

Keyboard warriors?? Love it!!

Of course there is threads moaning because they are to high. Compare the ticket prices to any of the other matches tonight.

AGC

stovelid wrote: »

Or told we couldn't renew because of capacity but would we still like to purchase vantage tickets. And then get spammed to come back into the fold when the vantage thing fell flat.

JD isn't pushed about us anyway. We're just the saps that warmed seats when nobody gave a fuck. The class of '88, '90, '94 and '02 are back in the fold to cheer on The Goys. .

Will never pay into an Ireland game again. Let the blow-ins keep you going when soccer falls out of fashion again.

Unfortunately this is the problem.

I originally took up the option of block booking when tickets were hard to come by and stuck with it even when they weren't.

I have no problem with people going to games when they want to, it's their choice. My problem is how the whole thing was ran

Paparazzo

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

The FAI were unlucky selling the Vantage Club seats, I am not saying that it was handled correctly but if they had come on the market in 2005 and with a team doing as well as it is under Trap they would have sold much better,

Tell me more about this third party offer, I never heard of it before.

Some company offered to buy them and give the FAI a one off payment. Daniel McDonald in the indo wrote about it, the FAI wrote back a strongly worded letter denying it, then a few months later said it was actually true. They actually denyed a load of things Daniel McDonald said that turned out to be true.

I think even at the height of the boom, 32k was a comical figure. These were games that werent selling out (or anyone could buy a ticket if they bought a few days in advance) and I think the 32k over 5 years worked out at €530 a game if we have 6 games a year. Considering we get 1 big game every 2 years (would Russia even be considered a "big" game?) the 32k was never going to work.

Throw in their handling of Limerick FC V Barcelona, the fool Delaney made of Irish fans when he actually asked for a 33rd team to somehow be allowed into the world cup and he can stick his few pints up his hole.
The one thing Blatter did right in his time in charge of FIFA was laugh at Delaney's suggestion.

Zebra3

homerjay2005 wrote: »

so the recession is all his fault? ireland still has one of the hightest attendances across europe.

the vantage club was a disaster, but what i blame them for is the fact that over 20% of the stadium is aimed at the premium/corporate. that should never have been agreed, but i suppose the rugby had alot to do with that.

the fai finances are in pretty good shape considering there is a stadium worth 400million being paid for and qualification will improve that even further.

Where to start with that rubbish?

Firstly, I never blamed Delaney for the recession. I understand economics. More than can be said about him. But good attempt to divert attention from the fact that he lied to fans about ticket availability. :rolleyes:

Secondly, back up your claim of "one of the highest attendances across Europe" with facts please.

The Vantage club was Delaney's baby. He set the pricing and he agreed with the IRFU about the amount of corporate seats for the redeveloped stadium.

Finally the stadium is not worth €400M. It may have cost €410M, but it's not worth it now. And the FAI paid only had to chip in half of what was to be paid after the taxpayer chipped in with €171M.

Fr Tod Umptious wrote: »

But hey, you can never please the boards.ie keyboard warriors

Surely that makes you a boards.ie keyboard warrior too, except with a different opinion?

Tiocfaidh Armani

Tax payers paid €191 million. FAI pay €60 million to be joint-tenants.

dfx-

dan1895 wrote: »

Don't forget he also gave us staunton, although he denies it.

He backed it anyway..since he defended the appointment in a speech at the Rovers AGM in Trinity College 2006.

However I don't get the criticism of him, meself..the FAI as an organisation was an abomination long before Delaney back to the 80s at least and will continue to be abomination long after him. I don't see what criticism of Delaney does.

Paparazzo

dfx- wrote: »

He backed it anyway..since he defended the appointment in a speech at the Rovers AGM in Trinity College 2006.

However I don't get the criticism of him, meself..the FAI as an organisation was an abomination long before Delaney back to the 80s at least and will continue to be abomination long after him. I don't see what criticism of Delaney does.

Agree with the bit about the FAI, but we can still take the piss out of Delaney. And the next guy if he's as bad.

Also, 160 posts and no one mentioned his hair. Anyone with hair like that mustn't be all there.

homerjay2005

Zebra3 wrote: »

Where to start with that rubbish?

wonderful contribution.

Zebra3 wrote: »

Secondly, back up your claim of "one of the highest attendances across Europe" with facts please.

feel free to proove me wrong. i made the statement, please rip it apart as you lot look to do when it suits.

our polulation is tiny, yet we are in the top 10 attendances in the qualifying campaign. only the likes of england, wales, france, germany and 2 or 3 more teams are ahead of us.

our attendances s*it all over most of europe and especially countries who have populations far far bigger than ours.

Fr Tod Umptious

dfx- wrote: »

However I don't get the criticism of him, meself..the FAI as an organisation was an abomination long before Delaney back to the 80s at least and will continue to be abomination long after him. I don't see what criticism of Delaney does.

very good point, and I believe that in the fullness of time Delaney's tenure will be seen as not too bad.

dfx-

Paparazzo wrote: »

Agree with the bit about the FAI, but we can still take the piss out of Delaney. And the next guy if he's as bad.

You could have a committee of Donald Trump, Alan Sugar, Bill Gates, Angela Merkel and Margaret Thatcher in control of the FAI and it'd still be a bumbling haphazard mess that it always has been.

stovelid

Following this line of thinkiing would deliver the conclusion that Bertie is a sound skin but it's Fianna Fail that are the baddies.

Accepting that a CEO can do virtually nothing to reform a dysfunctional organisation is depressing and in some way, a manifesto for retaining the status quo.

Plus it's contradictory to say that the FAI's inteptitude is immune to change but then also claim that Delaney is a sucsess. By very dint of the FAI supposedly being a incorrigibly crap organisation, Delaney should be destined to fail otherwise he does have some influence.

Zebra3

homerjay2005 wrote: »

wonderful contribution.



feel free to proove me wrong. i made the statement, please rip it apart as you lot look to do when it suits.

our polulation is tiny, yet we are in the top 10 attendances in the qualifying campaign. only the likes of england, wales, france, germany and 2 or 3 more teams are ahead of us.

our attendances s*it all over most of europe and especially countries who have populations far far bigger than ours.

Ah, so suddenly it's "international competitive games only".

What about all the games under Delaney that have attracted about 15,000?

And you're still ignoring Delaney's lies about the availability of match tickets.

dfx-

stovelid wrote: »

Following this line of thinkiing would deliver the conclusion that Bertie is a sound skin but it's Fianna Fail that are the baddies.

But they were. They fostered McDowell, Harney, O'Dea, Lenihan, McCreevy, Cowen, O'Donoghue and I'm sure one or two others. You remove one, the next one will and did take over. Removing one is useless, you have to clear them all out.

You can swap figurehead to no use.

Aidric

stovelid wrote: »

Following this line of thinkiing would deliver the conclusion that Bertie is a sound skin but it's Fianna Fail that are the baddies.

Bought me a pint once. Great lad, Bertie.

Paparazzo

Aidric wrote: »

Bought me a pint once. Great lad, Bertie.

Hitler bought me a pint back in 1938. Out of his own pocket too. He might have done some bad stuff, but fair play to him.



Godwined a Delaney thread, nice one!

Looked like he was gonna slip Trap the tongue there

bryaner

He looks well pissed..

dan1895

bryaner wrote: »

He looks well pissed..

Was thinkin that meself. The tie has gone again too. What is it with the f**kwit that he keeps giving away his tie?

Anyway, roll on june.

Zebra3

dan1895 wrote: »

Was thinkin that meself. The tie has gone again too. What is it with the f**kwit that he keeps giving away his tie?

Anyway, roll on june.

If by June, you mean March, yeah. :cool:

homerjay2005

he came across well on his interview last night. he maybe incompetent, but he is a very shrewd man, he must have got PR lessons lately as he is doing things alot differently these days.

ItsAWindUp

He was langers.

Zebra3

Answer your phone John!!!

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/fifa-called-in-to-settle-fai-dispute-2967329.html

I wonder will FIFA threathen to suspend the FAI which means Ireland may be facing a ban from Euro2012.

:pac:

eigrod

Zebra3 wrote: »

I wonder will FIFA threathen to suspend the FAI which means Ireland may be facing a ban from Euro2012.

I think Denis O' Brien's cheque book would be out again if that were to be threatened

Sponge Bob

Dunno, I believe Delaney himself is on a large qualification bonus and I am not sure how long Denis' chequebook will backstop Delaney for any more. If the Scots have a contract they can go to FIFA.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/16246065.stm

The Football Associations of Ireland and Wales and the Irish Football Association want to reduce the Carling Nations Cup fee due to the Scottish FA.

However the FAI, IFA and FAW hope to avoid involving Fifa in resolving the dispute.

In a joint statement, the three bodies said they had "been in negotiations with the Scottish FA seeking a downward adjustment of their fee".

Now the same Scots ...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/scotland/8538595/Carling-Nations-Cup-SFA-snubbed-over-plans-to-boost-crowds.html

The SFA asked the Football Association of Ireland – who have admitted that they hope, but cannot guarantee, a crowd of 20,000 for the Republic’s meeting with Scotland on Sunday night – to consider free admission for Scottish fans willing to travel this weekend.

and they won't be invited back anyway so what can they lose??

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/scotland/8546356/First-Carling-Nations-Cup-likely-to-be-last-after-poor-attendances-in-Dublin.html

First Carling Nations Cup likely to be last after poor attendances in Dublin

Zebra3

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/0620/1224318259016.html

Good to see Delaney getting the boot put into him.

Madworld

Good post from the Drogheda United forum.

The league and football in the country is rotten to the core. But here is just a brief indication of the mentalness of the whole situation.

The cost of entry into the league of Ireland is 19k.

The breakdown of prize money is as follows:


1.€100,000
2.€45,000
3.€25,000
4.€15,000
5.€10,000
6.€7,500
7.€6,000
8.€5,000
9.€5,000
10.€5,000
11.€5,000
12.€5,000


So unless you finish top 3, you have already lost a minimum of 4k upon entry.

The 19k does not include matchday official costs. These are roughly 1200 per game, or roughly 120 tickets sold. Drogheda were due 17 home games this season before mons went. Thats a further 20,400 euro to be paid out. Therefore any club has outgoings of just under 40k in money paid out to the Fai before a ball is even kicked. The only real money you can budget to come in from the Fai is 5k.

Tv money has been taken away from clubs. Rte still fork out the money, but it goes directly to the Fai. The fai claim this trickles down into prize money.

In effect, very little prize money is offered from the Fai. There is something like a 5k difference in what is accumalated by the 19k entrance fees and total prize money. (The data is from last season when there was 10 teams, iv assumed that the extra two teams each get 5k as well, but the likelyhood is slim, meaning prize money would be less than what the clubs put in.)

In previous seasons, Cup finalists have had to pay a fee upon reaching the final to cover the costs of their own medals.


The fai make money from sponsors and television for the League. There are deals in place with EA, Ford, Newstalk, Lucozade, Eircom, Airtricity etc. etc. Where does this go?? Does money come from the Fai to the clubs in any other way? Or does it all go into the big debt? Bit ironic that the sponsors are claiming to be sponsors of the league then.

John Delaney currently earns 400k a year. Whilst employees of the Fai have been let go, his wages have increased under his own order. This is corruption and cronyism of the highest. Any one who seen the picture of the man in this weeks papers will know exactly what a tool he is.

The fai have also been known to be very quick to take money off clubs in the form of fines. My latest favourite is for shels fans signing "Rte is fcuking ****e!". Shelbourne have pleaded lately with their fans to stop mentioning delaney in songs as they cannot afford the repeated fines every time his name is mentioned. Delaney was stripped of his footwear and basically made a twat of by irish fans in Poland this week. Fine? Nah Money behind the bar for the lads having the craic!!

The past two weeks have been very bleak for Irish football. Were the club rumored to have a meeting tomorrow also go to the wall, then it could be said without a doubt, that what should have been two of the greatest weeks in Irish footballing history will go down as its darkest two. Delaney needs to walk on the back of the past two weeks. A complete revamp of the league is needed. The figures above make no sense and show exactly what monaghan were facing when they had tiny crowds and zero sponsorship. There but for the grace of god (well hunky doreys and the supporters) go us, and who knows this time next year it could be us. After looking into those figures a bit more, I have 100 times more respect for any body running a football club in this country.

I also have 100 times more respect for any one who continues to support the league. The general public of Monaghan should hang their heads in shame. They are a disgrace. Any other newly promoted club usually sees a boost in crowds. Mick cooke brought them to two cup semis and inches from the premier league. Roddy got them to the premier and yet they still couldnt even jump on a bandwagon.

stovelid

Quite brave of Malone to stick the boot in like that. Fair play.

homerjay2005

stovelid wrote: »

Quite brave of Malone to stick the boot in like that. Fair play.

not really, if he wrote it 2 weeks ago fine, but taking a pop at anybody connected to irish football (especially in this country) is easy pickings. nobody is going back them up again, until we go out and do something good ON the pitch.

its called selling papers, bravery is certainly not a word i would use.

Zebra3

homerjay2005 wrote: »

not really, if he wrote it 2 weeks ago fine, but taking a pop at anybody connected to irish football (especially in this country) is easy pickings. nobody is going back them up again, until we go out and do something good ON the pitch.

its called selling papers, bravery is certainly not a word i would use.

I wouldn't call it bravery either.

It's just stating facts.

homerjay2005

Zebra3 wrote: »

It's just stating facts.

well yes, i doubt anybody would deny that. the wages alone are farcical and the way he is conducting himself, while its amusing and different, is not "normal".

however, i dont think there is anything the FAI could have done better to get us points in Poland.

the players and the management just didnt perform.

Zebra3

homerjay2005 wrote: »

well yes, i doubt anybody would deny that. the wages alone are farcical and the way he is conducting himself, while its amusing and different, is not "normal".

however, i dont think there is anything the FAI could have done better to get us points in Poland.

the players and the management just didnt perform.

That's not the biggest issue.

The FAI is in serious financial bother.

Delaney is milking it for 400 grand p.a. plus expenses and pension contributions. He failed miserably over the corporate seat sales for Lansdowne which he claimed was going to be a huge success.

Yet some Irish fans think he's a hero.

homerjay2005

Zebra3 wrote: »

Yet some Irish fans think he's a hero.

them be clowns. likewise there are people who think he is the most evil man in the country who cant do anything right.

he lies somewhere in the middle for me, not great, but not bad....

CSF

homerjay2005 wrote: »

them be clowns. likewise there are people who think he is the most evil man in the country who cant do anything right.

he lies somewhere in the middle for me, not great, but not bad....

No I'm pretty sure those people who are on the other extreme are a whole lot closer to the mark than yourself. Disgrace of a man.

Orando Broom

homerjay2005 wrote: »

them be clowns. likewise there are people who think he is the most evil man in the country who cant do anything right.

he lies somewhere in the middle for me, not great, but not bad....

Question, for you and anyone, have any of ye every met John Delaney?

From my experience of the guy, he is an extremely charismatic guy and he knows how to talk to people in a way that makes them feel they are the most important people in the room.

Another guy with an eerily similar gift; Bertie Ahern.

I'm not having a go by the way, just trying to put a bit more flesh on the bones of the debate.

CSF

Orando Broom wrote: »

Question, for you and anyone, have any of ye every met John Delaney?

From my experience of the guy, he is an extremely charismatic guy and he knows how to talk to people in a way that makes them feel they are the most important people in the room.

Another guy with an eerily similar gift; Bertie Ahern.

I'm not having a go by the way, just trying to put a bit more flesh on the bones of the debate.

Thankfully, I've never met John Delaney, and I wouldn't pretend to be civil if I was in such a situation (I'm not a knacker though so I wouldn't go ranting and raving either). Your Bertie Ahern comparison does say it all though. 2 deplorable men.

Orando Broom

CSF wrote: »

Thankfully, I've never met John Delaney, and I wouldn't pretend to be civil if I was in such a situation (I'm not a knacker though so I wouldn't go ranting and raving either). Your Bertie Ahern comparison does say it all though. 2 deplorable men.

I'm not going to start hectoring people on this but I am smiling thinking about a lot of angry boardsies storming up to him ready to give him what for and then two hours later; full of pints with one shoe off !

Neil3030

What are Delaney's biggest faults?

Aside from his salary and his occasionally turning up drunk on YouTube, where has he failed as a chief executive?

What did he do that he shouldn't have done, and likewise, where are his glaring omissions?

I am not defending him here, I am genuinely curious as to why people have such vitriol for the man.

Orando Broom

Neil3030 wrote: »

What are Delaney's biggest faults?

Aside from his salary and his occasionally turning up drunk on YouTube, where has he failed as a chief executive?

What did he do that he shouldn't have done, and likewise, where are his glaring omissions?

I am not defending him here, I am genuinely curious as to why people have such vitriol for the man.

Good post and those questions are entitled to be ask.

From my own personal experience, he keeps his word.

CSF

Neil3030 wrote: »

What are Delaney's biggest faults?

Aside from his salary and his occasionally turning up drunk on YouTube, where has he failed as a chief executive?

What did he do that he shouldn't have done, and likewise, where are his glaring omissions?

I am not defending him here, I am genuinely curious as to why people have such vitriol for the man.

Oh jesus, do not get me started. I'd be here all night with what he has done to Shelbourne alone.

paddy978

CSF wrote: »

Oh jesus, do not get me started. I'd be here all night with what he has done to Shelbourne alone.

What has he done apart from fine ye for singing offensive songs?

Neil3030

CSF wrote: »

Oh jesus, do not get me started. I'd be here all night with what he has done to Shelbourne alone.

Could you give a brief summary, I'm genuinely not sticking the oar in, I'd just be very interested in learning specific examples of where he is failing Irish football.

CSF

Neil3030 wrote: »

Could you give a brief summary, I'm genuinely not sticking the oar in, I'd just be very interested in learning specific examples of where he is failing Irish football.

The most brief way I can put it is, the decision on any given incident by the FAI is judged not by precedents or any sort of fair order, but rather who the club in question is.

Shels go into serious financial difficulties, but pay all their players. Other clubs in just as large difficulties, rob their players blind from what they were owed in their contracts, grand.

The man has built a bubble where no criticism is allowed, almost Soviet like. If you're a journalist or newspaper and you express any sort of negative opinion about how the FAI go about their business, you will not be getting anywhere near the Irish team. If you're a club and your fans chant anything negative in relation to how the FAI go about their business, you're getting fined.

Then there is the way he absolutely left Staunton to hang absolving himself from any responsibility, the Limerick situation, and then his absolute hypocricy in contrast as to how he dealt with Cork/Derry and Galway.

Zebra3

homerjay2005 wrote: »

them be clowns. likewise there are people who think he is the most evil man in the country who cant do anything right.

No. Nobody thinks that.

Why do you make stuff like that up? Seriously?

Neil3030 wrote: »

What are Delaney's biggest faults?

Aside from his salary and his occasionally turning up drunk on YouTube, where has he failed as a chief executive?

What did he do that he shouldn't have done, and likewise, where are his glaring omissions?

I am not defending him here, I am genuinely curious as to why people have such vitriol for the man.

Delaney proclaimed that he would make huge money for the FAI by selling ten year coporate seats at the new Lansdowne.

The IRFU got up off their hole and sold all of theirs.

Delaney, smart thinker that he is, waited until the recession kicked in and refused to adjust the prices down accordingly.

The whole thing was a complete and utter failure and has the left the FAI financially f***ed.

In any other organisation he'd have been given the boot. But he has surrounded himself with yes men.

RGDATA!

Neil3030 wrote: »

What are Delaney's biggest faults?

Aside from his salary and his occasionally turning up drunk on YouTube, where has he failed as a chief executive?

What did he do that he shouldn't have done, and likewise, where are his glaring omissions?

I am not defending him here, I am genuinely curious as to why people have such vitriol for the man.

I haven't been slating the guy, but I can understand where some of the hate is coming from. I'm not clued in enough to properly evaluate how he has done for the domestic game, actually not a terrible job from what I can make of it, but some of the reasons for his general unpopularity as i see it:
a) he got off to a pretty bad start as far his credibility by appointing Staunton after promising a world class manager. that didn't go too well
b) having done well to get Trap on board, he was nevertheless hasty in giving him a new contract before the Euros. Trap had a case for a new contract, but wasn't going anywhere else in fairness. I'm not screaming to get rid of him now, but it seems like if opinion turns against him like it did McCarthy, it's going to be at a heavy cost to the FAI just because the new deal was agreed before the Euros.
c) again, i'll admit i'm out of my depth commenting on domestic league, but he didn't seem to do himself any favours this week - monaghan pull out of the league and he's in the news for being on youtube slurring gibberish, would have thought this would have sobered him up a bit, he might have come home to intervene.
d) he could be doing a great job but i'm sure his public behaviour in estonia and poland was a little bit desperate/pathetic in a lot of peoples eyes.
e) his salary must seem hugely excessive to the average joe given the financial state of the domestic game and the state of the country in general.

am i being unfair? again, there are several posters here who would be far better qualified to assess him than me, but that's where i reckon the hate is coming from

Madworld

Neil3030 wrote: »

What are Delaney's biggest faults?

Aside from his salary and his occasionally turning up drunk on YouTube, where has he failed as a chief executive?

What did he do that he shouldn't have done, and likewise, where are his glaring omissions?

I am not defending him here, I am genuinely curious as to why people have such vitriol for the man.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=79310240&postcount=180

transylman

Neil3030 wrote: »

What are Delaney's biggest faults?

Aside from his salary and his occasionally turning up drunk on YouTube, where has he failed as a chief executive?

What did he do that he shouldn't have done, and likewise, where are his glaring omissions?

I am not defending him here, I am genuinely curious as to why people have such vitriol for the man.

The FAI is badly run and youth development is a joke. Its kind of hard to overlook the salary. The LOI is sinking in debt but this man still feels he has the right to pay himself 4 times what a team will receive for winning the title this year. It also isn't typical for the head of a major sporting organisation to regularly appear drunk in public yukking it up with the fans. It reeks of an ego trip. You can be pretty sure that the money he throws around buying fans drinks and tickets isn't coming from his own pocket either.

His father had to step down as FAI head because of dodgy financial dealings. It seems the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree.

dan1895

He'll tell ya lies,
He'll give ya ties,
You'll never believe his salary's size.