Day of Judgement

The day of judgement finally arrived. This day should be forever remembered as the FAI's Black Friday.  We finally got to see the 2018 accounts and the reconstituted accounts for 2016 and 2017. What an absolute horror story.  An organisation who former CEO John Delaney said would be debt free by 2020. Well no it won't. We have just found out that the FAI are now €55m in debt.  This is before all the other reports come up with their findings. These reports are going to cost another €5m at least to tell us what I know already. The FAI is/was an incompantent organisation, run at the top by Me Feiners, interested only in their own vanity, in their own little area, feeding titbits to the associations they represented.   slapping themselves on the back for dishing out cash to their own little parish. Cash that wasn't theirs. It was ours. By ours I mean the ordinary taxpayer. The money used by John Delaney and his nodding dogs to keep themselves in power and to the life they were accustomed to.

i have been writing about the FAI and John Delaney for the past 10 years.  it is a club for the few, not for the many, run by a CEO whose main interest was himself, and as I have said a million times over the years, the National Team.  He abandoned his problem child a long time ago. Let this child look after itself while he was out wining and dining as dictators do. How could one person hold such sway? How could the council not know what was going on?  How can 2 or 3 people be allowed to deal with the CEO's contract and the council which they represented not be informed. How can the payroll dept not know. What kind of an organisation has no checks or balances. They are a disgrace to themselves and to Irish Football.  Listening to Donal Corcoran yesterday whingeing over how hard he has worked over the last 2 years sickened me. It might come as a shock to him, but Donal we all work hard. I.m glad he didn't work any harder because we would probably be €100m in debt.

The accountants say they can only audit the information they are given.  Well if the reconstituted accounts are a true and fair reflection of the FAI then the previous accounts were not.  Why?? The accountants are saying they were not given all the relevant information. If this is the case then surely there are people within the FAI guilty of holding back information.  Surely this is fraudulent and must break the law. If information was not held back and the accountants had all the information then they are at fault. They were well paid for this work.  So somewhere someone or two or three or whatever are responsible. It is not enough for these people to retire and leave power. Some people have to be held accountable and face the full rigors of the law and if found guilty they must be punished.  Not being able to wear their BLAZERS is not enough.

On the same day these accounts were being presented to us there was a kid up in court for stealing a bottle of orange, value €1.  What kind of a country are we. It would make you ashamed to be Irish.

There is a deathly silence from all the people who were prepared to laud our great leader when he was on "gardening leave". Indeed the Clare District League have suspended a player for 6 months for asking "where are the Delaney Defenders now" I ask the same question.  These "Men of the People" praised the work he did at grass root level, all the chicken dinners he endured while he dispensed OUR largess like a full time Santa. The grass roots are the very first that are going to suffer for the next 5 years. There will not be enough money to pay for badly needed facilities which allow our sport to grow.  Worse still there will not be enough to run the programmes currently in existence. those who will be affected most will be the weaker sector of our society.

What about the employees of the FAI. Those people who depend on the wages they receive from the FAI, to bring up their own families.  the effects of John Delaney's mismanagement and the sheer scale of his ineptitude will hit Irish football a seismic blow.

The "hard working" Donal has belatedly resigned and any other of his "hard working" minions should depart stage left immediately.  But this will not be enough. We need a new model, not just at the top at board level but all the way down. We do not need to elect more replicas of what we had.  there is a huge amount of work to be done to avoid Irish football spiralling downwards.

Nero fiddles while Rome Burns.

Another sign of no change in the attitude of the FAI “suits”  to the working people they are supposed to look after. The treatment of the Under 21’s sums up their mind set totally.

At Under 21 we have a team bristlning with talent playing in a Euro Qualifier.  They have to travel to Armenia next Thursday, then play Sweden the following tuesday.  This will involve taking a total of 5 flights, three there and two back. It basically means the lads are going to be exhausted for both matches and their hopes of qualifying severely damaged. Why is this happening you ask - Well the FAI are in such a state financially that they cannot afford to look after International teams property..  The reasons of course are financial. The fall out from the John Delaney debacle is now affecting the elite level of Irish football. We know already it is having a devastating effect on the grassroots. Employees are in fear of losing their jobs and all sections within the structures are suffering.  

We have just had the case of money due to go to the FFA (Football For All) being siphoned off elsewhere.  This is an absolute disgrace. People with disabilities are already discriminated enough in their normal life without carrying on the discrimination by the FAI.  Colm Fay of FFA found out in March that the budget from government was É212,490 when he was under the impression that no more than E80,000 was available. A full-time member of staff  has left the FAI and not been replaced. Colm Young reported this to Donal Conway and Rea Walsh, the new face of the FAI and they failed to shed any light on this matter SHOCK, HORROR

This is a disgrace and wrong at every level.  Who WAS to blame - John Delaney. Who IS to blame now - the current mob..  All of these things happening we are told, are because of the financial crisis left in the wake of John Delaney .  How bad is it?

We don’t know.  Why do we not know? Because the accounts for 2018 and the amended accounts for 2017  have not been published. They are due this month, or maybe next month or the month after.  While the FAI are not doing the job they were elected to do, it seems they can come to a quick arrangement wihen it comes  John Delaney , which we have no details on. That deal will make the E100,000 they can’t find for the U21’s look like small change.

I will also point out that the “suits” were not able to attend the Oireachtas committee meeting because they were being wined and dined in Switzerland.  How much did that junket cost I wonder. The more things change the more they stay the same. 

Last night Dundalk beat Linfield 6-0.  A result that clearly shows the gap that has been created between the LOI and the Irish League.  I don’t think there is any real doubt that currently the LOI if far stronger than the Irish League despite the fact that the FAI show no interest in our League.

What is worrying was the behaviour of a small section of both fans.  Despite the 20 years of the Peace Process the mind-set of this small section hasn’t changed.  The display of the PARA flag in Windsor Park was done to provoke a reaction from Dundalk.supporters.  The same thing happened in reverse at the match in Oriel Park with the singing of pro IRA songs. Can you imagine the scenes if these matches were played in al All Ireland League.

And that’s a Wrap

Well the end of the season has come..  I think the League of Ireland teams can be proud of themselves. Attendances are up, the football has improved.  If you take out the antics of the FAI, I'd say the product has definitely improved.

Dundalk, League Champions for the 5th time in 6 years.  This despite the departure of Stephen Kenny to International Football.  You have to commend the efforts of Vinny Perth and his staff. It is not an easy task coming in after such a successful manager.  People say the team is already there, so it's an easy task.. Not so. it is so difficult to come in and perform at the standards which have been set over the past 5 seasons..  the players have only to drop their standards a notch and another team will step up to the plate.  

Well that team will be Shamrock Rovers.  They will benefit hugely from winning the FAI Cup.  Beating Dundalk in the final will be a huge boost to their confidence and belief.  to be considered a top side you must win a trophy to have a good season. Well Rovers did that on Sunday and deserved their win.  The fact that it was Dundalk they beat will give them the confidence and belief they can win a League Title. In fairness next years League title can only go to Dundalk or Rovers.

I look forward to Shels being in the big League next year.  I really hope they can consolidate their position in the top League.  Progress has to be made slowly and I hope supporters give the team a chance and don't expect miracles.

I have already written about the great job Keith Long, his players and staff have done over the past couple of seasons. to secure a European spot is a phenomenal achievement especially when you consider they are basically a part-time team, while the teams around them are predominantly full time.

It is easy to praise the top 3 teams, but for me there in an unsung hero that will probably be ignored completely when the awards are given out.  his name is Olly Horgan, Manager of Finn Harps. His feat of keeping them in the Premier Division matches any of the achievements of the teams above him.  I was really sorry to see Drogheda losing the play-offs but delighted for Olly who has done the impossible and will have to do the same again next year.

Just a brief comment on an All Ireland League.  It came as no surprise to me that the IFA would not be supportive.  Turkeys don't vote for Christmas. There is no doubt that in an All Ireland League the suits lose.  Why would they give up positions of power to join up with a League that has a dysfunctional management team.  I also believe that football in Ireland is not at a stage to merge. Even after 20 years of the Peace Process, can you imagine Linfield going to Derry/Dundalk and vice versa.  I am not convinced that football fans have made the progress that the rest of society has over the past 20 years. Maybe I'm Wrong!!

You know you are getting old when your babies start to retire,  May I congratulate Derek Pender on another magnificent season for him personally and for his club.  He played for me when the game was played in a completely different fashion to how it is played now.  He was truly formidable. To be able to adjust to the modernisation of the game so successfully says everything about the man.  Happy retirement Detser - no more aches and pains on Saturday mornings after giving it all on a Friday night.

All the above sentiments are heartfelt, but this blog is a bit yo-ho-ho, Happy Holidays.  I have left the final say on UCD to last. I was there when the "Doc" Tony O'Neill started the professional program in UCD.  He wanted students on scholarships to have the benefit of playing with professionals. This policy came to early fruition when they won the FAI Cup beating a great Shamrock Rovers side in the final.  the scholarship scheme has progressed now to such an extent that all the top clubs have players who have played with UCD and benefited from the education program.  This year they bowed to the pressure of their stakeholders and sacked one of the most talented coaches in the country. Shame on them.

“Long” Time coming for Boh’s

Special Congratulations to Boh’s on qualifying for Europe.  I have to admit that Bohs and Dalymount have never been favourites of mine.  Not I hasten to add through any fault of the Club but just bad memories of breaking my leg there and trying to get out on a stretcher! It’s a long story but its for another day.  Speaking of Long what a job Keith Long, Trevor Crolly and the staff have done.  It is unfortunate for them that they are competing against a great Dundalk side who continue on relentlessly.  If it wasn’t for Stephen Kenny last year and Vinny Perth this year I believe Keith would have received the Manager of the Year award this year. Keith Long however has had an outstanding year, with Bohs punching way above their weight.  They have put their faith in youth and it has paid off handsomely.

I am also over the moon for one of my football babies.  Derek Pender, one of many unsung heroes of League of Ireland.  I had the privilege of managing Detser and what a pleasure that was.  I never thought back then that he would play for a further decade with Bohs.  The game has changed so much but he has adapted his game to suit.  Mind you he still likes the odd tackle.

The All Ireland League is due up for discussion again this week.  I have to admit I am not a big fan of this idea.  I believe that we would be far better off fixing our own League.  We should I believe set up an independent body to run and market the League of Ireland.  If we got the right people involved I think our league has a bright future.  We need to step away from the FAI  and run our League, for and  on behalf of ourselves.  It will be a struggle to get people of the right calibre to do this, we need to concentrate on getting our League up to speed before we contemplate an All Ireland League.

I had the pleasure of having dinner with Eoin Hand last night.  Had a great night talking all things football and then of course had the pleasure of hearing the great man sing.  Needless to say the crowd loved him.

DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD

John Delaney finally departs stage left, but not before negotiating a sizeable payoff from the F.A.I. I understand that legally this might have had to be done but it galls me,

It infuriates me that a man who was paid a huge salary, negotiated with himself, A Golden Handcuff agreement, went on paid gardening leave and then leaves with a wedge.  All paid for by us the Tax Payer, not the F.A.I.  This point seems to get buried in every conversation about John Delaney and the F.A.I Can I say that the money being spent by the F.A.I. is OUR money, not the F.A.I.’s money.  John O’Regan just last week came out to bat for John Delaney once again.  He was one of a number of people who came out to tell us how good John Delaney was when all this mess started.  How good he was to Kerry, Limerick et al.  But he fails to comprehend that the largess distributed by John Delany personally on many occasions was not his money, it was OUR money.  The fact that he has “young kids” and “old parents” is unfortunate and we must be careful to distinguish family from business.  These problems are John Delaney’s problems, he is responsible for his own actions, his actions determined that he resign.  May I say to John O’Regan that I am one of the whinging and moaning League of Ireland guys I just don’t wear a blazer and there are many like me who are appalled at the actions of John Delaney.  It will take more that a Chicken Dinner to change my mind.

Shane Ross’s politics would not be my politics.  I don’t know what he knows about any sport but particularly Soccer.  I would hazard a guess that unlike Michael D. Higgins, he wouldn’t know whether the ball was pumped or stuffed.  His performance in Dublin Airport when Katie arrived home was cringe worthy and I believe made him a laughing stock.  Reminded me so much of Charles Haughey’s dash to the Champs Elysees in 1987 to be there when Stephen Roche won the Tour de France, but these people are politicians and they do what politicians do.  The thing is they have to put themselves up for election and the people decide their fate.  This obviously is not the case in the F.A.I.

In an article recently Shane Ross described what it was like to take on the F.A.I. going on trips with the F.A.I., who then offer to pay your bill, you refuse, but it is paid anyway, you then pay the F.A.I. back the money for the bill.  Later on a “source” leaks the fact that you were a guest of the F.A.I. and that they paid the bill.  If you don’t have proof that you repaid the money to the F.A.I. you are in trouble. This is sinister in the extreme.

What about the “new” F.A.I.? Don’t make me laugh. The new F.A.I. (N.F.A.I.) is very similar to the old F.A.I. They have the draw for the cup, named after their association, early in the morning on radio so no one knows who is playing whom.  This is how they promote this PRESTIGEOUS and historic competition.  Oh and by the way the Boss of the N.F.A.I.  Refuses to go on air in someone asks him a question.  The N.F.A.I. then announces the resignation of John Delaney at 11pm on Saturday night, and refuse to give details of the package. Old F.A.I. and N.F.A.I – Similar

Lastly the N.F.A.I. doesn’t want to appear before the Oireachtas committee on the 16^th October because it is the day after the Switzerland match in the Euro’s.  Why can they not attend, I saw Mick McCarthy’s squad and none of them are in it! OH maybe there is a “Jolly Up” planned for the new BLAZERS.

The 2019 Season so far

Missed the last couple of weeks of the Blog.  Sometimes I just get fed up with the way the league is “Run”, the people who “Run” it or maybe I should say RUIN our League. I seem to be banging on about this for a lifetime and nothing seems to change.  It gets to me and I have to take a step back. I have to take myself out of the bubble that is the L.O.I. for me.  I am not going to let the John Delaney payoff get to me. 

I am going to try to be really positive about THE BEST LITTLE LEAGUE IN THE WORLD.

Congratulations first of all to Shelburne on their return to the Premier Division. I really do believe that they are returning to their rightful place in the big time.  Obviously the injection of cash from investors was vitally important to them. But I’ll have to say that without the work of Joe Casey and his band of dedicated workers there would have been no club around to inject cash into. These people were around in 2007 when the club was on its knees and within days of going out of football. Without their efforts the Club would have died. I think it is important to remember that the past creates the future.  I hope they can raise the necessary Capital that the Club will need to compete in the Premier Division.  It is going to be a steep learning curve for all involved.

What about my beloved Dundalk.  What a season,  what a job Vinny Perth and his staff have done. I was worried at the start that there were too many Chiefs and that  might hamper the decisions being made. I am glad to admit that I was totally wrong on this. This team and the Management are on the way to a record breaking year no matter what happens. A League Cup already won, a League Win with 4 matches to spare and a place in the Cup Final. What a Season.

The task of following Stephen Kenny was daunting.  Most new Managers would have tried to “put their stamp” on the squad.  It takes a huge amount of belief and confidence in your own ability to leave well enough alone.  He knew he had a really good squad and he managed them magnificently.  Unlike most managers it was not about him, it was about the team.  He put his faith in them and they have repaid his confidence in them. We have seen what has happened in clubs where a really good manager has left.  It has taken years and many managers to get back to where they were.  Dundalk are lucky that they had an assistant big enough and brave enough to carry on the mantle of Stephen Kenny and still do it his way. Well done Players, Staff and you Vinny Perth.

All eyes now on Cup Final Day.  I have been impressed with Rovers every time I have seen them this year.  I thought they performed better in Europe than the other League teams.  Because of their history in the Cup playing Rovers in the final will add spice to an already great occasion.  They will be disappointed that they could not push Dundalk in the League.  They will see this as their chance to prove that they can compete with the best Dundalk Team in history.  For Stephen Bradley it is important that the Club win some silverwear.  It will give them the belief that they can go and compete to win the League next year.  It is going to be a fantastic occasion, with two huge clubs involved, Clubs that have a huge fan base. The two top teams playing, lets pack the Aviva. What a TV showcase for our League that would be.

I have purposely stayed away from commenting on Gardens, Gardening Leave, Pension Funds, Grotesque Salaries, Rent Allowance and Pay Offs.  I will be back on that horse next week

Our National Broadcaster

What a joke, Dundalk played a quarter final of the major Cup Competition in Waterford on a Monday night with less than 1,000 people attending.  Why? I hear you ask.  The answer–because the tie had to be re-arranged to allow Waterford pay Hearts Colts on Friday.  What a joke.  What a way to treat the League’s most prestigious competition.  How can the F.A.I.  Cup be treated with so little respect.  I am sure the sponsors of the Cup were not best pleased.  But hey it’s run by our glorious F.AI. it has to be a joke.  I’m sure John Delaney is in his garden laughing his socks off as the F.A.I. lurch from one farce to another.  Only good thing about it is that Dundalk won.

This leaves Shamrock Rovers, Dundalk and Sligo Rovers through, to be joined by the winner of Crumlin Utd v Bohs.  Again due to the “magnificent” work of the F.A.I. the draw will be live at 8.30am on RADIO. Most prestigious Cup competition – I don’t think so

Potentially a great weekend ahead for Shels in the First Division.  Surely the time has come for them to claim a place in the Premier Division.  Hopefully they will win the match against the Drogs and clinch the title.  I’ll be glued to the phone looking at their results.  I know to my cost the feeling of Last Match Blues.  To all the people travelling, get behind the team and enjoy the game, if that is possible.

 I see that RTE, our national broadcaster are now showing a few League of Ireland matches as the season draws to a close.  Well Whoopee and thanks for that.  I don’t know what they have been doing since May.  I understand the L.O.I. is a niche sport.  I understand that it does not compete with GAA or Rugby as far as viewing figures are concerned, but Soccer is still the biggest sport played in Ireland and is a market that can be tapped into.  Again it is up to the F.A.I. to negotiate a deal that includes the L.O.I. when they do a deal for the International team.  But will it happen, you tell me.

What a debut for Jack Byrne, fantastic performance and showed what a L.O.I. player is capable of. He looked completely comfortable playing in the National Team.

Congratulations also to Stephen Kenny on his brilliant start to the U21 Euro qualifiers, showing that the L.O.I. can produce top class Managers as well as top class players.