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Topic: I'm entitled to the odd night out too -- Delaney
laochra gael
(422 Posts)
Posted: 24-Jun-2012 08:36
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John Delaney says he takes "a grave offence" at criticism of his behaviour during Ireland's dismal European Championships, insisting that he was "entitled" to a night out.

In a wide-ranging interview in the Sunday Independent, the FAI's chief executive refused to answer other questions about his socialising in Sopot, complaining that the association's good work at the tournament, at which Ireland failed to claim a single point, was being overlooked while his night-time behaviour was being highlighted. "I think that's something I'm entitled to do on the odd occasion when I'm there," he said.

He pointed out that the tournament had been a success from an administrative point of view.

"We've organised a tournament that was pretty faultless administratively and that's the key role and that's what we've achieved," he said.

He said he would discuss his socialising in Sopot, which has resulted in several unflattering pictures and videos appearing on Twitter and YouTube, with the FAI board of management if requested but insisted nobody had asked any questions over his behaviour. Instead he defended the administrative success of the FAI over the month.

"Every morning we had a meeting at 9.0am when we were away in Montecatini, in Hungary and in Poland. We did our stuff really well. I met with Robbie Keane and [Giovanni] Trapattoni every three or four days and we went through all the issues.

"We worked very, very hard. And if I had a night out, with family, my sister was over there, my brother-in-law and some friends, I think that's something I'm entitled to do on the odd occasion when I'm there."

He rejected the suggestion that the footage of him had damaged the reputation of him or the association, insisting that, 10 years on from Saipan, ensuring there was no repeat of that debacle was the objective of the FAI and one which they achieved.

Delaney has been supported by the Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni who, when asked about the chief-executive's "over-indulging", defended him by saying that drink was part of Irish culture.

"In England and Ireland, this is habit," Trapattoni said. "Sometimes when I'm surprised by some behaviour, I'm told 'we are Irish' or 'we are English'. It's difficult to understand but it is the habit of the country and it's not easy to change the habit of the people. It's a cultural thing. We have the same problem sometimes with the players."

Trapattoni has received Delaney's backing too, although he said that "mistakes were made" but backed the manager to respond to them.

"I think he accepts that mistakes were made. He accepts that. We will sit down and review all aspects of the tournament, including the football side. Like any good manager, and he's proved that over a long period of time, he'll learn from the Euros."

Delaney said there were absolutely no circumstances under which he would consider dismissing the manager and refused to speculate about what would happen if Ireland lost their opening matches in the World Cup qualifiers in the autumn.

He insisted there was no greater threat of redundancies within the FAI after the failure to achieve any of the financial incentives in Poland that came with points or finishing third in the group. He refused to rule out further redundancies in the association, saying, "like any business, we're all looking at our cost base".

Delaney also explained the truth behind the story that he ended up with his shoes being stolen after one night out in Sopot.

"I'm coming home, two hundred lads see me, they lift me up and they carry me up and lift me head-high to my hotel and they sing 'Shoes off for the Boys in Green'. And they handed me my shoes back and they handed me my socks back. Simple as that."
GalwayDownUnder
(1,438 Posts)
Posted: 24-Jun-2012 08:57
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I was chatting to a fellow GAA man this morning. We agreed that the Independent would run an anti GAA or soccer story just to distance the embarressment of the rugby 60-0 loss from the memories of the people.

In a few days time we will have a feel good story about some rugby player who saves a kitten from a tree and we will all fall in love with the wonderful sport again. As I've said before Sir Tony is on a mission to make rugby the number 1 sport in Ireland and he is winning.
Glór na ngael
(1,198 Posts)
Posted: 24-Jun-2012 09:00
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Blatant evasion of the issue by Delaney. He seems to behave like this often on Ireland away trips-Estonia, Slovakia, Poland- and yet thinks that this doesn't reflect on the FAI. In his capacity as Chief Executive, he is the face of the FAI and has a responsibilty to appear professional. It also looks particularly bad in the week that a League of Ireland club opted out of senior football due to financial problems.
cerebus
(3,258 Posts)
Posted: 24-Jun-2012 09:26
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Originally posted by laochra gael:
Giovanni Trapattoni who, when asked about the chief-executive's "over-indulging", defended him by saying that drink was part of Irish culture."In England and Ireland, this is habit,".. Simple as that."

'El Trapp is maturing as a manager : looking good for a recall of the troubadour Andy Reid, apparently.
Conorto
(145 Posts)
Posted: 24-Jun-2012 10:35
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Originally posted by Glór na ngael:
Blatant evasion of the issue by Delaney. He seems to behave like this often on Ireland away trips-Estonia, Slovakia, Poland- and yet thinks that this doesn't reflect on the FAI. In his capacity as Chief Executive, he is the face of the FAI and has a responsibilty to appear professional. It also looks particularly bad in the week that a League of Ireland club opted out of senior football due to financial problems.

He is an absolute cretin. The sad thing is that he is actually winning alot of supporters of the national team over with this behaviour. I let loose with the abuse when he came on the pitch clapping the fans after the match in Estonia. Most people were cheering him as if he had scored the winner though.
South Limerick Referee
(16,613 Posts)
Posted: 24-Jun-2012 14:20
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This article was coming regardless of how the Rugby team got on. It was topical, relevant and truthful.

Get out there and buy the Independent. A full broadsheet 2 page Q and A interview with Delaney where he and Dion Fanning seem to fall out bringing it to a premature end.

One of the greatest interviews I have ever read on any topic and fair play to Dion Fanning for asking the hard questions and outlining the reactions of Delaney.
This message has been edited - 24-jun-2012 @ 17:00
cowpat
(1,540 Posts)
Posted: 24-Jun-2012 15:44
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The Paddys fall for the three card trick every time........
deise abu
(70 Posts)
Posted: 24-Jun-2012 15:54
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Delaney is a character on an inflated salary no doubt. There has been some definite improvements in the operation of football at most levels under his watch though and this needs to be kept in mind. Particularly when one bears in mind the person that conducted the interview. Mrs Deise Abu would be about his equivalent in footballing acumen.
This message has been edited - 28-jun-2012 @ 16:42
Seamus McSpud
(990 Posts)
Posted: 24-Jun-2012 16:57
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I see Delaney the man who came up with the idea that Eire be allowed compete in the South Africa World Cup as a 33rd team despite not qualifying now wants UEFA to give the Eire fans an award!
Tipsy MacStagger
(273 Posts)
Posted: 24-Jun-2012 18:02
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John Delaney gets drunk. Big fooking deal.
Hold that Line
(3,117 Posts)
Posted: 24-Jun-2012 18:34
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Don't think anyone would object to John Delaney having a night out but from the pictures and videos from Poland he looked more like a college student in the middle of his first rag week.
Tipsy MacStagger
(273 Posts)
Posted: 24-Jun-2012 18:47
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It's an absolute nothing story.

I didn't see anybody in the media objecting to the toe-curlingly embarrassing sight of Ian Woosnam and Darren Clarke trying to down pints in one go on live TV on the balcony of the K Club after Europe won the Ryder Cup, and getting most of it down their shirts. But then that's a respectable sport like golf, not a sport played and followed by proletarian filth like association football.

Next week: Willie John McBride and Sir Anthony O'Reilly lovingly reminisce on the high jinks on the '74 Lions tour, trashing hotel rooms, setting fire to carpets and exploding fire extinguishers. Oh the hilarity, and they were doing it all in solidarity with the blacks. Great times, great people.
This message has been edited - 24-jun-2012 @ 18:49
Inglis Drever
(415 Posts)
Posted: 24-Jun-2012 20:46
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It's embarrassing, surely on his salary he can have his night out behind closed doors with all his mates and then when he's in the public eye be on some form of better behaviour. If the President of the GAA did this, or the head of one of the Unions or whoever we would all be rightly up in arms. His position come with certain responsibilities, one of which is how he carries himself in public.
deise abu
(70 Posts)
Posted: 24-Jun-2012 22:02
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JD does leave a lot to be desired in his actions at times and is most certainly a media whore, so probably cannot complain when a hatchet job is done on him.
This message has been edited - 28-jun-2012 @ 16:44
South Limerick Referee
(16,613 Posts)
Posted: 24-Jun-2012 22:13
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The 2 page spread that I read in todays Indo is not the work of an incompetent journalist. He basically asks all the questions that the public would want such a journalist to ask given the opportunity.

He secured the interview, asked the questions and extracted answers to 90% of them. A decent days work. If Miguel Delaney or any of the other soccer journalists came up with it, they would be lauded for it.
Club Delegate
(313 Posts)
Posted: 24-Jun-2012 22:49
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If Delaney is getting €400,000 a year for God knows what, he should be able to put up with a few --------ly questions from a journalist.
Limerick Rake
(257 Posts)
Posted: 24-Jun-2012 22:51
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Lets face it John Delaney is given 400,000 a year by the soccer crowd..if any of us were on that money we;d get -------sed most of the time as well...only top dublin drug dealers are getting more money per annum..
cerebus
(3,258 Posts)
Posted: 24-Jun-2012 23:00
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Originally posted by Inglis Drever:
His position come with certain responsibilities, one of which is how he carries himself in public.

Twas the Praetorian Guard of fans carrying him in public like Claudius after Little Boots was assassinated that has upset the Plebs.
Glór na ngael
(1,198 Posts)
Posted: 25-Jun-2012 08:29
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Originally posted by Tipsy MacStagger:
It's an absolute nothing story. I didn't see anybody in the media objecting to the toe-curlingly embarrassing sight of Ian Woosnam and Darren Clarke trying to down pints in one go on live TV on the balcony of the K Club after Europe won the Ryder Cup, and getting most of it down their shirts. But then that's a respectable sport like golf, not a sport played and followed by proletarian filth like association football. Next week: Willie John McBride and Sir Anthony O'Reilly lovingly reminisce on the high jinks on the '74 Lions tour, trashing hotel rooms, setting fire to carpets and exploding fire extinguishers. Oh the hilarity, and they were doing it all in solidarity with the blacks. Great times, great people.

In fairness, Eamonn Sweeney did at the time, saying that golf got an easy ride in the media compared to the GAA for allowing Guinness to sponsor the hurling championship. Can't find the link, though.
N16
(1,724 Posts)
Posted: 25-Jun-2012 08:33
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Ireland is going as bad now as the UK for tabloid journalism - trying to make stories out of nothing. So what if he had a few beers and let his hair down.
Glór na ngael
(1,198 Posts)
Posted: 25-Jun-2012 10:38
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Originally posted by N16:
Ireland is going as bad now as the UK for tabloid journalism - trying to make stories out of nothing. So what if he had a few beers and let his hair down.

The point is that he seems to get very publicly s**tfaced every time Ireland play away from home, which hardly reflects well on the association, especially when so many LOI teams are struggling to make ends meet. Have you ever heard of similar behaviour from senior figures in the GAA or IRFU on a consistent basis? No, because they probably have the cop on to do that sort of thing in private. It's all about optics, no-one is saying he can't have a few beers, but he's making a very public nuisance of himself for the FAI.
N16
(1,724 Posts)
Posted: 25-Jun-2012 10:51
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Originally posted by Glór na ngael:
The point is that he seems to get very publicly s**tfaced every time Ireland play away from home, which hardly reflects well on the association, especially when so many LOI teams are struggling to make ends meet. Have you ever heard of similar behaviour from senior figures in the GAA or IRFU on a consistent basis? No, because they probably have the cop on to do that sort of thing in private. It's all about optics, no-one is saying he can't have a few beers, but he's making a very public nuisance of himself for the FAI.

Sh1tfaced? I think thats a bit ott. The soccer jollys are different to the rugby ones - the rugb y team either go to Italy or France or down the other end of the planet altogeher. The soccer team goes all over Europe - so not like for like. Away trips in soccer are big - and its good that he's out with the fans. I know his old man - met him once and spoke to him on the phone many times. He was treasurer of the FAI during 88. Some character, very funny man with great stories to tell about that trip and others.
Making a mountain out of a molehill here.
stones_off
(2,815 Posts)
Posted: 25-Jun-2012 11:03
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I must admit I found it funny when they were singing

"John Delaney, he used to be a wanker, but he is alright now"
Glór na ngael
(1,198 Posts)
Posted: 25-Jun-2012 11:47
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Originally posted by N16:
Sh1tfaced? I think thats a bit ott. The soccer jollys are different to the rugby ones - the rugb y team either go to Italy or France or down the other end of the planet altogeher. The soccer team goes all over Europe - so not like for like. Away trips in soccer are big - and its good that he's out with the fans. I know his old man - met him once and spoke to him on the phone many times. He was treasurer of the FAI during 88. Some character, very funny man with great stories to tell about that trip and others.
Making a mountain out of a molehill here.

To be honest, N 16, I'm not sure what kind of point you're making regarding the difference between soccer and rugby trips. Distance isn't really an issue IMO as sports fans tend to have a few bevvies irrespective of how far away they're going (think of the controversy a few years back when Dubs' fans were accused of halting the throw-in for championship matches by staying in the pubs near Croker for too long!) But Delaney is the Chief Exec of a national organisation, not an ordinary fan, and thus his responsibilities are not just to himself but to his employers.

And the evidence is that he consistently does get plastered. I know people who were drinking with him in Zilina during Ireland's Euro qualifiers who would confirm that, and there's plenty of documentary evidence of it on You Tube on Ireland away trips.

As I say, I have no problems with him doing that in his leisure time, but he's representing the FAI on official business here, not as an ordinary fan. He should try to moderate himself lest he embarrass the FAI (no easy task at this stage!)
cowpat
(1,540 Posts)
Posted: 25-Jun-2012 13:22
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HOw come on these youtube clips from Poland, instead of slagging him off normally, everything the football fans are saying has to come out like a terrace chant, where they really come across as a bunch of mentally retarded slow learners on a weekend trip somewhere.......

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