It turns out that the reason the FAI had to create an executive vice president role along the existing CEO role was because...... John Delaney was overworked.
Trying to figure out what is going on here and who is who. John Delaney is there. Next to him is the President of the FAI Board, some guy called Conway. Next to him is the "interim CEO", a young (relative to the old farts in the room) woman called Rea Walshe, who seems to, somewhat conveniently, have almost no history with the FAI.
At the moment they are talking about how to implement the Genesis Report, which dates from... 2002.
Mark Daly may hide that he did a management course in Harvard quite well, but there's no way in hell that he's ever going to climb the greasy pole in Kerry based on that performance.
It's all very well having a good laugh at Delaney and the FAI but this could be an ITV digital for the league of Ireland and the junior leagues, this is money they are due and I'm sure a lot have banked on, so if clubs start feeling the pinch I hope we're spared the "typical LOI " sneers when the blame lies elsewhere.
this problem goes away if Delaney and the board resign though. Maybe the time has come to focus on that side of things. I saw a facebook post by Cahir Park AFC in support of John Delaney and all the money he had given the club and all the drinks he had bought over the years. The comments underneath were not complimentary.
the state of Michael Healy Rae. "I'd like to just warmly congratulate and celebrate John Delaney for his dedication to Old-School Clientelism." It's like Thierry Henry making a documentary about Stanley matthews.
SF Cork Noartside: "why was the loan not recorded in the monthly accounts?"
FAI honourary treasurer who is 1000 years old: "What did he say? I'm having difficulty hearing."
FAI President: "You'd have to ask our new treasurer"
New treasurer, straight out of college: "Well, I wasn't working here at the time, I've just been hired recently."
Most of that is behind a paywall, but the first two paragraphs say enough.
John Delaney, the executive vice-president of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), spent almost €40,000 on his work credit card in the last six months of 2016, a Sunday Times investigation has found.
While Delaney was on a salary of €360,000 as chief executive, he used the FAI credit card to pay for duty-free purchases at airports, meals in his local pub in Wicklow and to make cash withdrawals of more than €6,000 in six months.
Purchases on Delaney’s FAI credit card included €400 at a Hilfiger store, more than €500 on two visits to an executive dry-cleaning outfit, and a €226 bill from Thomas Pink, a store that claims to have perfected “the traditions and intuition of English shirtmaking”.
The FAI said “no comment” when asked about Delaney’s credit card expenses, and about a separate €60,000 payment made by the association in early 2014 to a third party labelled as “professional fees”.
The Sunday Times also found that, on top of Delaney’s company credit card expenses, the FAI paid a bill of €8,018 in December 2015 to cover his stay at the Ritz-Carlton hotel beside New York’s Central Park. The hotel features soundproof windows and feather beds dressed in goose-down duvets, while guests are offered a choice of pillows from a menu.
As director of Waterford Football Club in 2001, Delaney called on then FAI chief executive Bernard O’Byrne to stand down pending a review of his use of an FAI credit card. O’Byrne subsequently accepted an exit package amid allegations that he used the card for personal spending. O’Byrne, who repaid the sums in question, blamed the issue on an “administrative error”.
Delaney’s FAI credit card included 13 separate bills from Plucks, his local pub and restaurant in Kilmacanogue, amounting to a total of €563 in six months. He also had charges of €119 from Kurt Geiger, an upmarket British footwear and accessories retailer, and a €91 bill from Cath Kidston, a “distinctive lifestyle brand”.
The credit card statements show Delaney had a tendency to withdraw cash using the FAI card in sums ranging from €100 to €250. In just over 40 cash withdrawals in six months, Delaney withdrew more than €6,180. These withdrawals incurred bank charges of more than €115 for the FAI.
On July 21, 2016, Delaney withdrew €200 and €150 from the Topaz garage in Kilmacanogue. On the same date, the credit card was used to withdraw the sterling equivalent of €265 in Terminal 2 of Heathrow. On October 7, the day after Ireland won a home World Cup qualifier against Georgia and two days before the team played away to Moldova, Delaney withdrew €600 in cash in three transactions.
The largest single charge on the credit card in the six-month period was a €4,474 bill from the Ritz- Carlton five-star hotel in Dubai in December 2016. Guests in the hotel enjoy personalised service and daily culinary presentations plus access to a private beach. While in Dubai, Delaney charged a bill of €219 from the Madinat Jumeirah resort and another bill of €271 at the Asia Asia restaurant. At the same time he paid €1,170 to “Aster Home Care”, which appears to be a healthcare company based in Dubai.
Delaney’s credit card bills show that while in London he usually stays in the Arch, an upmarket hotel near Marylebone. From six separate charges, the FAI has paid €4,202 for use of this hotel.
In September, Delaney amassed a bill of €225 from Gaucho Tower Bridge, a restaurant known for its Argentine steaks and stunning views of the Thames. Delaney has also enjoyed fine dining in Ireland with cumulative bills of €250 from two visits to Marco Pierre White’s Steakhouse and Grill. Another €72 was spent on two bills from “Kingfisher takeaway”.
Delaney travelled extensively in 2016 as he campaigned successfully for election to Uefa’s executive committee in April 2017. He charged more than €7,300 on his credit card for flights in that six-month period. There was €355 spent on duty free. He also charged more than €2,000 in petrol station bills, including a €66.74 purchase in Michael Healy-Rae’s Mace shop and garage in Kilgarvan. Last week the Kerry TD spoke in Delaney’s defence at an Oireachtas committee hearing into the FAI’s corporate governance.
Last week, the FAI refused to answer any questions about Delaney’s credit card expenses or say if he reimbursed the association any of the charges, or if he was required to present receipts for his expenditure. The FAI responded “no comment” when The Sunday Times asked whether the association had a policy on staff using company credit cards to withdraw cash.
It is understood the FAI is able to get reimbursements for tickets Delaney purchased for Manchester United and Celtic matches under an arrangement with the clubs. The former chief executive’s credit card was used to buy more than €2,300 worth of tickets from these two clubs in the six-month period.
Delaney’s solicitor did not respond to queries yesterday.
I wonder if there is a pattern to when those atm withdrawals were made. I'm reminded of the Chris Rock sketch on how no good ever comes of late night cash withdrawals. Not that I'm saying Delaney has a nosebag or expensive ladies habit of course.
Whilst I am quite sure that the Central park Ritz carlton is a very expensive and fancy hotel, I'm not sure that this part really does what they want it to do
The hotel features soundproof windows and feather beds dressed in goose-down duvets, while guests are offered a choice of pillows from a menu.
I've stayed at a fair number of hotels with soundproof windows that offer you a pillow menu. And most of them weren't expecially flash at all
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