Ungrateful FAI Delaney

[Zapatista]

Exactly, Delaney was only presenting facts, but the rednecks on here who can't stand soccer and see it as a threat, interpret any thing Delaney says as an insult.

Only when he's being a p***k.

[Main Street]

Lets go back to the article

That's not fair. You can't just pass through the sensational newspaper headline as if it were invisible, read and comprehend the article,  then separate the actual quotes from the surmises and accurately conclude that there is no parting shot never mind ungratefulness from Delaney.
Think of all those all those who jump into the thread blindfold, blowing hot air.

[T Fearon]

Indiana you are being disingenuous to suggest that the GAA ever consented to sharing their facilities with soccer. FFS back in 1991 they wouldn't even countenance letting Dublin and Down play a challenge game at the RDS because soccer was on the menu as well.

The GAA is to blame totally here. If they had consented to allowing Croke Park to become the national sports stadium 10 years ago there would have been no need to redevelop Lansdowne, and sure the vote was only carried to rent out to soccer and rugby on the basis of a strictly time limited deal.

[Tyrone Dreamer]

Indiana you are being disingenuous to suggest that the GAA ever consented to sharing their facilities with soccer. FFS back in 1991 they wouldn't even countenance letting Dublin and Down play a challenge game at the RDS because soccer was on the menu as well.

The GAA is to blame totally here. If they had consented to allowing Croke Park to become the national sports stadium 10 years ago there would have been no need to redevelop Lansdowne, and sure the vote was only carried to rent out to soccer and rugby on the basis of a strictly time limited deal.

What exactly are they to blame for? Having the vision to build the best stadium in the country despite not having an international dimension and the finacial benefits. Managing the stadium in such a way that the debt is almost cleared and well ahead of schedule (and this was happening before the stadium was opened to soccer and rugby). I can understand why soccer and rugby would want a national stadium but the gaa has and will manage just fine without one.

[Bord na Mona man]

The GAA is to blame totally here. If they had consented to allowing Croke Park to become the national sports stadium 10 years ago there would have been no need to redevelop Lansdowne, and sure the vote was only carried to rent out to soccer and rugby on the basis of a strictly time limited deal.

Look at it from the GAA's point of view, rather than a jack of all sports view.
Where is the benefit for the GAA in building stadia and facilities for other organisations?
The GAA is a lot of things, but it isn't a charity.

The FAI have for a long time held a desire to have their own stadium, going back to Eircom Park (which you seem to be conveniently ignoring). A couple of years Delaney himself stated that the FAI needed a national stadium of its own.
This latest ball hopping effort by Delaney is to take the heat off the FAI for selling the Brazilian friendly to the highest bidder.

[Bord na Mona man]

Indiana you are being disingenuous to suggest that the GAA ever consented to sharing their facilities with soccer.

Sorry to blow your agenda out of the water, but it is on the record that the GAA were the only sporting organisation willing to get involved in a National Stadium project at the start of the 90s.

[ziggysego]

The GAA is a lot of things, but it isn't a charity.

And therein lies the problem. A lot of these soccer eejits within the FAI and fans (Tony included) think that the GAA is and that have an automatic right to get into Croke Park.

Well once the gates closed, I for one will be wanting to keep it closed.

[Hardy]

The GAA is a lot of things, but it isn't a charity.

And therein lies the problem. A lot of these soccer eejits within the FAI and fans (Tony included) think that the GAA is and that have an automatic right to get into Croke Park.

That does seem to be the default position of soccer people at all levels from officials all the way up to supporters.

[rosnarun]

remeber Eircom park every one . back then the fai they wanted their own Stadium with no regard to what the GAA or irfu for that matter did or said .
it blew up mainly because they would not tell their own reasurer, Brendan Menton the truth about the project and it seems this mendacity continues in relation to the 10 year tickets. no one can get a stright answer.
Rember they wanted it built quickly so ireland could stage euro 08 and to make the sums add up the were going to stage 57 events a year. these are not people you want to be doing financial deals with

[Main Street]

The GAA is a lot of things, but it isn't a charity.

And therein lies the problem. A lot of these soccer eejits within the FAI and fans (Tony included) think that the GAA is and that have an automatic right to get into Croke Park.

Well once the gates closed, I for one will be wanting to keep it closed.

Please refer to one quote  from the FAI where they state that they should have an automatic right to use Croke Park, since the time the FAI were mulling over stadium projects.
Or is this yet another -  I believe the FAI have this opinion so therefore they have?

Afair, the FAI/IRFU negotiations (as they were reported in the media) with the GAA, were carried out with appropriate respect towards the GAA tradition and the GAA constitution.
Once the GAA agreed to give the green light then it became a mutual business relationship that all parties agree to abide by and richly benefit from.
Years ago when the negotiations commenced, Delaney would not have expected Croke Park to be made available to the FAI for a game such as the Brazil international.

Afaiu, the soccer fans are looking forward to the new Lansdowne Rd.
As to being glad the Croke Park gates will be shut according to the rules, that will also be a case of the vast majority respecting the wishes of the minority.

[heffo]

Indiana you are being disingenuous to suggest that the GAA ever consented to sharing their facilities with soccer. FFS back in 1991 they wouldn't even countenance letting Dublin and Down play a challenge game at the RDS because soccer was on the menu as well.

In fairness Tony, the joint venture suggestion between the Govt, FAI, IRFU & GAA is a matter of public record.

Peter Quinn has frequently mentioned it in the past.

I have no axe to grind with the FAI and have no particular first hand knowledge of Delaney, but I anyone I know involved in Irish soccer - from Saturday league pub teams, to FAI committee level has never had a good word to say about him..

[Hardy]

The GAA is a lot of things, but it isn't a charity.

And therein lies the problem. A lot of these soccer eejits within the FAI and fans (Tony included) think that the GAA is and that have an automatic right to get into Croke Park.

Well once the gates closed, I for one will be wanting to keep it closed.

Please refer to one quote  from the FAI where they state that they should have an automatic right to use Croke Park, since the time the FAI were mulling over stadium projects.
Or is this yet another -  I believe the FAI have this opinion so therefore they have?

Afair, the FAI/IRFU negotiations (as they were reported in the media) with the GAA, were carried out with appropriate respect towards the GAA tradition and the GAA constitution.
Once the GAA agreed to give the green light then it became a mutual business relationship that all parties agree to abide by and richly benefit from.
Years ago when the negotiations commenced, Delaney would not have expected Croke Park to be made available to the FAI for a game such as the Brazil international.

Afaiu, the soccer fans are looking forward to the new Lansdowne Rd.
As to being glad the Croke Park gates will be shut according to the rules, that will also be a case of the vast majority respecting the wishes of the minority.

I think you're right about the IRFU, MS, but definitely not the FAI or the soccer community. They have been grudging, ungrateful and disrespectful and acted like a crowd of knackers (I used the word deliberately earlier) that you let into your field and who proceed to treat the place as if they owned it, complain about it and wonder out loud about why it took you so long to let them in in the first place.

It's nothing that's written in the official contracts - it's just the attitude that comes across from the soccer community and it's totally at variance with that of the rugby people I talk to.

One simple example - Ronnie Whelan on RTÉ saying (I paraphrase) "they were always going to have to give in and let us in eventually".

I was always in favour of opening up, purely for practical purposes - we can use the money - but that attitude would test your conviction that it was worth it.

[LilySavage]

Delaney embarassed our country with his whinging after the Henry incident . He has some cheektaking a cheap shot like that at the GAA. If he was unhappy with the original agreement, why di d the simpleton agree to it? Also, the GAA may have received 1.3m per game or whatever but the FAI sold an extra 30000 seats for France, Italy games and consequently they were quids in as well.

[Shamrock Shore]

Of course as soon as the FAI got a lend of the keys they renamed Hill 16 as the "North End". I have a classic email from them when I emailed in a complaint saying this was for "logistical" reasons.

Delaney is a clown and this is all a deflection attempt to cover the embarrassment of poor advance ticket sales on Aviva Stadium and the financial joke that is the League of Ireland.

There was more at the recent O'Byrne Cup clash between Longford and Meath (2,000) than at most LOI games.

[From the Bunker]

Lads, Lads, Lads.......we have had a great couple of years. Soccer got the use of a HOME stadium for Matches. They made decent revenue from the extra seats. The GAA made extra revenue also. To see organisations as a threat is worring. If everybody played GAA alone we would never have had a Brian O'Driscoll, Paul McGrath, Eamon Coughlan, Ken Doherty, Barry McGuigan, Stephen Roche etc. Variety is the spice of life. True the FAI and IRFU have their faults, so do the GAA. To err is human. As a Soccer and Football fan i took great pride in both organisations working together for over this period. It is regretful that due to circumstances beyond both organisations this could not continue.