FAI delegates endorse Delaney's failure

Zebra3

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2010/0821/fai.html

FAI report bleak figures at AGM

Saturday, 21 August 2010 19:58

FAI President John Delaney has confirmed that only 6,000 Vantage Club tickets were sold for the new Aviva Stadium as a debt of €38million was revealed by the organisation.

The announcements were made at the FAI's Annual General Meeting in Wexford as Paddy McCaul was confirmed the new President of the body, replacing David Blood.

Delaney had targeted selling 10,000 of the ten year tickets but 4,000 remain unsold.

However, the FAI hope to have the debt on the Aviva Stadium cleared by 2020.

They also reported an operating surplus of €5.2 million for 2009.

Delaney's position as Chief Executive of the FAI was given a big endorsement by delegates at the meeting.

What planet are these clowns living on?

Delaney is on €420,000 a year and gave promises that all those tickets would be sold.

He failed, the FAI is now straddled with massive debts and they all bow down to Dear Leader. :rolleyes:

nullzero

I'm no fan of his but selling a product like FAI vantage club when the country's economy is in tatters was never going to be easy regardless of who was responsible.

dreamers75

nullzero wrote: »

I'm no fan of his but selling a product like FAI vantage club when the countries economy is in tatters was never going to be easy regardless of who was responsible.

Rugger lads sold theirs years ago.

nullzero

dreamers75 wrote: »

Rugger lads sold theirs years ago.

Yeah, years ago... Was that before we all lost our jobs? Or are we going with the "rugger buggers are all loaded" line?

redout

There is 12,000 of them seats - the entire middle tier of the stadium.

The Argentina match showed vast empty seats in the middle tier.

It didnt take a rocket scientist the workout they werent all sold.

dreamers75

nullzero wrote: »

Yeah, years ago... Was that before we all lost our jobs? Or are we going with the "rugger buggers are all loaded" line?

No we are going with the rugger lads sold their years ago.

Compare the prices and who bought them.

monkey9

Yeah, but rugby fans in this country actually go to rugby matches, rather than just watching it on tv. You can't really compare.

gosplan

dreamers75 wrote: »

Rugger lads sold theirs years ago.

They're selling standing Kiwi and SA tickets for 100 euro ... in a recession.

It was always going to be easier for the IRFU to sell their tickets than the FAI.

dreamers75

monkey9 wrote: »

Yeah, but rugby fans in this country actually go to rugby matches, rather than just watching it on tv. You can't really compare.

No you can take Leinster as an example, normal gate a few years was 4000 similiar to a decent LOI attd at the time. Then they won things and had to play in the RDS with a normal gate of 15000.

Rugby fans paid for tickets as its near enough gauranteed success now, FAI havent had a team qualify for a tournement in 8 years now so obviously less interest in a team that may be ****.

homerjay2005

dreamers75 wrote: »

Rugger lads sold theirs years ago.

different folks,different strokes. There is a different market for rugby and different People support the game. It represents a different class of people. Most of their tickets sold at a time when ireland has just won the grand slam. Had they only sold them now, perhaps a different story. The corporate bubble has since burst and it is now not sense to buy them. Also, the fact we got no attractive draws for euro 2012 didnt help.

The cost for upcoming autumn rugby friendlies is 100 quid ffs. Soccer folk think 50 is too much. There lies the difference. I think they did well to sell 6000.

micks

redout wrote: »

There is 12,000 of them seats - the entire middle tier of the stadium.

The Argentina match showed vast empty seats in the middle tier.

It didnt take a rocket scientist the workout they werent all sold.

Yet 35,000 attended the Rugby opener but they've sold their tickets.

10 yr ticket is a huge commitment in this climate. Yes the FAI failed to sell their target. Delaney should take a portion of the blame which I'm sure he should.

But OP what are you looking for? Delaney to resign?

monkey9

What was the actual pricing for tickets and for how long? Ten years??

Zebra3

micks wrote: »

But OP what are you looking for? Delaney to resign?

Yep.

This is Delaney's mess. The IRFU sold their corporate tickets before the recession kicked in. The FAI decided to wait. :rolleyes:

The fact that they only sold 6,000 tickets shows they messed up the pricing.

And for the FAI to have the second most expensive national team manager in the world is disgraceful.

CiaranC

micks wrote: »

But OP what are you looking for? Delaney to resign?

The guy is on 400K+ a year and has run up debts of 38million.

nullzero

Does anyone else remeber John Delaney's previous job as a 60's style cover crooner?

:pac:

monkey9

These debts though, do they not include the building of the stadium?

LuckyLloyd

Delaney is incompetence personified. But not selling all of these Vantage Club tickets is hardly the / a reason why. To sell 60% in the current climate should be acceptable to be honest.

homerjay2005

CiaranC wrote: »

The guy is on 400K+ a year and has run up debts of 38million.

Is the fai not making money? This "debt " is down to them undertaking a huge and successful rebuilding of the stadium. it is a mortgage, Nothing else. You cant expect any football organisation just to spend 100 odd million on a stadium upfront can you?

Gavin "shels"

micks wrote: »

But OP what are you looking for? Delaney to resign?

Delaney resigning would be nice, but there's a few other options that I'd prefer.

Chardee MacDennis

homerjay2005 wrote: »

Is the fai not making money? This "debt " is down to them undertaking a huge and successful rebuilding of the stadium. it is a mortgage, Nothing else. You cant expect any football organisation just to spend 100 odd million on a stadium upfront can you?

they did only make 5m profit, take away our two playoff games which wont be there next year and we'll see how it goes...

Kidchameleon

In fairness to him, if it wasn't for that cheating French b**tard there would probably be a huge chunk of that 38 mill gone...

Töpher

If they're so screwed how come Delaney got a pay rise a few weeks ago?

micks

Zebra3 wrote: »

Yep.

This is Delaney's mess. The IRFU sold their corporate tickets before the recession kicked in. The FAI decided to wait. :rolleyes:

The fact that they only sold 6,000 tickets shows they messed up the pricing.

And for the FAI to have the second most expensive national team manager in the world is disgraceful.

The FAI could have sold them whenever most would not have paid up front my club like many committed to buying 4 vantage club tickets but pulled out of it before we had to sign off on them because the cost was too much to take on at the moment.
Even 2 years ago there was a waiting list to get the campaign "season" tickets for the next 2 yrs ticket master will prob be trying to sell match tickets.
Rugby is a different animal altogether if the FAI had the likes Brazil/Spain etc coming every winter as well as competitive series every spring then tickets might seem more attractive. Even the great Rugby dropped their tickets for the rugby opener in the Aviva to a tenner and failed to sell out.

Whatever about the rest of his job IMO its ridiculous to look for his resignation for selling 60% of their target.

micks

CiaranC wrote: »

The guy is on 400K+ a year and has run up debts of 38million.

With a stadium built I don't think thats a huge figure especially with an operating profit.

micks

BastardPrince wrote: »

they did only make 5m profit, take away our two playoff games which wont be there next year and we'll see how it goes...

Yes that's correct but I'm sure this stadium will open other areas to bring income that weren't there otherwise.
How much did the play-off's bring?
There's that home nations thingy and I'm sure some other friendlies etc

I'll be surprised if the stadium doesnt increase turnover and profit

I would think the almost 2 million a year fro Three is a good bit higher than eircom's as that was in place a long time

Neil3030

CiaranC wrote: »

The guy is on 400K+ a year and has run up debts of 38million.

How much is Cowen on again?

Drag00n79

Any financial comparison with rugby in this country is ridiculous. Whether we like to hear it or not there is a noticeable difference between the disposable income of the average football fan and rugby fan. But its at corporate level where the difference becomes really evident. A fortnight ago the FAI announced 3 as main sponsors of the senior team worth €7.5m for four years (€1.88m a year). Last week Toyota extended their sponsorship of Munster rugby for the next three years at a cost of €5.75m (1.91m a year). Note this is for a provincial team - not the national side.

Guy:Incognito

gosplan wrote: »

They're selling standing Kiwi and SA tickets for 100 euro ... in a recession.
.

The Aviva has a terrace now

ArmaniJeanss

Its so much more difficult for the FAI than the rugby lads.

Imagine if the FAI were engaged in a yearly competition with the 5 best teams in Europe.
Say Spain, Germany, Holland, England and Italy coming here in a 2 year cycle in a competition thats regarded as the ultimate in European football.

Then every Autumn they are guaranteed home competitive friendlies against 3 of Brazil, USA, Argentina, Mexico and Russia.

And if the FAI were then told that they would always qualify for the World Cup, so that there would always be a buzz of expectation about the team.

How much easier a sell would 10000 vantage tickets be then?

MisterAnarchy

micks wrote: »

With a stadium built I don't think thats a huge figure especially with an operating profit.

Lets not forget that the Irish taxpayer paid 52% of the total cost of that stadium ,a startling fact.They might as well have paid for the whole thing .

micks

MisterAnarchy wrote: »

Lets not forget that the Irish taxpayer paid 52% of the total cost of that stadium ,a startling fact.They might as well have paid for the whole thing .

I wont forget that thanks

The money football and rugby have received from the government is dwarfed by that given to the Gaa but that is a different topic and for another day