Donāt worry guys.
Iām sure the Limerick Vinters will sort it out.
there are a couple of villages/towns in limerick that are the exception that prove the rule
Limerick released a great statement at the weekend in conjunction with Barcelona. They really fired the ball back into the FAIās court and exposed them for the bluffers that they are. Pressure is mounting on the tools.
Was there a legal letter of some sort passed? Apparently Delaney and his wig are seething.
Yes, I believe so. Have a read of this. A load of bullshit from Delaney hiding behind ā3rd Party agreementsā. He is a fuckin stooge of the highest order. I detest him.
Monday May 17 2010
JOHN DELANEY broke his silence on the FAIās decision to block Limerick FCās proposed friendly with Barcelona when appearing on the Marian Finucane show along with a panel which included Fine Gaelās Limerick East TD, Kieran OāDonnell, and Dr Michael Somers, the ex-CEO of the National Treasury Management Agency. Here is an abridged version of the discussion.
Delaney: I couldnāt deal with it on Friday because the solicitorsā letters arrived in to us on Friday. I didnāt see a copy of before I went into a press conference, so I couldnāt deal with it. Iām happy to deal with it today. I think Limerick have acted naively in the whole situation. Noel Mooney spoke to the owner of Limerick on Thursday morning and explained that we couldnāt grant the game, weāre contractually bound to other people, whereby weāre unable to grant the game. I would have loved the game to have been played in Limerick.
MF: Who is the arrangement with?
Delaney: One of our third parties who we work with in terms of arranging friendlies. We would have a relationship in terms of the organisation of friendlies coming into Ireland. There are certain games we can grant and certain games we cannot grant in terms of attendance figures. The owner of Limerick Football Club accepted that and said that would be the end of the matter. Unfortunately then they start issuing statements on Thursday night. Theyāve tried to bring it into the public arena and put pressure on us.
We were as well negotiating with Barcelona to come to Dublin next year. Padraig Smith and Noel Mooney went out there to meet them three or four weeks ago. they looked for a proposal that was going to be sent to them in the autumn. Weāve also got correspondence from Barcelona last week saying theyāve not agreed to the game in Limerick yet because itās up to their manager and I know how that would work as when we were getting Manchester United to come, it always requires the manager to sign off. The commercial side will have one view on it, but the manager from a football perspective will determine it.
Kieran OāDonnell interjects to say he understands there is heads of agreement ready to be signed and Barca have agreed at management level, but need a final decision.
Delaney: The game is not going to go ahead. I would love it to go ahead, but it will not go ahead.
MF: Maybe if there was some clarity it would help.
Delaney: First of all, Marian, I donāt believe theyāve done a deal. We got an email from Barcelona in the late end of this week saying they havenāt agreed to it.
KOD: My understanding is they have.
Delaney: I can only operate in the facts that I have. The correspondence that was shown to me, I think it was on Thursday, that we got from Barcelona, (stated) that they had not agreed to it, that they had not signed off on it. Thatās the first thing.
MF: To get back to the point, why?
Delaney: We have signed up to an agreement with an agency that brings games into Ireland on our behalf and that restricts our ability to grant friendlies of a certain capacity.
Panel: But Limerick have gone to a lot of trouble.
Delaney: We canāt let it happen. We run the League of Ireland, we put a lot of money into the running of League of Ireland. The league costs us ā¬5m.
KOD: But what about Limerick FC?
Delaney: We put ā¬5m into the running of the league, which Limerick FC benefit from.
KOD: Barca have the heads of agreement ready to roll, all theyāre waiting for is the nod.
Delaney: Theyāre not the facts. I said to you on Thursday, thereās an email sent. They have not. That statement is libellous.
Panel: It sounds like anti-competitive behaviour. If the club has the entrepreneurship to bring in Barcelona, then why not?
Delaney: Weāre legally restricted on it. Theyāve got to ask for our permission. Every club understands that. We wrote to the clubs a year ago to say if youāre bringing in games, ask us first. Weāve had difficulty in the past, with games coming in which have upset our own league calendar.
Another fear Iād have for this game, by the way, is to get Barcelona costs ā¬1m. To host the game, including the security, rent to Thomond Park, flying the clubs in, could be ā¬2m. So, for the club to make money on it, I canāt see how it would work.
Panel: Why canāt it be mediated?
Delaney: The way to mediate is to do it privately.
MF brings in Dr Michael Somers, who is baffled and equates it to trying to argue with a civil service department.
MF: Is it about money, John?
Delaney: It ultimately comes down to that Marian, but also, if you put a position and itās accepted by the club and they say, thatās fine, and weāll see you on Wednesday and you behave in the manner theyāve done, bringing the game into disrepute a bit, the way theyāve behaved the last couple of days, around the time of the opening of the stadium, issuing legal letters on Friday. It was done in poor taste. Naive. I deal with clubs all the time, national associations and agents, I know the way it works. I think the guys in Limerick have been very naive in how theyāve dealt with this, and who theyāre dealing with and I can only deal with the that facts I have.
KOD: This is something the kids will dream of, the kids of Limerick, to see Messi.
JD: But weāll see Messi on the 11th of August (at the Aviva Stadium, where Ireland host Argentina).
Later on in the show, Finucane returns to the issue, stating that Limerick owner Pat OāSullivan has called in to assert that they do have agreement with Barcelona, pending the all-clear from the FAI.
Delaney: I got a phone call on Friday from another sports agency telling me that they are in negotiations with Barcelona for the same date in a different country. I keep coming back to it; I know the way agents operate, I know the way clubs operate, I know the way managers operate. They keep all the balls up in the air and then they make the decision that suits them best.
I wish Pat (OāSullivan) had stuck to his promise to Noel Mooney on Thursday and come up to the meeting this Wednesday. That was on the agenda along with other items for the development of Limerick Football Club. And bringing things into the public arena and issuing statements back and forth doesnāt service Irish football or Irish sport.
Panel: But it might get them (Limerick FC) their gig in Limerick.
Delaney: Well, it wonāt. It goes against them and thatās the problem.
Panel: Are you willing to sit down with Limerick?
Delaney: Iāll sit down with anybody. My job is to develop Irish football and Iāll sit down with anybody.
Panel: Will you sit down with Pat OāSullivan and Limerick FC to discuss this issue?
Delaney: I canāt when there is a legal letter in the air. If they withdraw that, then they have some chance. I will sit with anybody to develop Irish football ā thatās my role.
Fucking arseclown of the highest order that fella. Can see his point in a way, commitments, etc but his way of going about things is a fucking joke. The civil service comment fits quite nicely.
Who is this 3rd party?
Platinum One organised last years Real friendly which was also destined for Limerick before FAI intervention forced them to play it in Tallaght.
I would imagine thats who he is referring to here alright
Delaney: We have signed up to an agreement with an agency that brings games into Ireland on our behalf and that restricts our ability to grant friendlies of a certain capacity.
The FAI have outsourced an aspect of their business, the arranging of friendlies.
Whats the big deal? Half the country is fcuking outsourced !
The Gas in Mayo and all our fishing stocks have been outsourced with less commotion than this ffs. 
But Platinum One are also organising this friendly.
delaney has a strong case here but by fuck do the stupid cunts know how to start, manage and complete a pr disaster.
another issue but did any of the big shots here who bought premium soccer seats for the aviva get your āfuck off away for yourself if you think your getting a ticket for the man u gameā letter yet?
Ah right, I had heard another company mentioned, wasnāt aware it was Platinum 1. My mistake.
Paul Collins mentioned something earlier about Athlone Town lining up a friendly with Real Madrid and said the FAI may block it. Is he spouting shite or is it true?
It was mentioned in a few papers yesterday that some club was also lining up a friendly with Real, but I didnāt hear any names.
Is it true that Villarreal will be allowed to take on Bohs in a friendly?
yes
By Daniel McDonnell
Friday January 21 2011
THE FAI have made informal attempts to arrange discussions with Limerick after the Shannonsiders applied to the High Court to seek arbitration on their case against the associationās decision to block a friendly match with Barcelona last summer.
Limerick had lined up the Catalan giants to visit Thomond Park, and have presented papers which prove that stars such as Lionel Messi and Xavi were lined up to play at least 45 minutes of the game.
However, their plans were scuppered after the FAI refused to sanction the game, firstly citing fixture rescheduling difficulties before revealing they had signed a deal with a third party ā subsequently revealed to be Endemol ā which gave them the rights to any friendly with an attendance in excess of 15,000.
The FAI say that the Participation Agreement which all clubs signed when the Abbotstown authorities took over the running of the league gives them the power to agree commercial decisions of that nature.
Yet Limerick were unhappy with the manner in which the arrangement was communicated to them, particularly as an FAI spokesman initially claimed that the limit on the deal was for friendlies with a 20,000 attendance.
The matter was further complicated as the FAI were also in negotiations with Barcelona to bring them to the Aviva Stadium.
Limerick are looking for clarity on when the FAI signed the deal with Endemol, and details on how it might impact upon future plans to bring friendly games to Thomond Park.
The struggling First Division outfit recorded a deficit in excess of ā¬100,000 last year, and are currently putting together a budget for 2011. They wish to know if it is possible to attract high-profile opposition to Thomond if the capacity for the game is to be limited to 14,999.
Under FIFA legislation, they must take any grievances with their parent association to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland. But they have proceeded with High Court action here on the basis that they are dissatisfied with the FAIās response to their request for mediation. Limerick have sought meetings with the FAI hierarchy since last July.
Itās understood that high-ranking Abbotstown officials feel they are due an apology from the club for going public with their anger at the situation.
Yet, in the wake of Limerick filing court papers earlier this week, the Irish Independent understands that the association have broached the possibility of sitting down for a chat, although itās unclear what would be on the table. Both parties are aware that a costly legal battle would be in neitherās best interests.
Stick it to the cunts
Hear, hear.