Scottish FA critical of Delaney’s secret deal with Fifa

Scottish Football Association chief executive Stewart Regan has described the suggestion that the FAI should have been due compensation in the wake of the France game six years ago as "ludicrous" and said that his organisation would

not have taken the cash as “we do things the right way”.

“As far as we’re concerned we play matches the right way,” he said yesterday, “and qualify – hopefully – in the right way and we would not be interested in having any debate over whether or not there was compensation due on the back of a refereeing error. It’s a ludicrous statement, quite frankly.”

Regan, whose organisation has history with the FAI dating back to a dispute over money relating to the National Cup the association here hosted in 2011, left little doubt either that he is still angry over suggestions last year by his Irish opposite number, John Delaney, that the SFA's handling of tickets for November's game in Glasgow posed a threat to fans' safety.

Delaney was accused by Irish supporters at the time of attempting to deflect attention from the FAI’s controversial handling of its own allocation for the game. But relations between the two associations were further damaged by the Irish organisation’s failure to attend all of the usual pre-match events. The FAI said it would give the Scots only what they had to for the return game but Regan believes that, just as happened with the first game, far more away fans will find ways of getting into the ground.

“Words such as ‘tension’ and ‘security’ were used last November and it was proven that Scotland fans, as we all knew they would, just got on with the game and intermingled with fans from Ireland and had a great night,” he said.

“There were no issues and we fully expect the same to happen again in Dublin. As much as we only have five per cent of the ticket allocation we expect around 10,000 Scotland fans to be travelling to Dublin and we expect them to get access somehow into the ground . . .”

Asked about the controversy over the FAI’s secret deal with Fifa, Regan chose to adopt a diplomatic route, though there was a hint of a certain amount of pleasure in Delaney’s current discomfort.

“It has been a challenging week for the FAI in lots of different ways,” he said. “I’ve always worked under the assumption if you haven’t got anything positive to say then don’t say anything, keep your mouth shut.

“The FAI have chosen to speak on a number of different fronts, recently and last November, and we’ve just got on quietly and prepared for the match and we’ll continue to do that.”

Bribery brush

The distractions seem set to continue at the FAI’s end with former president of the GAA and current Fine Gael MEP Seán Kelly, calling for the association to return the €5 million as the European Parliament prepares to discuss the Fifa scandal today. The money, Kelly says, had left the association, “tarnished with Seth Blatter’s bribery brush”.

And in Dublin, members of the Dáil committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport will discuss today whether to ask Delaney to attend one of its meeting in order to answer questions relating to the governance of the association.

Its chair, John O’Mahony, said yesterday he believes Delaney should be called in to speak to the committee, saying that he believed it would give him and the association an opportunity to clear the air.

In relation to Saturday’s game, meanwhile, Regan says the Scots are in good spirits as they prepare to travel to Dublin. “It’s a huge match for both teams. Scotland could really do with putting daylight between themselves and the Republic so we’re hoping for a win.

“Gordon has the team fired up, they’re in great spirits and you could see that by how many players were here to participate in a friendly match last Friday night – everyone wants to play and be in that team.”