Sir, – I was very disappointed with the article on FAI CEO John Delaney (Sport, June 20th) by the normally excellent Emmet Malone. There was no acknowledgment that today’s FAI is a much better organisation than the one which existed prior to the appointment of Mr Delaney as CEO. While Emmet Malone enthusiastically listed a number of negatives about Mr Delaney, he left out the many positives which he, as CEO, has been responsible for.
This resulted in an extremely unbalanced article.
As a person who is very involved in football at junior level, I feel, from personal experience, that John Delaney is doing an excellent job as chief executive of our association especially in these difficult economic times.
His enthusiasm and commitment to the job is total and one of his strongest assets is that he recognised from day one that the FAI is a national organisation comprised of many different strands. He is always available to those, like myself, who are involved in the grassroots, and his intimate knowledge of clubs and leagues from Malin Head to Mizen Head is extraordinary.
Emmet Malone should have interviewed Mr Delaney to find out how he has delivered for the FAI and Irish football. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Mark O’Brien would do better than to depend on Emmet Malone (Sport, June 20th) for the basis of his recent letter (June 22nd).
His suggestion that the FAI, under the stewardship of John Delaney, is not nurturing the grassroots of Irish football is ridiculous.
Since John Delaney became FAI chief executive there has been a marked improvement in the FAI’s commitment to football at all levels, including grassroots. Also, the FAI’s Emerging Talent Programme is providing the nurturing of talent that Mr O’Brien believes is lacking.
The FAI has been transformed since Mr Delaney became CEO and those actively involved in the game have full confidence in his ability to lead the association and Irish football in the years to come.– Yours, etc,