FAI Chief Executive Officer John Delaney will be the Donegal Sports Star organisation’s special guest for the 38th official annual awards ceremony in the Mount Errigal Hotel on Friday, January 31st.
FAI boss John Delaney
It’s a huge coup for the committee to have secured the soccer chief just a few short months after he rubber-stamped the appointments of Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane as the new Republic of Ireland management team.
Sports Star Committee Chairperson Neil Martin who confirmed the news on Saturday evening said he was delighted that Delaney had accepted the invitation to present the awards.
“John Delaney is known across all sports not just soccer over the past decade as CEO of the FAI. Coming to our awards so soon after one of the most talked managerial appointments in the history of Irish soccer will make it an extra special occasion when I’ve no doubt we’ll learn more about John’s involvement in getting Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane to manage our national team” Mr Martin said.
Delaney is no stranger to Donegal having being special guest at previous soccer functions in the county including a Kilmacrennan Celtic celebration in the Lagoon four years ago. He also led the FAI delegation to Donegal in July 2012 for the week long ‘Festival of Football’ which culminated with the organisation’s AGM in the Mount Errigal Hotel.
46-year-old John Delaney who is a native of Waterford became the youngest treasurer in FAI history in 2001. His father Joe was also previously treasurer of the Ireland’s governing soccer body.
John rose to prominence in the wake of the 2002 Roy Keane Saipan saga, having emerged as the FAI’s public figurehead during the affair. He became acting chief executive of the organisation in December 2004, after Fran Rooney’s acrimonious departure. He took up the role full-time the following March 2005. Four years ago the FAI’s Board of Directors agreed to extend his contract for a second time again until 2015.
When FIFA offered Ireland a Fair Play Award following the controversial Thierry Henry handball incident which gave France victory over the Republic of Ireland in a World cup play-off, Delaney declined and said FIFA President Sepp Blatter was “an embarrassment to himself and an embarrassment to FIFA”.
Prior to securing the services of O’Neill and Keane, Delaney had overseen the appointments of Steve Staunton and Giovanni Trapattoni as Irish managers.