Delaney admits ‘grave’ Derry City concerns

THE crisis at Derry City has deepened with FAI chief executive John Delaney saying he has “grave concerns” about the situation at the cash-strapped club.

Speculation is now mounting that Derry could face relegation from the Premier Division should the FAI decide to impose tough sanctions for possible financial irregularities, while some observers have even begun to question the very survival of the club as a going concern.

Late last night, the FAI confirmed it has called a specially convened board meeting tomorrow to discuss the crisis.

Earlier FAI boss Delaney addressed the issue at Abbotstown yesterday following a meeting between Derry City and the Association on Wednesday night.

Said Delaney: “I would be really concerned about that meeting, (the details of which) remain confidential for the moment. Without commenting on any club specifically, if we do find a situation where we’ve been given material financial information that differs from what it should have been, then clearly action would have to be taken. Because that would be unfair to other clubs who play by the rules. Certainly, we were concerned (about Derry) earlier in the year and I would have graver concerns after what I heard out of that meeting.”

Delaney said that he hoped that Derry would survive but “in what guise” he couldn’t say.

“It’s up to the people who run Derry City FC to survive but the ramifications from what I heard at the meeting could be quite severe,” he said. “I hope they survive but in what guise – or in what division they play in – will be determined as events unfold. I think (that will happen) pretty quickly now.”

Urgency is critical because tonight sees the relegation play-off places decided in the Premier Division. And, should Derry be demoted, it would mean a reprieve for Bray Wanderers who have already made the drop.

FAI officials were holding an internal meeting about the Derry crisis last night as League of Ireland Director Fran Gavin added his voice to the widespread concern about the Candystripes. “Everyone wants to see Derry City playing in the League of Ireland,” he said, “and I think they’re trying to address the problems there. But I think they realise now that it’s the survival of the club that’s at stake.”

Meanwhile, an FAI interim review of the League of Ireland has revealed the rate of increase of players’ salaries, from 2005 to 2008, was 10 times that of the rate of increase of the average industrial wage in the same period.

Figures for 2009 are expected to show a decline in a salary growth rate which, the FAI say, was simply not compatible with a sustainable professional league.

Elsewhere, Irish referee Alan Kelly will take charge of the friendly match between Spain and Argentina in Madrid on November 14th.

Kelly, from Cork, will lead a delegation of Irish officials who will take charge of the high profile friendly match, with Marc Douglas and Damien McGrath having been selected as assistant referees for the match.

“I’m absolutely thrilled,” he said. “It’s a friendly but it is a very prestigious game between two of the best teams in the world. This will be my 12th international match so I have been getting a lot of experience at this level. I have done World Cup qualifiers and European Championship qualifiers, as well as some big friendly matches such as France v Denmark, but this game will be right up there.”

Kelly, who has never refereed Spain or Argentina at senior level before, says that appointments such as this reflect very well on the work being carried out by Irish referees.

“The last two years have been very good years in terms of the calibre of matches being given to Irish officials,” he said. “It’s fantastic to receive recognition like this, both for the panel of Irish referees and also for the FAI. This appointment tops off a great year.’’