Irish FA forced to bin 18,000 programmes for Scotland game after chief executive John Delaney hits out at FIFA corruption

• Republic of Ireland will play Scotland in a Euro 2016 qualifier on Saturday
• But before the game 18,000 copies of match programme were shredded
• Another batch of the programmes were ordered at a cost of €10,000 (£7,200)
• New publication was identical but with words from John Delaney removed
• FAI chief executive had hit out at FIFA in his programme notes for the game
• Delaney admitted that Ireland had accepted €5m pay-off from FIFA in 2010

By Neil Michael For The Irish Daily Mail

Published: 07:21 EST, 13 June 2015 | Updated: 07:21 EST, 13 June 2015

Comments about FIFA 'corruption' written by John Delaney were erased from the FAI's official programme for Saturday's game against Scotland – at a cost of €10,000 (£7,200).

The football body ordered an eleventh-hour shredding of around 18,000 programmes which featured the controversial football chief's observations.

The FAI then ordered another 18,000 of the €5 (£3.60) programmes for the 5pm UEFA European Championship 2016 qualifier to be printed at an estimated cost of €10,000 – minus the two offending paragraphs.

Comments about FIFA 'corruption' written by John Delaney have been erased from the FAI's programme

Republic of Ireland have been preparing for their European Championship qualifier against Scotland

The two sides face off at the Aviva Stadium but €10,000 of programmes have had to be reprinted pre-match

Extraordinarily, the FAI said on Friday night that the decision had been taken by its communications team without the knowledge or approval of Mr Delaney.

In a statement, the organisation said: 'John Delaney was entirely unaware of this change to the programme.

'He had already signed off on it and it was approved for printing.

'The decision to delete his comments where they related to FIFA was an editorial one that was taken by the communications department, which is run by Peter Sherrard.'

In the original programme, Mr Delaney's traditional match-day message included the following lines: 'Off the pitch there has been seismic change on the global football front with Sepp Blatter's announcement of his resignation as FIFA President.

'That decision was a major step and allows the football world to address the need to change the culture of FIFA.

'It was all too obvious that the culture was one of corruption and bribery. Those who love the game have been crying out for change and now the opportunity is there.

'I have stated many times that the global body needs to adapt the attitude of accountability and transparency which has been cultivated in UEFA under the leadership of Michel Platini and I hope that FIFA can take similar steps in the right direction.'

However after some 18,000 copies of the programme had been printed, the decision was taken to pulp them. A new version of the programme was then printed, which was identical in every way – except that Mr Delaney's comments about FIFA and UEFA had been removed.

The decision was apparently made because of the worldwide storm over Mr Delaney's admission that FIFA had paid the FAI €5million after Ireland lost their 2010 World Cup play-off following the infamous Thierry Henry handball incident.

Pundit Eamon Dunphy described the deal between FIFA and the FAI as like something out of TV mafia drama The Sopranos – but added that he thought it was 'good business'.

Two paragraphs from Delaney's programme notes had to be removed, with references to FIFA and UEFA

The decision over the removal of Delaney's comments was linked to the worldwide storm over the FIFA story

Delaney, FAI CEO, and Jerome Valcke, FIFA secretary general both signed the agreement for €5m payment

Later, former GAA president Sean Kelly called on the FAI to hand back the €5million 'hush money' it received from FIFA.

And even Jose Mourinho got involved by describing the payment as 'the end of the world'.

The Chelsea boss said: 'This one for me is the end of the world. You change the truth of the game for €5million? What next?'

On Wednesday, it emerged that Mr Delaney would not face a grilling at a special Oireachtas meeting on sport about the FAI's receipt of the controversial €5million payment from FIFA.

Committee chairman John O'Mahony said the decision was made because the FIFA payment was not public money.

The Fine Gael deputy said he had been advised by Oireachtas officials that on that basis, the payment could not be examined by Oireachtas members.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho hit out at the payment and called the acceptance of it 'the end of the world'

Thierry Henry clearly handled the ball before France scored to deny Ireland a place at the 2010 World Cup

It was also confirmed that some members of the Oireachtas Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport were personally contacted by the FAI chief executive prior to the committee's decision.

Mr Delaney is said to have argued that he had already put all FAI documentation on the FIFA issue into the public domain and could not provide anything further.

Elsewhere, earlier this week, Scottish Football Association CEO Stewart Regan branded Mr Delaney 'ludicrous' for accepting €5million to drop legal proceedings over the Thierry Henry handball.

Asked at his association's AGM on Tuesday if Scotland would have taken the FIFA cash if it had lost a World Cup qualifier in the same circumstances, he insisted the SFA would not have entertained the idea.

'Scotland does things professionally and we do things the right way,' he said.

Republic of Ireland players are furious as they react to the goal, which should have been disallowed 

Scottish Football Association CEO Stewart Regan branded Mr Delaney 'ludicrous' for accepting the €5m

'As far as we're concerned we play matches the right way 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.'

The latest war of words between the rival associations comes as 10,000 Scotland fans descend on the Aviva for today's vital qualifier.

The Tartan Army has been given an official allocation of 2,500 seats but, like the Irish supporters in Glasgow for the game last November, many more will find themselves dotted in the home section.

Mr Delaney was extremely vocal in his criticisms after the FAI was refused an increase in the standard ticket share of 5 per cent (3,000 tickets), and felt there would be security issues with a lack of segregation.

He had warned that this would force Irish fans into other parts of the ground and that 'tensions' would be in the air as a result.

The reprinting of the programmes was not said to come from Delaney's orders despite the controversy 

The boardroom atmosphere around that fixture was soured even further after the embattled FAI chief executive branded the SFA 'the most unprofessional association Ireland have ever dealt with' and snubbed the traditional eve-of-match function.

Asked about those comments, Mr Regan said: 'What do you think of that in light of events of the last week? Those people who have listened to those comments will form their own opinions on what John Delaney has said.'

Last week, when approached by the Irish Daily Mail with questions about FIFA's €5million payment, the FAI said that it was unable to answer them.

Up to that point, Mr Delaney had never given a detailed explanation about the money.

The reason given to the Mail on June 3 was that Mr Delaney and his FAI colleagues were too busy preparing for that weekend's Ireland-England friendly at the Aviva.

However he confirmed the payment to Ray D'Arcy on RTÉ Radio One the following day, and released full details last Friday.

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