Not a particular significance I'd say but more they get the job done very well. Easy to get onto the pitch,very visible to everybody watching and the game has to be stopped while they're cleared. The commentators wont be able to ignore or gloss over it.
Presumably they would hurt a lot less than a cricket ball should one go astray. They seem to be used on the continent as a means of protest against ticket prices.
I hope it happens and the next step needs to be people voting with their feet if Delaney doesn't fuck off. RTE Radios coverage the last couple of days was about suggesting the FAI would be mad to let him go because of his contacts in UEFA and FIFA which is as Irish an analysis of the situation as you're going to get. Make yourself very useful in a particular way and you can be as corrupt as you want. People literally had to take pay cuts in the FAI while they were paying 3 grand a month for his rent on top of his 360 grand a year salary. I'd like to see more people opened up to scrutiny too.
I'd love to see what kind of job he would get in the private sector. If someone gave him 360k I'd match it myself.
I don't see any point in throwing on tennis balls. It would look funny, and that's the main reason most people will do it. Will it have any effect on the FAI, or on John Delaney's job? No.
The FAI are a disgrace, the Government seem powerless to hold them to account and this moving of Delaney into a new role while removing him from the CEO role is a blatant attempt to con people into thinking that something has changed. The Government should make an example of the FAI in a huge fashion now, cease all funding, I'd threaten them with whatever means are possible to get their corporate Governance in order and anyone who had any role to play in John Delaney's "loan" (which I'm certain will soon proved to be no such thing) and his subsequent appointment into this new role should be removed from their position before any more public money is provided to the FAI. I don't care if football in this country stops for 6 months, this has gone on too far and the circus that is the FAI need to be reined in because it's a public embarrassment at this point. For such a small country where transparency should be easy we seem to be incredible at creating fiasco after fiasco with public money. I don't know if the Tennis balls would make a difference to be honest but it's better than nothing, I'd prefer a total boycott of all games now until this is sorted because that's the only thing they'll care about.
The tennis balls will be of massive embarrassment for him among his mates in UEFA and FIFA. His feet are firmly planted under the table where the real money is, if his presence brings any heat on the rest of them then he's toast.
Niall Quinn was good last night on Virgin media. He basically said anyone would be mad to take the job while JD is still there. The whole board need to be moved. There is still an arrest warrant in Brazil for JD after the Olympic ticket fiasco that Hickey was jailed for.
I think you're overestimating how little the big guys care about the little guys, if there's a chance of it impacting them financially you've some hope but otherwise I don't think they could care less. They're answerable to nobody and might actually appreciate how openly dishonest Delaney is but with a bit of luck he's too poisoned even for them but I wouldn't be shocked to see him get a cushy number with UEFA soon.
Pictures being beamed around the world of a qualifier being disrupted with a tennis ball protest and the subsequent explanation of why it's taking place will be of massive embarrassment to Delaney and keep the pressure of the news cycle ratcheted up. It's also worth remembering FG are none too fond of negative publicity on the international stage,while they're very fond of a populist issue. Leo will put a rocket up Shane Ross's hole if this makes news around Europe tomorrow.
I am all for protesting, but not interrupting a game with tennis balls Do the protest before the game starts and get behind the team then Protests can work if done correctly, but this could backfire and split fans, as I dont want the match interrupted but do want Delaney and more out of the organistaion
According to a pod I listened to yesterday, This originated in Germany as there is some saying about Tennis being for wealthy people. A group of fans threw tennis balls on because tickets were getting too expensive. It kinda of snowballed from there and has happened a few times since
Thought it was Dortmund fans protesting that their match was moved to a Monday night so they could show the men’s tennis final on the TV channel that was due to show Dortmund v Stuttgart. Anyway decent performance from the boys tonight. Was fearing the worst after what I witnessed on Saturday but was much better.
Good performance tonight and a well deserved win but McCarthy going with Coalman and to a lesser extent Whelan(as theres no obvious better option) is a bit of a worry imo. Listening to Kenny Cunningham on the way home and he talked about McCarthy liking to keep a settled 11 and not worrying too much about club form. Matt Doherty is 27 and will likely be looking at another 2 years before he's playing regularly in his best position for Ireland unless Coalman gets injured,hes arguably our best performing PL player. I know it's only one player but its points to what I've thought was a bigger issue all along with having McCarthy working to a deadline,and that's he's not going to be too concerned about laying foundations for Stephen Kenny.
Doherty should be playing purely because he is now better than Coleman. I would have suggested trying Coleman at left back before seeing Stevens. He looks a reliable type.
Its the first time I've enjoyed watching a game in a while. They actually went out to play ball and not sit back
Most of the game last night was very refreshing to see from an Ireland perspective. Amazing that the players could actually play little short quick passes, who'd have thought it. According to MON they just weren't capable of anything else. We've still got a long long way to go, but last night was encouraging. Onwards and upwards now. McGoldrick was brilliant last night and a well deserved MoTM.