Delaney distances himself from appointment

John Delaney claims he is not directly involved in appointing the next Republic of Ireland manager despite suggestions he had made contact with some candidates.

The appointment, according to the FAI's chief executive, lies solely with the three-man selection panel of Don Givens, Don Howe and now Ray Houghton, who was added to the team last night.

The three are charged with unearthing a candidate to succeed Steve Staunton before bringing that name to the FAI's board of management for ratification.

But recently Delaney appeared to contravene guidelines he himself had set by calling one-time candidate Paul Jewell - now manager of Derby County.

Delaney is known to favour Terry Venables but denied having met the former England manager.   He also claimed Andy Townsend was never in the running to perform a coaching role with the senior team.

Delaney claims he only spoke to Jewell "out of courtesy" after learning from John Giles that the Englishman had ruled himself out of contention.

"I asked him (Jewell) was a financial aspect the reason why he didn't put himself forward and he said absolutely not," said Delaney.

"He said in future times he would like to be considered for the job, so I only spoke to him at the stage when he had said he would not be involved in putting himself forward for the job."

Jewell was originally sounded out by Giles with the FAI's blessing.  But Delaney insists that meeting came about because Giles understood Jewell was contemplating another job offer.

According to Delaney, Giles outlined the Irish job to Jewell on the understanding it in no way constituted a job offer.

"We set out a process.  The process is in place and we never deviated from it.  There was a lot of inaccuracies and I can speak about it now because I've handed over the process (to the selection committee) if you like.

"There was never an intention to meet anyone down in South Africa (at  the World Cup draw) and there was never any intention to meet anyone in relation to the vacant manager's job."

At last week's meeting between the FAI, Givens and Howe, Delaney said it was made clear that the selection committee would recommend one candidate for ratification to the board.

But both Givens and Howe seem less sure of the precise mechanics of the process.

"It's a matter of the chairperson of the committee of three explaining the decision behind the person they are going to recommend and I couldn't see a circumstance where that couldn't be ratified," said Delaney.

Will it come to a vote?

"I wouldn't think so. I don't think we've had a vote in the three years that I've been chief executive, we've never had a vote on any matter at board level so I don't expect there to be one."

Both Delaney and Givens welcomed Houghton's appointment to the selection panel.  The former international was appointed by the FAI and not directly chosen by Givens or Howe.  The three 'kingmakers' are now likely to meet tomorrow to discuss the logistics of the interview process.

Givens expects to meet between 12 and 16 candidates but denied their was a cut-off time with which potential candidates must signal their interest.

"Well if it gets near the end of January and Jose Mourinho phones then we'll have to see him," he joked.
"But we'll start with the people who have expressed an interest in the job."

When asked if the panel would be in sole charge of the selection process, Givens was less emphatic than Delaney but suggested the FAI would ultimately ratify their candidate.

"I cant speak for the FAI but having gone off an interviewed everyone I'd be surprised if they say 'no, we don't want that'," he said.

Delaney was speaking in Abbotstown where Uefa president Michel Platini and Minister for Sport Seamus Brennan. Unveiled the association's new headquarters at the National Sports Campus.

The FAI has moved its 167 staff to the 3,000 square metre building.  Other organisations such as the PFAI, the Irish Soccer Referee's Society, the Leinster Football Association, the Schoolboys association and the Dublin & Districts Schoolboys league will also be housed.

The new headquarters completes the first phase of the FAI's National Sports Campus project. Delaney said focus will shift to completing phase two where seven top class training pitches will be built on site.

Platini was earlier given a tour of the Lansdowne Road construction site.  The stadium is in the running to host the 2011 Uefa Cup final.