Monaghan club remove John Delaney’s name from grounds

Clones Town Football Club members have voted to remove the name John Delaney Park from their club grounds, opting instead for the simpler designation Clones Town FC Grounds. The decision was made at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) following a motion tabled by club member Kevin Dowds.

The grounds were officially named after the former FAI chief executive in August 2013, following a period where the club received a €200,000 grant from the Department of Sport as part of a special allocation. At the time of Delaney's exit from the FAI in 2019 amid governance and financial revelations, the club stated it had "no appetite" to change the grounds' name.

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The club sincerely acknowledges the significant support and contribution made by John Delaney during an important period in its development. We remain genuinely grateful for that support, and the role John played will always be recognised as an important part of the club’s history and development.

However, the motion to remove Delaney's name argued that "John Delaney Park" links the club directly to "documented governance failures and financial controversies at the executive level of Irish football." Renaming the grounds, the motion suggested, would protect the club's reputation, allow it to shift focus "away from individual personalities," and potentially assist in securing local sponsorships and municipal grants.

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The name John Delaney Park links our club directly to the documented governance failures and financial controversies at the executive level of Irish football.

Despite the name change, the club emphasized its "genuine gratitude" for Delaney's past support during a significant period of its development. A club statement acknowledged his "significant support and contribution" and stated that his role "will always be recognised as an important part of the club’s history and development."

Clones Town also clarified that reports suggesting the grounds' name affected a planning application were incorrect. While the club did list the address as "John Delaney Park" in its application to Monaghan County Council for a new stand, it omitted Delaney's name in public notices, referring to it as "Clones Town FC Grounds." The council rejected the planning application partly due to a mismatch in the address details provided in different public notices.

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Removing it protects our club’s reputation.