FAI General Manager Noel Mooney has defended his past involvement with the John Giles Foundation and said that he is "sure" there will be more negative revelations to come about the FAI.
Mooney, who is on secondment from UEFA to lead the FAI, took to Twitter on Monday and Tuesday tweeting directly to fans and journalists in an attempt to explain the current situation with the FAI.
"The FAI is going to change a lot in the next few months.... trust me it’s happening behind the scenes each day now but the proof will be in the delivery", Mooney wrote.
Responding to a tweet that said it was likely more bad news would be revealed about the FAI from auditors investigating the organisation, Mooney agreed, saying that he was sure of it.
"I’m sure there is more bad news and challenges on the way. It’s how we tackle them is how it must be judged."
I’m sure there is more bad news and challenges on the way. It’s how we tackle them is how it must be judged. The governance review recommendations said there could be up to 2 coming from existing board which is what occurred & remember, this is an interim board for 1 yr...
— Noel Mooney (@NoelMooney13) August 27, 2019
"Yes we can fail ... but in truth, we know we just cannot. The price for Irish football would be too high..." the former League of Ireland goalkeeper wrote in another post.
When asked for clarification by Off The Ball, Mooney said that his comment on more "bad news" was meant "generally as opposed to anything specific" that he knew.
"We hear new things each week so [are] working on that basis", he added to Off The Ball.
Late on Monday, Mooney also responded to a tweet that questioned his role in the John Giles Foundation. The tweet referred to a story in the Sunday Times that alleged €300,000 was paid to Con Martin for his idea of a charity walk for the foundation.
Mooney was appointed General Manager of the John Giles Foundation in 2010.
"My role was to organize the fundraising walk (I think it was 15 simultaneously around Ireland) in March 2011.", Mooney wrote in reply.
"We raised hundreds of thousands of euro that was then distributed to fund grassroots clubs applications for football projects.
Correct Stuart. My role was to organize the the fundraising walk (I think it was 15 simultaneously around Ireland) in March 2011. We raised hundreds of thousands of euro that was then distributed to fund grassroots clubs applications for football projects.
— Noel Mooney (@NoelMooney13) August 26, 2019
"I certainly was not aware of that... the lads who worked with me on the JG Foundation walk put in huge work for the good of football. It was certainly all done in the right spirit."
The John Giles Foundation's 'Walk of Dreams' project was launched in 2011 and raised €360,000.
Mooney also tweeted a defence of embattled FAI President Donal Conway who has faced calls from Minister for Sport, Shane Ross, to leave the organisation.
Conway was elected for another one-year term as FAI President at last month's AGM, receiving 134 votes out of a possible 140.
"I see in Donal as a good man who wants to do his best to lead (on interim basis) the Association & make amends for anything he could have done better in past...", Mooney tweeted.
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