August 24 – Des Casey, former president of the FAI and former UEFA vice-president, has passed away at the age of 91 following a long illness.
Born in 1931, Casey had a lifelong association with Dundalk, his hometown, but he also served at the Football Association of Ireland and UEFA. Casey was a much-liked figure in the game, both in the corridors of power and in the stands.
In a statement, FAI President Gerry McAnaney said: “This is a sad day for our game with the passing of Des Casey, one of the great custodians of Irish football for so many years and a gentleman who treated everyone he met with so much respect throughout his life.
“What Des didn’t know about football wasn’t worth knowing. From Dundalk to the League of Ireland, from the FAI to UEFA, we were blessed with his insight and his love for football.”
He served as FAI president from 1984 to1986. He became the first Irishman to be elected on the UEFA executive committee in 1994. He had been chairman of UEFA’s youth committee before that. He was made a vice-president of the confederation in 2000.
In 2002, Casey lambasted then FIFA president Sepp Blatter at the world federation’s tumultuous congress in Seoul, South Korea. FIFA’s finances were in dire straits following the ISL scandal and overspending of development money. Taking the floor, Casey said that borrowing money on the basis of expected revenue was “robbing Peter to pay Paul.”
He added: “Mr President, in the words from the film The Godfather, it’s not personal – it’s business.”
Despite the protest, Blatter went on to defeat Issa Hayatou to retain his presidency. That same year, at the age of 70, Casey retired, stepping down from both his FAI and UEFA duties. He wanted to stick to the rules, notably one that Tony Neil and himself had introduced to prevent abuse and allow younger football officials a chance to climb the ranks. The rule said that office holders must retire at the age of 70.
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