A multi-episode TV drama is set to be made into the rise and fall of former CEO of the FAI, John Delaney, based on Mark Tighe and Paul Rowan's best-selling book 'Champagne Football.'
The Sunday Independent reports this morning that a well-known Irish actor has already been lined up to play the role of Delaney while the hunt is on to cast the roles of characters such as Eamonn Dunphy, John Giles and other high-profile figures.
TV and film production and development company Blue Ink Films have been awarded with a €30,000 grant by Screen Ireland to produce the script for the series.
Tighe and Rowan's book was released in 2020 and had phenomenal success on the shelves. The duo will also be portrayed in the series.
This is exciting. 🍿
TV deal for John Delaney saga: best-selling book on FAI boss to be made into a drama serieshttps://t.co/qaQ9hBpH9J— Mark Tighe (@MarkLTighe) May 21, 2023
Mark Tighe on John Delaney series
Tighe hopes that it will cover the glamour of Delaney's life and the damaging revelations that came to light in the book.
“It’s still in the early stages, but I think the timeline will follow the same story arc as the book,” he said.
“We began with John’s father Joe [a former FAI finance director] and the Shakespearean tragedy of him losing out in the ‘night of the long knives’ in the 1990s, with his fall from grace after Veronica Guerin exposed Joe for being involved with ticket touts. Hundreds of thousands of pounds were washing around bank accounts.
“Then we saw John Delaney at his father’s shoulder promising revenge. He rose up the ranks of Irish football to become CEO in a few short years before becoming this unbelievable larger-than-life celebrity and sports administration figure with all the women in his life, including his wife and his subsequent girlfriends Susan Keegan and Emma English.
“It could feature lots of big personalities including the managers and the other executives in the FAI.”
Tighe also hopes that Delaney's extravagant 50th birthday party at the Lyrath Hotel in Kilkenny will also feature. The James Bond themed party was attended by many well-known faces and it is believed that the FAI spent in excess of €80,000 on the bash.
No anticipated release date has been given for the series yet but those involved are hopeful that it could be an international success.
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