How Bad is Galways Bad?

[gufc2000]

Leeson will remain in charge at Galway


http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2010/1123/galway_leesonn.html
Tuesday, 23 November 2010 16:53

Nick Leeson and Galway United's board of directors have confirmed they will remain in charge at Terryland Park despite criticism from supporters over debts incurred that threaten the future of the Connacht club.

The Galway United Supporters Trust (GUST) have called a meeting at Terryland on Wednesday to address what Trust chairman Ronan Coleman describes as 'serious financial issues'.

The fan body claims that football debts incurred over the season may be as high as €70,000, but sources close to the board have indicated that the actual figure in the region of €35,000 to €40,000.

Footballing debt can include, among other things, payments to players and staff, other clubs and the Revenue Commissioners.
The debt must be cleared to allow the club to fulfil FAI licencing requirements for the 2011 Premier Division. The closing date for the application is the 31 January but there is also a preliminary deadline on the 21 December. GUST have also claimed there is a lack of clarity over the CEO's position. The Galway board today pointed out that the overall level of debt, including the footballing debt at the club, is decreasing year on year.

Furthermore they say the level of football debt is comparatively less than the figure included in the 2009 accounts.
The Board are due to meet on Friday of this week and have stated they are committed to working with all of the stakeholders at the club, including the Supporters Trust to secure the club's future. Galway today announced on their official website, www.galwayunitedfc.ie (http://www.galwayunitedfc.ie/), that 2011 season tickets would be on sale just €99 until 7 December.

[L.T.F.C.]

It's already been shown that clubs are largely incompetent at running themselves. The point of licencing was to force clubs to focus on medium- and long-term benefits and not just always look at the short term. In that regard, the FAI are absolutely to blame for not stopping this earlier. Whoever within Galway United is obviously more to blame, but the FAI can't be let off the hook that lightly in my opinion.
5 maybe 10% fault lies with FAI.

So what if the clubs can't run themselves? Do you think the FAI should take over them because they can't? No one, it seems can learn from other clubs mistakes, so let them learn the hard way.

[passerrby]

sa after three pages its all ok the ceo is not gone the debt is coming down year on year and its only tiny anyway so whats all the fuss about.

[Lim till i die]

http://i.imgur.com/NVbMN.gif

[John83]

...The fan body claims that football debts incurred over the season may be as high as €70,000, but sources close to the board have indicated that the actual figure in the region of €35,000 to €40,000.

Footballing debt can include, among other things, payments to players and staff, other clubs and the Revenue Commissioners.
So, what are their non-footballing debts for the season? There's no reason to use a label like that unless they're being evasive about their total losses.

[pineapple stu]

5 maybe 10% fault lies with FAI.

So what if the clubs can't run themselves? Do you think the FAI should take over them because they can't? No one, it seems can learn from other clubs mistakes, so let them learn the hard way.
No-one's asking the FAI to take over clubs. We are asking the FAI to take action against the clubs - warnings, fines, points deductions, relegation - if they start down this route. I'd say 40% of the blame lies with the FAI.

[Lim till i die]

It's a very delicate issue for the FAI though stu, if they were to come down hard on all the clubs who act the maggot during the year you'd have a league with the majority with asterixs and the image is bad enough as it is!

I can never ever understand where the PFAI stand in issues like this, unless of course players in Ireland remain overpaid.....

[John83]

It's a very delicate issue for the FAI though stu, if they were to come down hard on all the clubs who act the maggot during the year you'd have a league with the majority with asterixs and the image is bad enough as it is!
For one year, sure. But in the long run, consider the history of club finances since, say, Sheligation. That unending dirge of trouble is the single most reported part of the game, and clearing it up could only be good in the long run. Hell, one season with a bunch of asterisks could even be good press if it's all spun right.

[pineapple stu]

It's a very delicate issue for the FAI though stu, if they were to come down hard on all the clubs who act the maggot during the year you'd have a league with the majority with asterixs and the image is bad enough as it is!
Agreed. I'd take one year with ten asterisks though if it meant none of this nonsense going forward. All we have now is a position where the FAI are like an ignored parent screaming token-ly at their out of control kids. The kind of parent you'd love to slap.

[Lim till i die]

A year of purges is the way forward then.

Seeing as for the first sustained period of time since I've started following LoI Limerick are among the good guys I fully support this move. :)

[outspoken]

900,000 theres no way in hell they will recover that they will have 2 merge with the other Galway clubs if they are 2 survive simple as that.

[Mr A]

900,000 theres no way in hell they will recover that they will have 2 merge with the other Galway clubs if they are 2 survive simple as that.

Why do people keep saying this? It makes absolutely no sense.

Mervue and Salthill have had damn all impact on Galway United since joining the league. Galway were running up debts since before they were around anyway.

[Schumi]

900,000 theres no way in hell they will recover that they will have 2 merge with the other Galway clubs if they are 2 survive simple as that.

Because Mervue and Salthill have half a million each gathering dust?

[Jofspring]

There is nothing to make Salthill or Mervue want to merge with Galway Utd. They have their own good structures and are building on their own. The only thing at the moment that Galway Utd have is a bigger support.

[Lim till i die]

Why does anyone think any of them would even want to merge?!

Be like Limerick merging with Pike and Fairview?! :D

Longford would freeze over before such a thing happened.

[geezer]

was the former ceo of gufc has just lit the mother of all fires with his statement on aertel.

No one neither supporters, the galway district league, the PFAI, the players, the suppliers believe a word of that statement. The hole they have just jumped into is unreal. The truth is always hard to suppress.

These are the crowd that have had lad dumped out of their digs, left them unpaid and no one available at the club to call.

The supporters have provided accomodation, food and monies in the interim just so people are not treated like dogs. In Galway we have always prided ourselves on our decency as a people. Neither the Chairman or CEO are Galwegians apologies to anyone that has had to put up with them

[Patrick Dunne]

Complete rubbish on Aertel, comical actually.

"Debts decreasing year-on-year" - they were €100k in 2007 !

"Football debts €35k-€40K" - Revenue Commissoners and Galway and District League alone are over that amount.

Players, former players, former manager, former staff, another LOI club also are part of footballing debt. At least €70K, and there's a week left to lodge a claim.

[Mr Maroon]

It's nothing but a pack of lies from "sources close to the board".

[Olander]

Honestly cannot believe that statement!

[passerrby]

sorry geezer now i know what you meant on page one

[geezer]

Science a part time book keeper, the presentation of income and expenditure at a monthly meetings like happens at every juvenile club up and down the country would solve this stupid problem. Fools thinking they can go into the champions league. Mervue,Salthill or GUST ladies football team and the Galway district League all the similiar clubs in the country have a perfectly working system in place.

[Paddyfield]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2010/1123/galway_leesonn.html

[Lim till i die]

was the former ceo of gufc has just lit the mother of all fires with his statement on aertel.

No one neither supporters, the galway district league, the PFAI, the players, the suppliers believe a word of that statement. The hole they have just jumped into is unreal. The truth is always hard to suppress.

These are the crowd that have had lad dumped out of their digs, left them unpaid and no one available at the club to call.

The supporters have provided accomodation, food and monies in the interim just so people are not treated like dogs. In Galway we have always prided ourselves on our decency as a people. Neither the Chairman or CEO are Galwegians apologies to anyone that has had to put up with them


Science a part time book keeper, the presentation of income and expenditure at a monthly meetings like happens at every juvenile club up and down the country would solve this stupid problem. Fools thinking they can go into the champions league. Mervue,Salthill or GUST ladies football team and the Galway district League all the similiar clubs in the country have a perfectly working system in place.


You wrong


Originally Posted by Guitd
cud see Galway folding if the loose the playoffs club is in desperate state

Not a notion of the above happening, you obviously not around the last 3 months.
GUST is re invigorated and working heavily with the Board of GUFC and huge strides have been made to integrate the club with its supporters. GUFC is going nowhere, I hope we survive the play offs but even if we dont the club has shag all debt directly connected to it.


long


Originally Posted by WoodquayBoy
I hope you're right Geezer, I hope you're right . . . . .l

ong way to go, and it is very hairy at the moment but its very manageable

oh that sounds like the governer of the central bank talk


absolutely wrong


Originally Posted by Guitd
latest news on the GUST website that the Trust are at an advanced stage of taking control of the club as its in poor a condition to continue with the present board due to crippling debths

Gust have offered the board a proposal to invest in the club, provide 100 volunteers and an offer to run the club administration 80% part time with a dedicated back to basics, treasurer, secretary, pro and part time admin and bookkeeper, to protect the playing budget that was in place this season and also allow fans more say in the future direction. Gust have ambition to participate with the existing board and not to takeover anything. Dont know how you interpreted anything on gust forum that ties in with your comment above Guitd. The current board were considering plans to make the team totally
amateur and retain a professional admin team. Gust troops have been rallying in the last 15 weeks to help the current board try and see an alternative and also address the hubris and debt built up over last 7 years and was getting out of hand this year with more and more operations cash being used to service debts and liabilities built up in previous seasons which resulted in the release of heary,ryan and creaney. Gust wont know until tuesday next if the proposal is accepted.

And finally:


Nick in the shed

Say what you like about the bold Nick, it was interesting to see him sitting in among the singing section with the Utd fans against Sligo last monday night. Usually the suits sit opposite. He also has a deep understanding of football culture (obviously more than finance derivative products) and has a serious interest in the football side of our league and in the lower divisions in the UK. One Utd fan said when he is away and stuff that he constantly texts for match score updates etc.


It's all very confusing.

[gufct]

And finally:




It's all very confusing.

Your interest in GUFC has long been an obsession.People have a right to change their opinion on someone after seeing them at close quarters for 7 years. The biggest Mistake by the club was to let Nick have free rein and dismantle the structure of the club and now it has rebounded on them.

[Lim till i die]

People have a right to change their opinion on someone after seeing them at close quarters for 7 years. The biggest Mistake by the club was to let Nick have free rein and dismantle the structure of the club and now it has rebounded on them.

I'm just wondering what happened in the last two weeks for such a drastic change of heart.

It's an internet discussion forum, not a GUST propaganda sheet.

That post took me all of 20 seconds, it probably took you longer to read.

Like I said it's all very confusing. :confused:

[Mr Maroon]

I'm just wondering what happened in the last two weeks for such a drastic change of heart.

It's an internet discussion forum, not a GUST propaganda sheet.

That post took me all of 20 seconds, it probably took you longer to read.

Like I said it's all very confusing. :confused:

I can't speak on behalf of Geezer but one thing that has happened recently is that GUST have gotten a clearer picture of just how badly the club has been run.

[Trainee]

A Gufc player Was left homeless (kick out of his house after GUFC stoped paying his rent) had 60 cent to his name, our CEO and board failed to deal with him, so Gust had to step in by getting him accomdation and start paying the lad.

Our CEO and board have to go - reckless trading over the past few years to say the least

[jebus]

On an aside: is the A Championship still going next year? Do salthill and mervue have a few players they could loan Galway?

Worrying times for those us who have had our appendixes removed and not had the stitches out yet

[geezer]

On an aside: is the A Championship still going next year? Do salthill and mervue have a few players they could loan Galway?

Worrying times for those us who have had our appendixes removed and not had the stitches out yet

not half helpiing season ticket sales, we should do this every year

[GuisaSaigon]

An executive meeting took place every Monday or every second Monday with different sub committee's operating well.Then gradually bit by bit those structure's collapsed and everything to do with the club started to go through one man.

Those structures were dismantled by one man they didn't just collapse. He didn't want interference from supporters reps on the management committee so he disbanded it.

[SwanVsDalton]

Maybe Leeson is still trying to get his Barings with the figures......eh....*runs away*

[Rasputin]

Ah yes, the club who scored 389 points out of a possible 500 in assessing off-the-field criteria by the IAG – more than any Premier Division club.
Says everything that needs to be said about the FAI.
I still remember when Galway were being trumpeted as the model club by the FAIlures until they found a new love child in Shams.
I seem to remember the Galway fans buying into the hype and spin aswell.

[geezer]

We all did, never mind the dvd, the book next year will be GUSTS single biggest fundraiser... The list of stories from this episode is hilarious in some sense and would make you cry at times. It will appeal to anyone who ever supported a football club anywhere..

[Rasputin]

We all did, never mind the dvd, the book next year will be GUSTS single biggest fundraiser... The list of stories from this episode is hilarious in some sense and would make you cry at times. It will appeal to anyone who ever supported a football club anywhere..
Your bringing out a book?
Is it written from a fans perspective about the general LOI experience??

[eamo1]

Leeson on local radio this morning again saying that he has'nt taken a wage in 6 months and that players and others owed money can just wait.He also said he is within his right's to take legal action against people spreading rumour's about him on the internet.I know he look's at the forum on the supporter's website but i'd say he also look's at this site aswell.

[Dodge]

Our CEO and board have to go - reckless trading over the past few years to say the least

Feel sorry for galway fans, and its an esy joke to make

but I still laughed hard at that line. What Ewan MacGregor up to these days? Sequel?

[Jofspring]

Hi Nick :bye:

[Lim till i die]

Nick sold me my ticket for the playoff game, lovely, smiley chap.

Nick. http://forum.im1music.net/Smileys/default/toppa.gif

[pineapple stu]

On the Galway forum that there was an article about this in the Galway Tribune last week about Karl Sheppard. The article isn't available online apparently, but this is the quote from the forum -


Headline reads "Utd striker is forced to live on pasta as club has not paid his wages"
Sheppard claims all he has in his fridge is pasta (presumably fresh pasta!)Claims he hasnt been paid by club in nearly 4 weeks and has no money for food and petrol.
Is contracted to GUFC till December, clause in contract that club provide him with accomodation, asked to leave accomodation after Bray game and has been housed by GUST since, Claims the CEO has not responded to his attempts to contact him. CEO is qouted as saying "I'm surprised to hear he hasn't been paid as I was under the impression that GUST were paying his wages" GUST Chairman confirms Trust have made two payments to the player. Sheppard expresses desire to stay at GUFC, has very good relationship with manager but is frustrated with financial situation and communication problems with CEO.

Meanwhile, Leeson reckons Ireland should default on our debt (http://www.galwaynews.ie/16266-rogue-trader-leeson-says-we-should-default-debt). Seems he's starting already anyway.

[Mr A]

Meanwhile, Leeson reckons Ireland should default on our debt (http://www.galwaynews.ie/16266-rogue-trader-leeson-says-we-should-default-debt). Seems he's starting already anyway.

Like the picture of him in that article:
http://www.galwaynews.ie/sites/www.galwaynews.ie/files/imagecache/Preview/images/nick_leeson.jpg

I did hear though that the wall collapsed just after the picture was taken.

[peadar1987]

Like the picture of him in that article:
http://www.galwaynews.ie/sites/www.galwaynews.ie/files/imagecache/Preview/images/nick_leeson.jpg

I did hear though that the wall collapsed just after the picture was taken.

He's not pushing on it. He's just leaning!

[Lim till i die]

Stoopid, STOOPID business not paying Sheppard!!

They breached his contract so wouldn't be entitled to a fee for him??

Also who keeps pasta in their fridge http://planetsmilies.net/confused-smiley-17420.gif

[Jofspring]

Also who keeps pasta in their fridge http://planetsmilies.net/confused-smiley-17420.gif

Must be the pasta bakes from tesco. Tasty stuff in my opinion :eat:

[dfx-]

I did hear though that the wall collapsed just after the picture was taken.

What you don't see just out of shot is foot.ie's favourite Rovers element ready to push

Anything to help GUST out...

[Mr A]

Leeson doesn't need any help to make things collapse. :)

[cornflakes]

Maybe these lads could help Galway
www.fivepoundfootballclub.com

[peadar1987]

Maybe these lads could help Galway
www.fivepoundfootballclub.com

I don't think the people who are investing in a football club would do so just to put a dent in massive debts run up by previous owners, they'll want somebody practically debt-free

[Duffman]

Stoopid, STOOPID business not paying Sheppard!!

They breached his contract so wouldn't be entitled to a fee for him??

Also who keeps pasta in their fridge http://planetsmilies.net/confused-smiley-17420.gif

Sounds crazy that GUFC could let happen however wasn't there a bit of a furore about Ian Foster not having his contract honoured when he signed for Dundalk hence his GOOJF card? Shame as I always have had a soft spot for Galway since UCG back in 96 but they seem to be repeating their mistakes. Oh and if Karl Sheppard wants to come live in my house, 10 mins walk from Oriel (no petrol costs) and the fridge is always full too!

[geezer]

I was in dundalk a few weeks a go and every thing is closing down especially in the town.

[Lim till i die]

Twinned with Limerick