PFAI unhappy with Dundalk board

[The Donie Forde]

From the PFAI site:

http://www.pfai.ie/index.php?mod%3done%26amp;id%3d13647

Donie

[holidaysong]

“We have already informed the FAI UEFA Licensing committee and expect them to refuse Dundalk FC a licence to play next season unless all monies are paid.”


****e... Althouh I knew that the cheques bounced I heard it was just a wee mistake that the money wasn't transferred into the right account at the right time but the money was actually there..

[Clones Road Cas]

“We have already informed the FAI UEFA Licensing committee and expect them to refuse Dundalk FC a licence to play next season unless all monies are paid.”


****e... Althouh I knew that the cheques bounced I heard it was just a wee mistake that the money wasn't transferred into the right account at the right time but the money was actually there..

Dundalk cant afford this kind of publicity and the rumours that we have heard are not good. First Division needs a good dndalk team and the Premier Division would benefit from a good Dundalk team but how often is this gonna have to happen before someone in Dundalk learns to budget. It seems that the club has had financial problems in most of the last four seasons, largely due to a stupidly high wage bill.

Simple solution stop signing Mercaneries.

Hope it gets sorted. becuase aside from guys like geoghan there were good guys in Dundalk who played with pride for the club. Its a shame that guys like Vaughan go to dublin city when Dundalk should be a good club with a good reputation.


Clones Road Casual

[A face]

PFAI highlight problems at Oriel Park

Dundalk Football Club has been plunged into chaos amid reports from the player's union (PFAI). A report issued on the PFAI site claims that cheques issued to players at season's end have now bounced.
The PFAI statement continues that they expect Dundalk to be refused a UEFA licence for next season based on the current circumstances.
There were many problems at Dundalk last season and the PFAI report that these cheques issued at the end of the season were to cover previous unpaid wages.

Taken from www.irishfootballonline.com (http://www.irishfootballonline.com/news_story.php?newsid=2396)

[A face]

Broken Promises and Bounced Cheques


The Professional Footballers Association of Ireland have issued a statement on their website www.pfai.ie in relation to more non payment of wages to their members.

" As the dust settles on another season the ramifications are still been felt by several eircom League players and in particular the players of Dundalk FC, as the cheques they received for wages owed from their club prior to the game versus Finn Harps were returned by their banks marked “refer to drawer” and a recent threat of a players strike was diverted following negotiations between the PFAI and officials of Dundalk FC when an agreement was reached over the non-payment of wages.

Read more at www.soccercentral.ie (http://www.soccercentral.ie/viewstory.asp?id=14367&mainheading=Eircom&viewstory=yes)

[eamoss]

From dundalkfc.com (http://www.dundalkfc.com/news/041203_Statement.html)

Dundalk FC reaction to PFAI statement
3rd December 2004
The present financial difficulties being experienced by Dundalk Football Club have again been reported upon in the media. The past couple of months have been a very trying and frustrating time for the club as attempts to negotiate a financial package in order to clear the clubs debts to players and creditors have been made by the board. The club remains optimistic that such a deal is imminent and that the club can get on with the work of redevelopment of Oriel Park and to prepare for the 2005 season. According to Chairman Tony O’Kane “The resolution to our current problem is painstakingly slow and we are unable to speed up the process. We could well have final word by the end of the week but we have learned not to make any assumptions about when our funding will be available. All signs indicate that our problems will be resolved very shortly and that any outstanding money will be paid. We totally understand the anxiety of those who have not been paid in recent weeks”.

Previous deal ended due to leak to media
One of the most exasperating aspects of the present financial situation is the role that the PFAI have played. As the club waits for confirmation that a financial package is in place the frustrating fact is that a similar package was set to be delivered over a month ago but collapsed due to information that was leaked to the press. In October Tony O’Kane, Vice-Chairman Tom Baldwin and CEO Sean Connolly had a confidential meeting with the PFAI General Secretary Fran Gavin. Details specific to that meeting appeared in the papers over the following weekend and the bad press lead to the collapse of the deal. It is ironic how, again, when a deal and a resolution to the club’s financial problems is so close, the PFAI release a statement again undermining our efforts to achieve a resolution that will benefit the club and redress the problems faced by the players and the members of the PFAI within our club.

PFAI General Secretary's Sinister Motives
Mr Gavin appears to be taking so much satisfaction in undermining the club that one must ask the question: what is his motivation?
Perhaps his comments to officials of Dundalk FC during the October meeting can give us some indication. To the surprise of the Dundalk members, Mr Gavin asserted that the only future for Dundalk FC was to merge with Drogheda United. Is Mr Gavin in the business of shutting football clubs down? Needless to say, the Dundalk contingent at the meeting refused to accept Mr Gavin’s bewildering advice. Mr Gavin continued with his sermon as to the direction the league is heading by saying that he had just signed a deal with Shamrock Rovers Football Club over unpaid wages but that the agreement was “not worth the paper it is written on” and that “Shamrock Rovers will not be in business next season”. Tom Baldwin says he was “very surprised that such comments about other clubs business would be made by a high ranking union official”. Mr Baldwin informed the players in Athlone of the hold-up in the financial injection and explained the reasons behind this delay. It was after this meeting and while Mr Baldwin was standing in the presence of officials of Athlone Town FC that he received a phone call from Mr Gavin. The foul and abusive language directed at Mr Baldwin will not grace this website. However, it revealed a lot about Fran Gavin. He is a political animal with his own agenda with little time for the interests of his members. The only conclusion to come to after Dundalk FC’s dealings with Mr Gavin is that it is his desire to show how powerful he is by shutting our football club down so that his wish of a formation of “Louth United” can come to fruition rather than the interests of his members that is his primary motivation. We doubt his suggestion would appeal to either Dundalk or Drogheda United supporters. His actions have been detrimental to the interests of the PFAI members within Dundalk FC and the club itself.

Attempt to undermine manager
The PFAI are also undermining the efforts of our manager, Jim Gannon, by a reference to a “recent exodus of playing staff from Oriel Park”. 2004 was a year when Dundalk had a squad that many believed was strong enough to challenge for the title. Instead the club finished in a disappointing sixth position and witnessed a drop off in support that added considerably to the club’s financial problems. Is it not to be expected that players who had reached the end of their contracts would not be offered new deals? The board, and we believe Dundalk supporters, have the utmost confidence in James Gannon’s ability to retain the services of the players who sees as being part of the future at Oriel Park and to bring in new talent.

Future of Dundalk FC
Off the pitch the club is close to announcing exciting new plans that will give the club a genuine opportunity to make progress after too many false dawns. Since the re-organisation of the board a number of businessmen have been co-opted onto the committee and have been working hard to transform Dundalk FC into a professionally run business instead of one that depends on fundraising activities such as raffles etc to raise the income necessary to be a success. The board of Dundalk FC are not content with playing in the First Division and will not allow the personal nature of some assertions to the contrary distract us from the job ahead. The appointment of Sean Connolly as CEO was a huge step in the right direction. Sean has worked tirelessly since his appointment on the 30th August and has done so without being paid one single cent. We would ask all supporters and friends of Dundalk FC to please be patient and not to be distracted by the cynical games that Mr Gavin enjoys to play.

[exile]

taken from the irish indo

PFAI put boot in as Dundalk find going tough
Friday December 3rd 2004




IT MAY be the Eircom League close season but the familiar struggle regarding players' wages is a year-long phenomenon with First Division Dundalk at the centre of the latest controversy.

Despite recently forging an agreement with the PFAI which averted a strike at Oriel Park, the players' union yesterday revealed that the club had failed to honour the agreement.

And, in a strongly-worded statement issued on their website, the PFAI have declared that they will expect the club to be denied a UEFA Licence to compete in the First Division next season unless the outstanding wages are paid.

"The cheques they received for wages owed from their club prior to the game versus Finn Harps were returned by their banks marked 'refer to drawer'," said the PFAI.

"A recent threat of a players strike was diverted following negotiations between the PFAI and officials of Dundalk FC when an agreement was reached over the non-payment of wages.

"The agreement, which was lodged with the eircom League, stated that the players would be paid monies owed in full, prior to their departure for their final game of the season against Finn Harps.

"In some cases this amounted to seven weeks' wages. As the club has now failed to honour the agreement the PFAI have requested an urgent meeting between PFAI, Dundalk FC and the eircom League and will be calling on the League to take strong action against the club for failing to honour their players' contracts."

"The behaviour of the club is inexcusable and Dundalk FC have in our opinion brought the game into serious disrepute," said PFAI General Secretary, Fran Gavin.

"We have already informed the FAI UEFA Licensing committee and expect them to refuse Dundalk FC a licence to play next season unless all monies are paid."

The PFAI went on to say: "If the League is to maintain any credibility it requires strong action against clubs who carry on in the manner in which Dundalk FC have. Unfortunately, looking for leadership regarding the eircom League from within Merrion Square is akin to looking for a needle in a haystack.

"It is no surprise to learn of the recent exodus of playing staff from Oriel Park when all those players are left with after a long and hard season are broken promises and bounced cheques."

Ironically, current Dundalk manager Jim Gannon, who is believed to have applied for the vacant managerial vacancy at English League club Stockport, and club captain Stephen McGuinness, have held senior positions in the PFAI in recent years.

Last month, Dundalk's recently-appointed CEO, former FAI general secretary Sean Connolly, was strident in his determination to see the problem resolved.

"We agreed with the PFAI on the distribution of available funds late Friday evening of the Bank Holiday weekend. These were paid at the earliest possible moment - first thing Tuesday as soon as we could access banks and signatories, etc.

"It is always my policy and that of the Board to deal in a straightforward way with all of our staff. There will be no false promises and no reneging on any promises made.

"We are in regular contact with Jim Gannon and the players. Jim clearly understands the way we are handling the problems and is very supportive. The players need have no fears that we will fully honour their contracts at the earliest possible moment."

David Kelly