Longford confident of sorting out company mess

There seems to be something dodgy about the setup, it would be madness to slip up on this issue now. It would be great if they could sort it out.



LONGFORD TOWN are confident that their holding company will be reinstated by the Companies Office within the next few weeks.

The company, Longford Town Football Club Limited, was struck off yesterday for failing to make annual returns since 1997. However, they have a month to submit the necessary returns and it is understood that these are ready for submission.

The failure to make returns came to light following a request by the Eircom League for clubs to submit audited accounts in the wake of a last year's financial crisis at Drogheda United and the discovery that their holding company had been struck off.

Longford were one of three clubs told to get their house in order and had prepared and submitted the missing returns to the Companies Office. However, there was a technical hitch and it was while this was being sorted out that the company was struck off.

A Longford spokesman said last night that the club was confident the matter would be sorted out satisfactorily and insisted it did not affect the football club which was run as a separate entity. We have been monitoring the situation with Longford and have been working with them," said Eircom League chairman Brendan Dillon.

"Unfortunately as far as the Companies Officer is concerned, they have run out of time and we have requested a detailed response from them as to the time frame of their reinstatement."

Longford, who need to have their affairs in order to qualify for the UEFA licence, received €650,000 from the FAI last week to help them bring Flancare Park up to standard for European club games next season.