Opportunity to save Limerick FC.
I have just had a lengthy discussion with Danny Drew about the current predicament the club finds itself in regarding the licence and other issues. While the temptation to be sceptical is there, it is only fair that given the amount of money he has personally invested, that he be given a fair opportunity to put forward his ideas and solutions to those who are genuinely interested in listening and acting in the best interests of the club and its future.
The gist of the discussion was based on the following points he put across:
• While the licence has not yet been refused, he is expecting official notification tomorrow morning to say that it will be.
• The fines that have not been paid are UEFA fines regarding Hogan Park and will be rectified.
• The club is fearful that participation in youth leagues will be detrimental to the future of the game in Limerick. The prime example being that the last time Limerick entered a youth team, it turned the league into a facile competition, and the club feel that this is not beneficial to local football were it to re-occur.
• The club is however, fully committed to coaching in schools etc to maintain its presence and continue development.
• The FAI are concerned as to the number of people involved in the club, which currently stands at 3. The club would also like to point out that it wishes two employees (Eoin Killackey and Noel Mooney) the very best with the new positions in the FAI, but would lie to point out that they are employees lost to the club and are very hard to replace.
• The club are disappointed with the inactivity shown by the Supporters Club last season, and would like to try and engage a much more active supporters club. It says it has offered in the past, options to the SC to buy into the club, but this option was ignored. It would be very keen to initiate this option with an active SC.
• The club are confident that a meeting on January 9th with the LDMC will guarantee them a long term lease on Jackman Park. As an alternative the club have offered Buckley Park, Kilkenny as a temporary base in the interim.
• The club will go to court over yesterday’s appeal, aspects of which were, according to the club, unconstitutional and illegal as a result, and believe that they are definitely being done over by the FAI.
What I have drawn from the conversation is that there is doggedness by Danny Drew not to walk away from this, and he is determined not to. He feels he has has ploughed enough of his own money in to just leave it all behind now and certainly is not going to do so. He says he and Michael O’Sullivan and Kieran Judge are more than happy to sit down with genuine fans who want to work and do something to keep the club afloat.
I propose that a meeting be called by genuine fans as soon as possible. I have received personal assurances from Danny Drew that he and Michael O’Sullivan and Kieran Judge will attend. This represents a situation where the club need the supporters to keep it alive and now acknowledge it. It is an opportunity to establish a permanent say for the supporters in the future running of the club.
I suggest that this meeting take place on January 2nd to give everyone a chance to get over the festive period, and also to allow the supporters concerned a time to prepare together and formulate some ideas as to how they would like to see the future.
Can al those interested, and please please please only those interested pm me and we can try and do something about this.
Please do not reply to any of this with a moan or a bitch. If you are interested in the supporters taking an active stake in the club, simply indicate so. Let the past go for a while and see how we can change things.
