The Derry City thread - Derry sign first four players

Lets face it gents, the FAI wil ldo all they can to cover this up along with the other cover ups and bending of their own rules which still sees Cork and Dorgheda playing Premier football and Bohs being allowed to budget for winning the league at the start of the season.

There hasnt been a stance taken against clubs in line with there own clearly set out rules since the Shelbourne farce.
I for one can see why SHels fans would be bitter over it, its a complete joke and the FAI have made themselves a laughing stock!

Obviously if they were to action the above then Cork, Drogs, Derry and Bohs would be gone from the Top flight and replaced with clubs like Bray (now relegated) UCD, Waterford & Shels. It looks as though the FAI are trying to do all they can to keep these so called bigger/higher profile clubs in the top flight in order to sustain the fleeting interest in the league that exists amongst the minority on this island.

Like I said, a laughing stock!

Sincerest commiserations to all the hard working and loyal football fans of these clubs who have to deal with this crap from there board, and isint it refreshing to actually see a set of fans (Derry) almost to a man state that they deserve the punishments being suggested and not trying to deny the wrongs of there club through nothing but blind ignorance, i appluad you Derry fans.

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Originally Posted by dortie

Sweet Jasus ! :rolleyes:

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What? You'd prefer to try and continue with a lame-duck holding company? How do you think we can possibly clear our debts? Why not try and make a point rather than just being sarcastic?

Tell me exactly how you expect a club with up to £750,000 debt to various creditors to put together a team to compete next season.

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Originally Posted by dortie

Sweet Jasus ! :rolleyes:

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Are you aware of the difference between "I would prefer" and "I would like"?

Drogheda united fc made a balls of things theres no doubt there but you cant compare our situation with derry city .We spent millions of our own money ( directors ) and it was ground to a halt due to a corrupt planning system . We were wrong to sign players and then go into examinership , i wont argue that . But we as supporters stepped up to the plate to save our football club and only for us the club would be gone .

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Originally Posted by pól-dcfc

What? You'd prefer to try and continue with a lame-duck holding company? How do you think we can possibly clear our debts? Why not try and make a point rather than just being sarcastic?

Tell me exactly how you expect a club with up to £750,000 debt to various creditors to put together a team to compete next season.

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No and No idea...

Not sure of the total debt myself yet, did you get a copy in the post to Scotland ?

As somebody who collected from house to house in 2000 i am fully aware of the **** we are in 'again' but that little glimmer of hope still prevails. Simply dont understand why you would prefer that outcome ?

Can a mod merge the two threads pls.

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Originally Posted by OneRedArmy

I personally think the FAI would've fudged it if they could, as they haven't exactly gone searching for issues at any club, except in this case I believe someone brought something to their attention that they couldn't ignore.

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The way this is developing, it's beginning to look as though this goes beyond incompetence or even recklessness by the DCFC Board - either of which the FAI might be able to fudge.

For if (stress the "if"), DCFC have been keeping two sets of books (i.e. in order to pay players more than in their "official" contracts), then the extra can only be being paid in cash, which itself can only come from (undeclared) gate receipts.

If so, would this explain why each successive rumour claims a higher overall debt figure, since the debt would rise as gates have fallen in recent weeks?

Anyhow, if it should turn out that there has been deception, even fraud involved, a mere demotion to the 1st Division by the FAI would be hard to justify as adequate, since DCFC could conceivably get promoted right back where they were after one season, as if nothing had happened.

Would those really be the sort of people (DCFC Board, that is) whom you would want at the top table of your League? If nothing else, how would the FAI look if eg HRMC closed down DCFC/Wellvan in mid-season, or disqualified, even brought charges against, Directors?

Of course, I may be guilty of adding to already exagerrated rumour, but when reliable witnesses like Maribor Kev are reporting that the debt is actually £600k, then the extent of the debt may not even be the worst of it, rather how it came about.

Which would then prompt the question, if money were being siphoned off to pay the players, was it also being siphoned off into other pockets? :eek:

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Originally Posted by OneRedArmy

Can a mod merge the two threads pls.

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Done; title changed to the new one to reflect the latest news.

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Originally Posted by RonnieB

The first division is something I wouldn't wish on anyone.

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Shhh! I am just trying to ease the pain for them, I happen to like Derry fans.

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Originally Posted by dortie

No and No idea...

Not sure of the total debt myself yet, did you get a copy in the post to Scotland ?

As somebody who collected from house to house in 2000 i am fully aware of the **** we are in 'again' but that little glimmer of hope still prevails. Simply dont understand why you would prefer that outcome ?

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First of all - just because I am in Scotland at the moment doesn't mean I don't have access to news sources from Ireland (again with the pathetic sarcasm). Second of all, I did say "with up to £750,000 debt" - that is one figures being bandied about. It's at least £400,000 going by the general consensus, and is rising everyday through interest and the non-payment of wages.

Even if we had the most meager budget in the league, we still wouldn't make a dent in £400,000 for a number of years. If we wind up the holding company, we can start afresh, with an alternative ownership model, accountable to the fans. One of the worst things about this past few months is the lack of transparency and downright lies told by the board. Starting afresh means that we don't have to worry about the awful debt we have accrued. If we did continue in the top flight, we would probably be relegated next season anyway - our squad would not be competitive, but still have the debt. I'd rather have a few seasons in the A League and 1st Division building up sustainable income streams, to give us a chance to compete at the top level in the future.

Wellvan have basically bust us twice in the past ten years. Why should we entrust the future of the club to a company with that record? What glimmer of hope is there? You've talked about it, but not actually told us what hope we have.

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Originally Posted by pól-dcfc

Wellvan have basically bust us twice in the past ten years.

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The company didn't bust us, those running it did.

I'm more than prepared to stand over my estimation of the debt as over £500k.

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Originally Posted by MariborKev

The company didn't bust us, those running it did.

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Of course. The point I was trying to make was an advocation of true fan ownership, so I think the point still stands.

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Originally Posted by theneutral

Sincerest commiserations to all the hard working and loyal football fans of these clubs who have to deal with this crap from there board, and isint it refreshing to actually see a set of fans (Derry) almost to a man state that they deserve the punishments being suggested and not trying to deny the wrongs of there club through nothing but blind ignorance, i appluad you Derry fans.

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A good point, well worth making.

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Originally Posted by Magicme

Shhh! I am just trying to ease the pain for them, I happen to like Derry fans.

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It will be a sad day, but maybe the best outcome we can hope for. Its been a long long time since i stood freezing with my uncle at EMFA.

Pol,

Those running it were "fans", well for the most part.

Fans can bust a club as badly as anyone else.

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Originally Posted by ndrog

Drogheda united fc made a balls of things theres no doubt there but you cant compare our situation with derry city .We spent millions of our own money ( directors ) and it was ground to a halt due to a corrupt planning system . We were wrong to sign players and then go into examinership , i wont argue that . But we as supporters stepped up to the plate to save our football club and only for us the club would be gone .

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I think you'll find that the taxpayer picked up quite a bit of the tab.

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Originally Posted by MariborKev

The company didn't bust us, those running it did.

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Dont forget about those who failed to meet their objectives 'on the pitch' !
The fact we had an assistant Manager (for a long stint) and massive backroom staff didnt help either.

I am really interested in Salarys if everything is made public.

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Originally Posted by dortie

It will be a sad day, but maybe the best outcome we can hope for. Its been a long long time since i stood freezing with my uncle at EMFA.

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It did Shels and Shamrock Rovers the world of good, they learned good lessons down here and its better to travel to ****S and the Flansiro than have no games at all.

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Originally Posted by MariborKev

Pol,

Those running it were "fans", well for the most part.

Fans can bust a club as badly as anyone else.

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Obviously. But do you not agree that a membership set up is the way forward for a reconstituted Derry club?

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Originally Posted by EalingGreen

Which would then prompt the question, if money were being siphoned off to pay the players, was it also being siphoned off into other pockets? :eek:

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On the basis those "other pockets" are in for personal guarantees themselves and will lose a fairly sizeable amount on wind up I'd guess no.

Lets also not claim under the table payments are something new in Irish football, either North or South. Doesn't make it right, but anyone who knows football knows its rife.