Was there a players meeting today?
If there was, did they accept what was on the table?
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Was there a players meeting today?
If there was, did they accept what was on the table?
The players rejected it.
Statement from Drogheda United F.C. Emergency Committee 2nd January 09
The Drogheda United Emergency Committee regrets the decision of the Players, relayed today by the P.F.A.I., to reject the offer from the Drogheda United negotiating team with regard to a full and final settlement of outstanding monies owed.
The Committee recognises the financial hardship experienced by the Players in recent months, but the offer represents the best possible settlement by the Club with regard to the being a position to get out of Examinership.
The Emergency Committee with discuss the situation with the Examiner early next week.
Signed:
Jim MacArdle, Drogheda United Emergency Committee
http://www.droghedaunited.ie/news/single/id/1519
http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...e-1591030.html
Quote:
Drogheda on the brink after players' vote
By Neil Ahern
Saturday January 03 2009
DROGHEDA United club officer Terry Collins fears the club has reached "the end" as a football entity, after their former players sensationally rejected a lump sum pay-off on owed wages yesterday.
The club is today teetering on the brink of liquidation after an offer of €90,000, as a settlement for roughly €300,000 of back-logged payments, was rejected by the squad and Collins expects to meet with the Drogheda United Emergency Committee as well as chairman Vincent Hoey on Monday.
Hoey is in Malta due to a family bereavement but will return to the news that his beloved club, to which he has been attached for four decades, may be about to go under.
Collins, who has been one of the last remaining workers at United Park as the ship steadily sinks despite a huge public effort, fears that he may be organising a press conference in the coming days to announce the liquidation of the Boyneside club.
"I have to say I understand where the players are coming from and I think the club and the fans are all sympathetic with their situation," said Collins.
"We'll have to see if there's a possibility of a resolution but at the moment my own gut feeling is that we're looking at the end of Drogheda United."
The Irish Independent understands that the players in question were very much split on the decision, with roughly half willing to accept the money but the other half wishing to stand their ground on the issue.
The players holding firm are understood to believe that the most recent offer was not sufficient, but Collins insisted that there was "absolutely no way" they could raise any more funds to offer the players.
At the moment, the club is only in possession of around €125,000 but also needs to pay off a list of other creditors, including a Revenue bill of €535,506.
Agreements for payment must also be in place with all creditors, including every single player, if they are to survive.
Examiner Kieran McCarthy predicted that a figure of €554,000 was needed to be presented to the High Court on January 12 if the club was to emerge from examinership, but at the moment with monies promised they are only just touching the €200,000 mark.
The PFAI was unavailable for comment yesterday and no Drogheda United players were willing to comment on the matter.
- Neil Ahern
It may seem like a silly question but if Drogheda go out of football, and i dont think any football fan would not want to see this, what is the situation then as regards monies being owed to players? My understanding is they would then recieve less money than they are currently being offered. Could someone please clarify this? Thanks
Chances are that if Hinge Trading fold, as now seems likely, the players will get zero. Which is harsh on those that agreed to the deal, but slap it right up the ones that didn't for being so stupid. Mind you the real villains are the ****s who lead DUFC into this mess.
Shhhhhhh you can't say that in front of Drogheda fan's they are still heroes down there. It was all the fault of the evil NRA and MCC.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr A
The biggest problem is the three directors remaining in place. They were the ones that agreed the contracts and are now offering only a fraction of what they agreed on. If they had of stepped down when the crisis started then maybe the players might have viewed things differently.
I don't understand why the back wages can't be restructured over a longer time period ?
Offering 90k of the 300k you owe is not on.. They are entitled to their wages and should get the money back. If it's not there at present they should agree to long term deals where the money is paid back over a couple of years even.
It's simply not good enough to pay them less than what they are owed. They should be demoted two divisions if they get away with that as they are gaining a sporting advantage.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Louth4sam
F*ck off with that sh*t will ya. Not all Drogs think that way. In fact most of my mates would think quite the opposite.
Players are going to ruin the league i tell ya, every bit of bad news spouted in the media this year was from neil ahern, what a ****in rat!! H single handed done his best to destroy us this year too, well with a little help from his "friends"
Go to drogheda forum and you will read lots of differing opinions , so stop trying to make out everyone has there heads in the sand ,WE DONT .And our biggest problem is far from the three directors remaining in place FFS Gimme a break this is fcukin hard enough .Quote:
Originally Posted by Louth4sam
Ach now Vincent Hoey is my hero...he restored Drogheda Utd to its traditional status as Dundalk B team:p;)Quote:
Originally Posted by WindmillWarrior
If Drogheda folds do the Directors get sanctioned by being barred from directing another company for x number of years?...cause i sure hope so reckless fools! and i dont believe that collectively they couldnt pay outstanding debts and then pull out of the club
The simple answer is they can, but they won't. They want to come out of this situation debt free which limits my sympathy for them. The club appears to want to come out of this smelling of roses and at an advantage to clubs that paid their way.Quote:
Originally Posted by higgins
Its not just the club that should be taking all the flack...there are several players that where on ridiculous wages there and obviously the club will never be able to repay ALL the players back and yet some are willing to go to the extremeist of lenghts of seeing a club fold because the club cant afford to pay back these ridiculous wages...I would take what I could get from such a situation and help a club, that gave me the opportunity to play for it, a feckin chance!
Players are milking this situation...Fabio looking for Full time contract somewhere...puts on hold a move to us to see if his American trial or move to the up and coming Darlington gets him more dosh!:mad:
Most of the players couldn't give a crap about Drogs. They were given a contract for 'x' amount of money, why shouldn't they hold out for what they were promised in a legally binding contract?Quote:
Originally Posted by Black and White
very unfair bella players do the best they can for themselves and families its the clubs who stupitily spend money they can ill afford trying to win competitions that bring little reward all to appease the supporters who never seem to say a word when they hear there club has signed some player on stupid moneyQuote:
Originally Posted by bellavistaman
The self righteous nonsense on here never sesase to amaze me .How the fcuk do you know what supporters thought about the wages players were on ? The players can go and fcuk off , they will get nothing if things continue to go this way , the money they are being offered has come from OUR pockets. Drogs fans are busting our nuts to save our club , we have families and mortgages aswell ! We are trying our best to do right by the players but some of them are being totally unrealistic and whoever thinks the club is trying to get some advantage by not paying its debts ? grow the fcuk up .Quote:
Originally Posted by passerrby
If the money being donated by Drogheda fans is just going to go straight into the pockets of players and creditors then I think it could be time to just let the club die and start afresh with the funds that they have gotten together.. It'll be hard to say goodbye to a club you love but at the end of the day it'll be twice as hard to start up a new club if these funds disappear in the examinership process.
Drogheda town fc with Terry Eviston as manager!;)
What did the players say to the option of getting 100% of the money over a longer time period ?Quote:
Originally Posted by ndrog
fair play to garto who waived the wages owed to him from his contract and had his contract cancelled. the rest of the players should have done the same..
Well for him when he had a club across the water to walk into.Quote:
Originally Posted by Martinho II
You're right they are entitled to walk.Quote:
The players can go and fcuk off
Mainly because your club treated them like dirt.
Not the point.Quote:
they will get nothing if things continue to go this way
I wouldn't have accepted that derisory offer either.
But then I'm really, really, self righteous.
Fairplay and all but what's your point?Quote:
the money they are being offered has come from OUR pockets.
You also have a vested interest in Drogs survival that the players have no reason to share.Quote:
Drogs fans are busting our nuts to save our club , we have families and mortgages aswell
Of course you're getting an advantage.Quote:
We are trying our best to do right by the players but some of them are being totally unrealistic and whoever thinks the club is trying to get some advantage by not paying its debts ?
What's to stop Limerick signing 20 pros on 20 grand a week walking the First Division and then turning around at the end of the year and saying "actually can't pay ye, but don't blame us, we're simple folk, with house, and families, and mortgages, and stuff"
Jesus wept.
Right On.Quote:
grow the fcuk up .
Hope it all works out for ye. May I humbly suggest:
NOT GIVING VINCENT HOEY ANYMORE MONEY!!!!
Players were far from treated like dirt i can assure you of that pal, of course its the point , if they continue this they get nothing .The whole issue is about money is it not ? so how can this not be the point :confused: .Of course we have a vested interest in our club thats what being a fan is all about FFS . I dont agree with the way things were done , im screaming blue murder over it here in Drogheda, but what do WE do to try and save our club then ? I want us to start afresh if we survive this ,the current board can fcuk right off as far as im concerned .Dont care if we have to go down to the a leauge , that would be great as long as the club survives . Thats the bottom line here DUFC will die if things continue in this way .This money is coming for our pockets not the directors , i would love them to produce the money but it aint gonna happen , certain players are acting like total idiots because they feel they were mistreated by the club and we as supporters are gonna pay for this by seeing our club destroyed .
ndrog i have a great deal of empathy with your plight but unfortuneately empathy or sympathy don't the bills.Quote:
Originally Posted by ndrog
The blame completely lies with the board and nobody else. The players at the end of the day are only holding out for what is theres. God knows when they will ever get another contract like it so personally i would hold out for a better offer.
The board are treading a very tight line here because the director of corporate enforcement can look into their other directorships and assess if those companies are linked to Drogheda United if receivership takes place. The players know that board (personally) have the money and they are waiting for a better offer.
The biggest loser here is Drogheda United because nobody is acting in its interest.
But surely the point is WE as supporters are killing ourselves to raise the money .The board can rot in hell for all i care , but we are just trying to get on with it .What choice do we have .People are coming on here criticising and having a go like that limerick fan just fcuk me off .
your club made promises you could not keep so now live with outcome If my employee failed to pay my salery and put my home at risk and then let me go why should i help him in any way.and if i was a player i would take any promises made by the club with a large pinch of salt so i think they are right you fcuked them over so they are now receprocating.Quote:
Originally Posted by ndrog
P.s my point is debatable and does not require me to grow the fcuk up
The players should have accepted the money as if the club folds they will most likely not receive a cent assuming the fans withdraw their donations. It matters little that contracts were too big or how suddenly the club ran out of money as that is history now.
I still believe Hoey 'n Co should have left months ago.
seriously are you thick in the head or what ? My club made promises " i " could not keep ? How could i keep these promises ? So you think its fine that the players dont accept the only offer thats on the table and that the club dies ? What have i and my fellow supporters done to deserve that ? We are trying deperately to raise as much money as possible in the worst financial state the country has been in for years ! And a bunch of spoiled fcukers are gonna take my football club away from me .I have stated on numerous occasions that the board were totally and utterly wrong in what they did .Thanksfor your support mate.Quote:
Originally Posted by passerrby
Ndrog I don't want to get on your back but do you not think that the good people of drogheda are being used and duped by the current board. They are going around (more or less) begging the people of drogheda and its environs for cash that since they put the club in this mess that they are standing back and letting ordinary people who may be struggling as it is, put more strain on themselves by futily trying to bail out the club and then letting themselves off the hook in smug knowledge that they've really cut their costs at the expense of the club you love.Quote:
Originally Posted by ndrog
Professional Players play for money - if you want players who put the club first you should've gone amateur rather than fully pro.
This blame the players mantra is very convenient for Hoey and Co on the board - it'll be them that'll kill the club, not players wanting what they've earned fair and square.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jinxy lilywhite
We are gonna start going round in circles tbh .The board fcuked up and they left the supporters to carry the can .Whats done is done , we have no choice but to try and pay the debts if we want the club to survive .The blame game has been done to death at this stage . Reality is if the players done take the money on offer we are dead. end of .
What about the other creditors, including the Revenue? Who will pay them?Quote:
Originally Posted by ndrog
If the players do accept the money put up by the fans, the club could still go under.
Would the fans get their money back?
AFAIK employees are always first in line when companies are bankrupt. Revenue would be next in line.Quote:
Originally Posted by White Horse
www.irishfootienetwork.com.Quote:
Originally Posted by lucanhoop87
Think it's linked in the stickies thread in this forum.
you still dont get it the players or at least some of them feel ****ed off with the way they have been treated by your club so are now kicking back and cant be bought with a derisory offer i wish more players around the league stood up to these stupidly run clubs and demanded the money they were promised ,my dearest wish is that you go under in the hope it will bring to an end this continued full time dream of the so called super clubs ..go to the A league and learn the rudiments of club management
I thought DUFC need to pay the players to have any chance of getting a license next season. I thought the only way the club could go under was if the revenue issued a winding up order because of non-payment.Quote:
Originally Posted by White Horse
If the players accept even 1% of what's owed them in full and final settlement of outstanding wages, they can get a licence.
The club will go under on Monday if the examiner decides they have no viable future. Different to the way Shels/Cork/Limerick potentially went under in 2006 (which was as you described).
Ndrog...why arnt you attending this BIG meeting...I have contacts in Drogheda and all fans are welcome....stop fighting with others and go save your club!fight with the players at the meeting instead of biting back at opinions from other clubs fans!;)
So this is above any wish for Monaghan United to do well or for you and your family to have good health and happiness.Quote:
Originally Posted by passerrby
Your dearest wish is for a football club to go under.....
Weird.. Well actually its incredible.
And that's the stumbling block at the moment. The players can't agree on what to accept. Some players want to go with what the club have offered, while a few others are digging their heels in and looking for the full whack.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
There'll be a statement from the club at lunch time today regarding this.
Completely objective point of view:
Fair play to Drogs fans for all their efforts, a lot of credit is due to them.
BUT
These players are FULL TIME PROFESSIONALS. They have held up their end of their contract by attending training and playing matches. The club's end of the contract was to pay them the agreed salary. I
If the club could not guarantee payment of this, why enter into the contract in the first place?
Let's put it into context....
Mr X works for company Y.
His contract is for 50,000 euro per year. He only recieves 45000 of this. The company go bust.
Drogheda will go bust and it will be good enough for the idiots running it. I mean what did Hoey and Byrne think was going to happen is Plan A didn't work out?
The angel fcuking Gabriel????
No disrespect intended to the ordinary fans