QuoteThats a joke! But saying that this whole feckin league is after becoming one big joke!
Irish Independent 6 Sept 2008
http://www.independent.ie/national-n...h-1470607.html
A FUNDRAISING game featuring Manchester United and Liverpool "legends" threatens to relegate beleaguered Premier Division Galway United to soccer history. The Eircom league club faces bankruptcy over an outstanding bill owed to the company who provided the celebrity footballers for the fundraiser match, which also featured Irish celebs, including Tommy Tiernan and Hector O hEochagain.
The Irish Independent has learned that a company specialising in debt collection and insolvency in the Republic has been asked to collect the €17,000 debt.
Grow Sport Ltd, a Belfast-based company where former Republic of Ireland and Liverpool striker John Aldridge is a director, supplied the visiting star players.
Colin Telford, a former professional footballer and a director of Grow Sport Ltd, said he was prepared to go to the courts to get his money.
Galway United chief executive Nick Leeson admits there had been a difficulty, but maintains he has agreed a schedule to repay the debt to Grow Sport Ltd.
He said: "They (Grow Sport Ltd) will get their money, we have agreed a payment reschedule with them."
However, Mr Telford said that while Mr Leeson had proposed a repayment schedule last month, his company had not yet received any money.
"Nick Leeson is a lovely guy but, at the end of they day, we can't afford to be out this money," said Mr Telford. "He proposed a repayment schedule to our debt collectors but we have not received any money."
He added: "If we have no other option, we will go to law."
Nick Leeson, the controversial British former rogue trader who was jailed for bankrupting one of London's oldest banks, Barings, in 1995, took over the finances at Galway United in 2005.
Now living in Barna, Co Galway, Mr Leeson said: "We are just trying to get to the end of the season and have contractual agreements (with players) until November 14 and then it will be back to part-time (players)."
When asked about the total income from the game, Mr Leeson said: "I don't have the figures to hand."
Hopes
There were high hopes for the ill-fated exhibition match when the Manchester United and Liverpool legends were contracted for the fundraiser on May 24.
John Aldridge, Ray Houghton, Jason McAteer, David May and Gary Gillespie were among the "legends" that togged out in Galway.
The Irish Independent understands that Grow Sport Ltd was to be paid on ticket sales and commission that ran to some €35,000.
Galway United said they have paid €18,000, but Grow Sport Ltd insists that they are owed a further €17,000.
It is understood that Mr Leeson agreed with Grow Sport Ltd's debt collectors to pay off the debt at €1,000 a month for five months, and three further payments of €4,000.
Mr Telford said: "We have only been paid around 50pc of our money and we have been pursuing them for the balance ever since."
Earlier this week, Mr Leeson had meetings with three major banks -- the Bank of Scotland, AIB and the Ulster Bank -- to restructure Galway United's loans.
At one stage during his negotiations with Grow Sport Ltd, Mr Leeson even discussed personally paying part of the debt while he pursues the monies owed to Galway United.
The ongoing financial crisis at Galway United comes hot on the heels of Cork City's difficulties last week when players took a 70pc wage cut.
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Thats a joke! But saying that this whole feckin league is after becoming one big joke!
LESS OF THE BULL NOW!
can it get any worse
i think this is a last ditch effort by the company to get paid. Its obvious that the media comming from galway is controlled by their chairman so any news other then from him was going to be bad news. The article had pics of fat "has beens" panting around in terryland, if only they had pics of LOI players during a real game!!!!! Good news in the league seems to be very amateur while bad news seems to come with ready made photos, and other media bits and pieces. Up for the final is on TV, one of the saddest shows ever to be made. But so so much better then MNS. Cost to the GAA = 0 MNS cost to the FAI = FOUR MILLION. Others things galway...How wide is Grainne Seoige???
Dude, fix the aspect ratio on your TV.Originally Posted by gael353
Others things galway...How wide is Grainne Seoige???
Where did you get this from? Yes, he writes for the Galway Independent, and the son of the club's former secretary writes for the Advertiser, so maybe he has a hold over them, but Galway Voice? Tribune? Galway Bay?
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Do I remember that the "legends" game clashed with some other big sporting or cultural event? I heard the turnout was pretty poor...
I thought that clubs had learned that wheeling out "legends" or "seniors" is a big risk? all due respect to the people who played (I remember the events of THAT day in Stuttgart in 1988.... it was a life changing day) but kids and teens don't remember or even know those guys and let's face it kids are and teens are always going to be the driving force at events like that...
Hope Nick can sort it out... it's looking grim for the whole league....
innit though??
With respect, there wasn't a big risk. The venture made money. The above figures are commission etc
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Exactly. The only "risk" Galway seem to have taken is in making more cash by not paying their bills.
A gross parody, merely.
think it was an ireland match - apparently 3000 still turned up but a large percentage must have been comps
more water!
It clashed with the heiniken cup final i think
ya it was on the day of the heineken cup final. as corby said there was over 3000 at the game so i cant see how we lost 17k. how many people would have needed to turn up for us to make a profit?
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So if you had €20*2000 people that's a gate of €40k and a profit overall of €5k before the meal is even taken into account.
#NeverStopNotGivingUp
Jan Molby has some questions to answer i feel
Because the bill was unpaid does not mean there was no profit made. I am not in favour of these kind of fundraisers. There only appeal to barstoolers really and we all know what they are like when it comes to supporting special events.
"Are those my feet" Fr Jack Hackett
What people know about the situation regarding the legends game comes from a newspaper article. They have never been know to fabricate anything as we all know.
Don't be quick to believe them and make assumptions based on it.
For what we have been told, gufcfan is spot on .
Nick Leeson is quoted as saying that a payment plan has been agreed.
The Belfast company are quoted as saying that a payment plan has been agreed, but that no money has been received and they are considering going to law.
That's the story. Now, out of interest, what's the fabrication?
Nick outlined the situation and the elements of fabrication that were in the newspaper in a fans forum last night.We're now aware of the real story.
I won't be disclosing any info about our Club to Dundalk fans who spend half their day whining about GUFC 2 years on from the IAG.
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"Cause Galway are MASSIVE"-RW Rover on 24/8/07 00:29am
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