QuoteA year in the life of the Big Club.
Independent.ie
By Tim Healy
Wednesday December 03 2008
A former manager of League of Ireland champions Bohemians told the High Court yesterday there was no basis to a sexual harassment allegation which was among the reasons he lost his job with the football club. Sean Connor, who is seeking damages for unfair dismissal, said the allegation that he had made "advances of a sexual nature" to a woman who voluntarily worked at the club was without foundation and had made his personal life very difficult. It had also made it difficult to get another job since his dismissal in December of last year, he said. He was giving evidence at the opening day of his action for damages against the club in which he claims he was wrongfully dismissed and not afforded proper procedures. He is also seeking a declaration that the decision to terminate his €100,000-per-season contract was null and void. Mr Connor (41), who lives in Killybegs, Co Donegal, with his partner and child, had been earning €600 a week at Sligo Rovers before joining the Dublin club on December 1, 2006 on a contract due to last to the end of the 2009 season.
He brought the club into a third-place league finish in his first season but, by December of last year, the directors of the club dismissed him following a number of allegations, including the sexual harassment of a relation of a board member. He failed in an earlier High Court bid this year to get an injunction to be reinstated after a judge ruled that an action for damages would be an adequate remedy for him. Pat Fenlon was appointed manager after Mr Connor was dismissed, and subsequently led Bohemians to a league and FAI Cup double this year. On the first day of the action for damages yesterday, the court heard the alleged sexual harassment occurred after Mr Connor had invited the young woman out for dinner, shortly before his dismissal last year, and later took her to an apartment he had been renting in Malahide Marina Village. It was alleged that he invited her out "under false pretences" and made "advances of a sexual nature" while in the flat.
Mr Connor, under cross-examination by Alistair Rutherdale, for the club, denied making any advances and said he had invited the young woman out to thank her for the assistance she had provided him with during the year, especially during the League Cup final in 2007. He said he made it clear to the woman that the dinner would only be himself and herself and "she had an opportunity to cancel but she didn't". Mr Connor agreed that in hindsight it may have been an error of judgment to invite her out. He also told the court no formal complaint had been made by the woman and since the incident he had spoken to the woman's mother and to her brother. The woman's mother briefly interrupted proceedings yesterday to say her daughter had been "dragged in [to the proceedings] by one of the parties involved". The court heard the woman, who is only being referred to by her initials, was not present for the hearing but would be available to give evidence if required.
Mr Connor also told the court yesterday that he had been declared a bankrupt as a result of investing in a business deal in England but he had since discharged that bankruptcy. In its defence of Mr Connor's claims, Bohemians FC says his position was terminated for serious and ongoing breaches of his contract. The club says that among the other reasons for his termination was the offering of contracts to players without board approval, the unapproved renting of accommodation for players, the payment of unauthorised meal expenses and inviting players from other clubs to train with Bohemians. He also allegedly drove a club sponsor-supplied car without insurance despite having been warned not to do so and ended up in an accident in which a motorcyclist was paid €3,000 to settle any claim.
The case continues.
Last edited by A face; 03/12/2008 at 5:11 PM. Reason: Paragraphs
A year in the life of the Big Club.
100k a year,wow,no wonder Bohs are so much in debt giving contracts like that in this league.
And he used that old excuse of "i invited her to dinner to thank her for her assistance",ya right.
I'd say he could win his case. Clearly the Big Pub thought they had their man, then realised they hadn't and decided to be sly about trying to show him the door.
Imagine that in modern day Ireland....a man trying to get in to some young one's knickers....amazing!!I'm glad there isn't sexual harrassment suits brought against every attached man who tried it on with someone in the workplace...it would be a long waiting list.
Bohs made a bad appointment, then tried to get out of it. I see a settlement being made.
And he was on 600 a week at Sligo which would mean Bohs paid him more than triple what he was getting there if those figures are true.Originally Posted by eamo1
Insane!
Agreed.
And they're paying him a lot more now - settled for €225k plus costs apparently.
That's another big bill for Bohs, including Connors costs and their own costs they'll be down well over €300k.
Madness that they didn't settle this a long time ago - could have been done for less than €200k all in IMO.
Connors wins hands down I heard!!!!
given the substantial settlement it was more a case of winning hands "where everyone can see them".
Bohs will be very lucky if they cap the total in this at €350,000 including costs. The next members meeting should be interesting. Where are Bohs going to get the Money to pay this ???
We are the Galway Boys Stand up and make some noise"
So did Bohs not give him any shut-up money at the time?
Well they've only drawn down 2.7 million of the 4 million from Zurich. Not sure how the Albion judgment affected this arrangement but I doubt it has.
Whatever about paying Sean Connor and his costs, there's no way they can pay back Zurich at this stage. Or Liam Carroll. Or Albion's costs. Or the Revenue. Or...
....pay the wages of a new manager - Nutsy gone to Rovers apparently
The reports on Fenlon are still unconfirmed - as seen by the blind panic on theBohs.com board.
If he does walk - I can't blame him with the mess of a club he's now involved in around him - got to go where the security is tbh
And whoever wished for a quiet close season I'd like to meet after class for "a little chat"...
Kom Igen, FCK...
Anybody wishing for a quiet close season is a sadist - this stuff makes the cold days bearable.
The LOI doesn't do 'close season'.
Bloody hell. Somebody at Dalymount should be run from the club for this fiasco!
#NeverStopNotGivingUp
This might make them think twice about appealing the Albion case..
I don't think they have a choice. It may be Russian roulette with 5 loaded chambers, but the guy by the door has an uzi and a Shamrock Rovers scarf.
#NeverStopNotGivingUp
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