Irish Daily Mail
Thursday, November 26, 2009
PHILIP QUINN
THE BOH WAR!
Champs fire back as Rovers question spending
by PHILIP QUINN
THEY may have been close in the Premier Division table, but
relations between League of Ireland rivals Shamrock Rovers
and Bohemians are today strained to breaking point.
After the demise of Derry City and Kildare County, the latest image of the League is of its two most famous clubs engaged in a snarling catftght.
Back-to-back champions Bohs are livid that their Dublin rivals
have lodged an official complaint with the FAI querying their levels
of spending since 2005.
The Hoops have sought assurances from the FAI that bigspending Bohs have always stayed within the salary cap protocol that
limits clubs to spending no more than 65 per cent of turnover on
players' salaries. Rovers do not accuse Bohemians
of anything untoward, nor do they offer any proof of wrongdoing, but
it is clear they have misgivings about the sums their rivals spent
between 2005 and 2008. Bohs official Gerry Conway is
adamant the Gypsies have played things by the book but the FAI
have taken note of Rovers' remarks and will be putting them to Bohs,
and their club auditors, at their next meeting.
Rovers have highlighted a number of areas of concern: specifically, the
sums Bohs have spent on training facilities, on fielding under-age
teams and in fund-raising, where their costs have jumped by 1,900
per cent from 2005 to 2008. In their letter to the FAI's
compliance officer, Padraig Smith, Rovers also point out that Bohs
continue to have four members on their bar staff even though their sed from
77,000 in 2005 to 30,000 in 2008.
They note that Rovers spent 428,555 on wages to their man-
agement staff in 2008, an increase of 50 per cent, and managed to do
all this while "keeping their salary spend on players within
the FAI's 65 per cent limit. Rovers are puzzled that
Bohs had to pay 190,000 for training facilities in 2008
Rovers' own outlay is about 35,000, for facilities at Peamount and
Sacred Heart in, Tallaght and that covers their first team, A team and Under 20s.
And they are mystified at how it cost . Bohs 130,000 'to run their
schoolboy teams last year. In comparison, it cost Rovers 64,000 to
field 22 teams, while Bohs run 15. Conway, the Bohs secretary, said
he was 'outraged' at Rovers meddling in Bohs' financial affairs.
'It's a bit rich that Rovers should be interfering into our business.
This is a club who submitted false accounts a few years ago and went
into examinership.
'We've nothing to answer here. I'm fully satisfied we can stand
over our figures. Our accounts are audited by auditors who operate
under the laws of chartered accountants,' he added.
Conway, who only became aware of Rovers' letter when contacted
by Sportsmail yesterday, rebutted the points they raised.
'The training facilities at DCU are among the best anywhere in
the country. The arrangement we nave includes access to me
elite athletic facilities also used by the Dublin footballers. We have access to
dieticians, nutritionists, physios, doctors and all that comes at a price.' Conway accepted the schoolboys outlay was steep but said the club forked
out 60,000 in 2008 on kitting out teams.
'There is nothing hidden there,' he vowed. 'We showed we spent over
1.9m on players' wages in 2008. How up front is that?' Ill-feeling has existed between the clubs for months but off-field issues were parked as the teams
went toe for toe for the title. Rovers have felt a sense of resentment towards their northside rivals after they opposed the prestige friendly bringing Real Madrid in Tallaght in July.
There was further discord when Bohs felt Rovers striker Graham
Barrett was acting unofficially as a players' agent after allegedly
approaching Brian Shelley about a possible move to the English
League a claim Rovers denied. Bohs also claimed midfielder
Joseph Ndo was subjected to racist abuse from Rovers fans in
last month's clash at Tallaght the claim was unsubstantiated.
According to Conway, Bohs have stayed constantly under the 65 per
cent SCP limit but if the FAI's compliance department finds the
sums don't add up, there could be repercussions for the Gypsies.
FAI compliance chief Smith explained last night that the finan-
cial statement submitted by Bohs for the year ending November 30,
2008 had been signed off by auditors Whelan Bowling and Associ-
ates, who said they presented a'true and fair view of the state of
the company's affairs'. He added: 'While the comments
forwarded to us by Shamrock Rovers present no evidence of
financial irregularity, in keeping with the FAI's financial monitoring
process we will raise these points during our next scheduled meeting
with the club and their auditors.'
The episode is the latest postscript to the financial morass into
which the League has sunk. After the difficulties of former
title winners Shelbourne, Cork City and Drogheda United in
recent years, another scandal involving the champions is the last
thing the League needs.
ll! BOHS midfielder Joseph Ndo could be the first close-season
signing for newly-promoted Sporting Fingal.
HEY, BIG SPENDER
Where Bohs'cash went in 2008
Training expenses: 190,883
(up 30,364 on 2007)
Underage teams 130,816
(up 114,971 on 200T)
Fund-raising: 94,525
(Up 89,875 on 2007)
Team management and staff:
428,555 (up 139,116)
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