Dan Connor's letter to former Cork City directors

[Dodge]

Sticking it in this forum as he's a Pats player now so it effects more than Cork (in case anyone starts moaning)

Sent: Monday, 1 March, 2010 13:27:37... See more
Subject: Liam Meaney - Cork City Investments Ltd - Response Dan Connor (ex player)

Dear Liam
Thank you kindly for extending me the courtesy of keeping me up to date with your endeavours to ‘save’ Cork City Football Club, and for the compassion you have shown towards me and my fellow ex-employees. You will have to excuse me, this correspondence caught me by surprise as I’m not used to being treated with any kind of respect by Tom Coughlan or Cork City Investments Ltd.

As you have been so kind please allow me to reciprocate with my 2 cents worth. Yes that’s €0.02 –Quite ironic really as this happens to be equivalent to the amount of cash I actually own given that I have not been paid since 14 November 2009, and here I am giving its equivalent value to you. Liam I know you are not that good with dates, (after all you failed to meet several commitments and promises made to me on various agreed dates over the past six months or more), but that’s approximately 15 weeks without wages. You can imagine that having not been paid approximately €20,000 in wages due to me under contract my bank account is severely in the red, and so it is that the 2 cents I found down the back of the sofa is all I have at this point. Anyhow back to your correspondence;

Based on what I have heard on what I actually know I find your actions laughable, incredible, insulting and angering simultaneously for the following reasons;

The company has been in trouble for some time now yet you wait until the 23 February 2010 to make this plea for support and assistance. This is either A) a sick attempt to make it look as if you and Tom Coughlan actually give a damn about the football club and its employees, or B) the actions of a bluffer whose bluff has been called and is now trying to salvage something, possibly squeeze some more blood from the stone?

Some say that the only reason Cork City Investments Ltd exists no more is because of the shambolic, negligent and reckless manner in which it was run. I hope this isn’t the case and I sincerely hope that the events of the past months will result in a thorough investigation of the company, its management, and directors by the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement and the Revenue Commissioners.

There are countless rumours circulating; people connected to the directors earning large salaries for distributing sandwhiches; people connected to the directors appearing on the creditors list for settlement as part of the takeover; misdirected funds; actions of the directors that were not in the best interest of the company etc etc – but I needn’t lay these out for you as after all they are only rumours which I cannot substantiate at all, but I am sure you know exactly the rumours I speak of.

I would hope that any investigation would clear this matter up and put to bed any unfounded rumours of money laundering or impropriety and clear the good name of the company’s directors and management.

People are of the opinion that the company could easily have been saved but because of the actions of the directors this did not happen. This seems like a reasonable conclusion to me. I’m no corporate finance expert but a willing seller + willing purchaser + more than willing creditors and employees = sale? I suppose the issue gets a little more complicated when the seller actively obstructs the sale, deceives the courts, deceives the Revenue Commissioners etc etc (although the motives for such action are somewhat unclcar). These are not my views but the views of the courts, the Revenue and the takeover group which I have read in the media.

I potentially have a lot to gain should the company be re-instated given that this would provide some hope of me recouping my lost earnings. But I have lost a lot in time as an employee of Cork City Investments Ltd. I don’t think for one second that either you or Tom Couglan has any idea of the personal stress I (and other staff) have been under in the past few months, the blame for which I lay firmly at the club’s door. A period of broken promises, deceit, lies, underhanded action, attempts to have me sacked (confirmed to me by the clubs football manager), suspensions and fines for speaking out against this travesty, my blocked transfers (negotiated with your agreement and which would financially benefit the club, only to be pulled down my some last minute machiavelian antics by the club designed to screw me out of my wages due), a Christmas with my wife and two children with no salary to provide for them and the stress that all that puts on a marriage. I would feel even worse if I though Tom Coughlan would get one more cent out of the company, or had any influence over the football club in the future whatsoever.

Personally I think you have some cheek to contact me to garner my support for any action you or Tom Coughlan would take in any regard. In all my time I have never come across such a despicable group of people.

Cork City (the football club) will survive albeit under the guise of a new company. Some jobs will be replaced by that new company I hope. I firmly believe that the interests of the football club and the supporters of Cork City are all the better to see the back of Tom Coughlan and Cork City Investments Ltd, god knows the supporters and staff have been through enough. I wish the club, the staff, and the supporters all the best for the future, the only pity being I can’t take part in the post Tom Coughlan revival.

I feel sad for you too Liam, I don’t know what the extent of your involvement exactly is in this mess but I fear the worst. But there is an old saying about bad things only happening when good people do nothing. Either you are complicit or stood idly by – I’m not sure which is worse, at the end of the day you only have your word and your honour, your nothing without these.

As for Tom Coughlan, I hope that the next time he crawls out from under his rock to do business, that people are of the nature of the man and treat him accordingly - run a mile!

Please feel free to contact me by return email, on my mobile at ----------, by post, or pop into the house for a cup of tea with myself, the wife, and the kids (forgive them in advance if they’re not too friendly; when the two little lads asked me who killed Santa this year I told them it was you and Tom).

Yours sincerely and unapologetically,

Dan Connor

Former Employee Cork City Investments Limited
Formerly almost an employee of Darlington FC (Scuppered by the clubs greed)
Formerly almost an employee of St Patricks Athletic (Scuppered by your appeal against the wind up)
ACTUALLY & CURRENTLY UNEMPLOYED & BROKE – BUT MOVING ON!

P.S For those of you CCd on this correspondence please do not hesitate to contact me. There is a queue of people as long as the creditors list only willing to share their experience of working with Tom Coughlan and we’ll be happy share them with you.

[passinginterest]

No holding back there, fair play to him, I hope it doesn't land him in any trouble.

[elmo]

Has not appeared on the Cork City FC Forum , but can be PM to members , I wonder was it meant to be kept private.

[SwanVsDalton]

Great message, thumping delivery. Well done Dan Connor. Can't imagine what trouble he would get in, can't see a libel case here even if Tom wanted to take one and he's earned the right to speak his mind.

[pineapple stu]

Formerly almost an employee of St Patricks Athletic (Scuppered by your appeal against the wind up)

What's this about?

Also, where'd this come from?

Was thinking it had been very quiet from TNB lately...

[Dodge]

He CC'd some journalists with it. (I copied it from the Pats forum)

He was due to join Pats last week, and it was held up due to the "appeal" (ie technically his registration was still held by CCFC and they wouldn't allow him to leave). He sent this on Monday, and signed for us on Wednesday

[pineapple stu]

Surely though he was allowed to leave on a free as his contract had been breached? Don't understand how Cork could have stopped him joining either youz or Darlington.

[HammerNThongs]

Surely though he was allowed to leave on a free as his contract had been breached? Don't understand how Cork could have stopped him joining either youz or Darlington.

I'm sure they had some scummy trick up their sleeves like threatening to not co-operate with releasing his registration or some such scumbaggery.

[marinobohs]

Surely though he was allowed to leave on a free as his contract had been breached? Don't understand how Cork could have stopped him joining either youz or Darlington.

As Cork City had his registration I presume that they could have delayed / made difficult his signing for another club. While the non payment could have constituted breach of contract he would have had to take action to inforce this (as I think Owen Heary did at Shels) due to the FAI refusal to "flick the switch" on Cork City they carried on (albeit in zombie mode) as a registered club until struck off.
Pretty sure that the deal with Darlington was scuppered due to club demand he waive monies owed to him. think I read that in the classic thread on here RE the Cork City debacle.

Never a fan of that particular player but absolutely class letter. Still amazed that the PFAI have not insisted on sanctions against clubs that dont pay players.

[razor]

Surely though he was allowed to leave on a free as his contract had been breached? Don't understand how Cork could have stopped him joining either youz or Darlington.

Think they were allegedly holding his registration until he waived his rights to his back money, he couldn't afford to do that.

[Dodge]

I'd imagine it was only a point of principle for Connor as he's unlikely to see a penny anyway. (He was dead right too)

[pineapple stu]

Absolutely. Amazed it's that easy for a club to screw a player over like that.

[Macy]

Absolutely. Amazed it's that easy for a club to screw a player over like that.

With no sanction from the FAI.

[dong]

scumbaggery.

That's a savage word!

[SMorgan]

What exactly was he responding to?

What support was requested of him?

[SkStu]

Here is the mail Dan recieved

From: Cork City FC Online Shop <ccfcshop>
To: liam meaney <xxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tue, 23 February, 2010 12:21:49
Subject: Statement

Cork City Football Club confirms that the club intends to appeal the decision not to award the club a licence. Itis the understanding of the club staff & managementthat a deal had been confirmed
for the transfer of ownership of the club, however this has now failed
to materialise. Club management will today endeavour to resolve the
outstanding issue with the Revenue at the High Court and to save the
jobs of over 30 employees.


We understand that the licence application was recommended for approval by the FAI & we appreciate all assistance given by all parties in trying to keep the club alive. It is the belief of the club that the jobs of club employees are the key issue here, and given the number of jobs involved, the club calls on the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the FAI, the Munster FAand all other parties who may be able to assist with saving these jobs to act swiftly.

The club also hopes thatany partieswho show a willingness to take over the club will engage with the club should an appeal result in the club achieving a League of Ireland licence & not just that of a Premier Division Licence.


32 Cork jobs hang in the balance and weneed allassistanceto save them.
--
Cork City Football Club,
Rushbrooke,
Cobh,
Co Cork.

[Longfordian]

Have to say Connor has gone up in my estimation after that letter. Fair play to him.

[Charlie Darwin]

That's a fairly damning letter. Best of luck to Connor at his new club.

[John83]

I can't help but think of the odd idiot on here who criticised the players as greedy and whatnot. I wonder where they are now.

[tippex]

+1 for Dan Connor.
I honestly could not fathom how the players themselves stayed for so long with no wages never mind the admin staff.
But for cork (tom etc) to block the transfers is a disgrace.
My one regret now is that we didnt manage to sign connor.