Galway put entire squad up for sale

**mypost** · 23/06/2011, 1:16 AM

Originally Posted by gufcfan

The people currently doing their best to rescue the situation and not see players and local creditors shafted had absolutely no input in how the club was run until a few days before this season started. They were routinely lied to and deceived by Leeson. You will more than likely counter with a comment such as "He's Nick Leeson, what the f did you expect". That is true, but we didn't employ him or allow him to become a member of the board.

I understand your anger, but must point out that the number one reason the club is in such a state is Nick Leeson and those who allowed him to do so, his employers and fellow directors of the club. Not to mention that the directors (allegedly) seem to have been borrowing in the name of the club and then spinning it to the public as money they were investing personally.

The FAI are not far behind either. If their procedures for implementing the sham of licensing process had any level of common ****ing sense applied to it, there wouldn't be an asterisk on the league table every ****ing year. As recently as this month someone in the FAI remarked upon how well the club ran things a few years ago. You couldn't make it up.

Blame can be laid in a few places.

If you knew the state you were in when you were relegated, why did you appeal the decision, when it would make more sense to rebuild in the other division? The FAI must have been satisfied that you would have seen through the season without this stuff going on, when accepting the appeal.

**gufcfan** · 23/06/2011, 1:28 AM

Originally Posted by mypost

If you knew the state you were in when you were relegated, why did you appeal the decision, when it would make more sense to rebuild in the other division? The FAI must have been satisfied that you would have seen through the season without this stuff going on, when accepting the appeal.

The decision to deny a licence was over an issue with the club's tax clearance cert, not a question over the ability of the people wanting to save the club to run things properly.

The Revenue promised a tax clearance cert in time for the FAI deadline. The person within the Revenue with the authority to grant one was not available to do this in a timely fashion. The appeals committee must have taken this into account when making a decision.

The FAI don't know what they are at. The people running the club now are the best possible people for the job, but there is a noose around their necks because of the negligence of the FAI. Accounts submitted by Leeson to the FAI have to have been works of fiction to rival JRR Tolkien's best. No more than with the five eights account any meaningful examination of the situation would have unearthed major concerns. It seems that one or two starstruck idiots on the board who had no idea what was going on must have allowed their admiration and trust in the man rub off on more than a few lads in the FAI.

Doing a Foras might not be the silver bullet people make it out to be, for us anyway. It would shaft a lot of people who United would need the support of going forward. I also think that by getting to the end of the season at least, GUST can prove they are capable of running a club properly. I know for a fact that they are well able to do it, but the current circumstances would break lesser men.

As for that you said about rebuilding in "the other division", that wasn't an option. The tax clearance cert is a requirement for a Premier or First Division licence, but not the A Championship. The appeals process was an all or nothing situation. The club would fold immediately if that happened. GUST would have been looking at trying to apply for a licence themselves for 2012, but sure God knows if there will be an A Championship next year or what the story is going to be.

**gufct** · 23/06/2011, 6:09 AM

If debts were the reason we were relegated then im afraid over half the teams in the league would have been with us.

Footballing debts (which we had agreements with those listed) and a Tax Clearence Cert (which we had faxed agreements from the Revenue which showed the main reason we hadnt got one was due to delay by the self same FAI in lodging money that was resting in their account to clear our tax debt).The appeals committe of independent people found that the FAI Licencing Dept. were totally wrong in their original decision.

This whole scenario has been forced on galway by the PFAI and Stephen McGuinness in particular on the behest of 2 players who are owed less than �500 between them and who have tried to bully the rest of the squad. Uur total Debt bar the bank debt of the former directors (which they are liable for) is less than �300,000 which is a lot less than a lot of other clubs in the league.

This site has gone down the tubes in the last year as it has turned into a nasty bichfest where fans gloat over the travails of other clubs misfortune and shows perfectly why this league is in the mess it is.

there are no more sugar daddys (bar limerick) around the league and most clubs are being run by genuine supporters who are fighting tooth and nail to keep the wolf from the door without any help from the FAI.

**geezer** · 23/06/2011, 6:48 AM

�50 is the wages sum owed to 2 players after tuesday nights game.
One of them has tried to instigate a team revolt but forgot the galway lads, They ran to their professional body because they got done before. The same two refused for months to supply rsi numbers.
One of them has blasted news all over dublin we are gone, its understandable he is upset over unpaid wages, but �50??

something else is at play here.

I hope they are as up to date on their pfai subscriptions

**Dodge** · 23/06/2011, 7:22 AM

'He's blasted it over Dublin?'

You really think Dublin cares?

**BonnieShels** · 23/06/2011, 7:23 AM

Sean Connor on Morning Ireland now.

**SkStu** · 23/06/2011, 7:31 AM

'Sean Connor on Morning Ireland now'

You really think Ireland cares?

**Macy** · 23/06/2011, 7:55 AM

Originally Posted by peadar1987

I thought Terryland was owned by the Galway League, or something, not by United.

Sorry - I was making the point about why "anyone" would extend credit to LoI clubs - some clubs have an asset as security. Why anyone would to the clubs that don't have an asset, I don't know.

**gufct** · 23/06/2011, 7:57 AM

In 2006 banks were handing out Money to everyone with or without Assets.

**Macy** · 23/06/2011, 8:00 AM

Originally Posted by gufcfan

Doing a Foras might not be the silver bullet people make it out to be, for us anyway. It would shaft a lot of people who United would need the support of going forward. I also think that by getting to the end of the season at least, GUST can prove they are capable of running a club properly. I know for a fact that they are well able to do it, but the current circumstances would break lesser men.

Do GUST have full legal control of the club? Without that GUST are nuts to be even more involved and financially committed at this stage. They would be better holding it in reserve for either a "new" club a la Foras/Derry, or to take over the exsiting after an examinership a la Rovers, if the current owners won't hand over total control. IIRC, other clubs have started again, and the new owners have put in place agreements to pay off the old creditors to maintain goodwill.

**passinginterest** · 23/06/2011, 8:21 AM

Could we be looking at a situation where Mervue emerge as the sole LOI side in Galway? Things are not looking good for Utd and there's been rumour of Salthill pulling out in this thread. Mervue have already played in Terryland and would appear to be running things in the correct manner with the LOI side independent of their schoolboy and junior sides, it might be easy enough for them to rename the LOI side as "Galway County" or just "Galway FC", almost the equivalent of a new club being formed but with much deeper roots and support structures already in place. Might something like this be better for football in Galway in the long term? People are saying here that a lot of the people at Salthill and Mervue games as it is are just Utd fans with nothing better to do, would it be that hard for them to follow the new side?

**Spudulika** · 23/06/2011, 8:31 AM

Most interesting about SC's interview this morning was how he's been on the phone to clubs in Ireland, England and Scotland to get players, while his players are all up for sale. I don't know if it was just in my mind, but something just wasn't right. I like SC, despite his detractions, and he does care about football, though it just seems like the latest LOI hard luck story. The media will love it, until some barney breaks out at a division 3 Junior camogie match in Cavan.

**Dodge** · 23/06/2011, 8:59 AM

Connor's a fruitcake. They're being relegated, and looking to go the rest of the reason without paying wages and he wants to bring in lads from the UK?

I'd say the Galway board are just waiting for a chance to get rid of him and save that money too. Looper

**gufct** · 23/06/2011, 9:04 AM

Anyone with half a knowledge of the Politics behind Galway Football would but you straight on the Chances of Mervue changing their name or Other Clubs fans supporting them.If GUFC go to the wall then LOI is gone in Galway City.Fran Gavins idea of all 3 merging is even dafter with Mervue & Salthill hating each other more than they do us.

We couldnt go down the Foras route because of the 3 club scenario and we would be burning local businesses which didnt bother Nick but went completely against GUST's Principles. The trouble we are in at the moment is diificult but surmountable and wouldnt have raised its head only for the bully boy tactics of 2 players and the action of the PFAI who had no Galway players signed up until Stephen McGuinness appeared in the dressing room at Tallaght and demanded that the amateurs get out.

**gufct** · 23/06/2011, 9:11 AM

No way are we not paying players till the end of the season that is complete bull. Sean for all his faults has taken a wage cut and gone without wages . We would have had this sorted entirely before mid july but unfortunately the 2 players at the centre of this are from the old school who think money still grows on trees.

**El-Pietro** · 23/06/2011, 9:18 AM

Originally Posted by Lim till i die

This pretty much sums it up.

We all remember the arrogance, the nonsense, the bullspit, and the fact that they piddled money at the first team in the Premier without doing a tap in the background is a damning indictment of all involved.

But tis harsh all the same.

good analogy, I hope Limerick fans take heed

**Dodge** · 23/06/2011, 9:26 AM

Originally Posted by gufct

No way are we not paying players till the end of the season that is complete bull

Why are you paying players? You're going to finish last. Why not do it as amateurs and keep the couple of grand a week the team is costing you now

**gufct** · 23/06/2011, 9:39 AM

Every club is 1 step from ending up in our situation. If their benefactor is put into NAMA not alone are they stopped putting anymore money but NAMA can go after the club to try and get their investment back. This actually happened with 2 ex directors but they put NAMA in the picture that we werent a mark but if we owned our ground it could have been a problem.

Also sugar daddys in Ireland dont have millions to fire into a dark hole so they become bored if they arent getting some kind of a return on the pitch at least no matter how much they love the club.