shels players looking to have contrats anulled

**SeanDrog** · 10/11/2006, 6:47 AM

Crisis looms as title glory beckons
Emmet Malone, Soccer Correspondent

SOCCER: Even as they prepared for a game tonight in Cork where they could secure the Eircom League title, Shelbourne players were seeking confirmation from their union yesterday that they will be entitled to have their contracts with the club invalidated at the end of the season because of the repeated difficulties they have had this year with the payment of wages.

Shelbourne chief executive Ollie Byrne conceded yesterday there were more problems at the club with regard to salaries but said that "less than �10,000" is currently due to players in overdue wages. More than �30,000 more is due today for this week, however, and players were uncertain as they made the journey south yesterday what, if any, portion of this money they are likely to receive before the weekend.

The problems come towards the end of a season when the club have been dogged by difficulties with the payment of wages, something that now threatens to seriously undermine their ability to prevent the break up of a team on the verge of regaining the league crown. When previous arrears were cleared up in July the players - with the support of manager Pat Fenlon - secured a written guarantee that they would be allowed to depart as free agents at the end of the season if further problems were encountered with the payment of their wages.

There is a widespread belief within the squad that the terms of this commitment have been breached by events since the October Bank Holiday weekend when problems resurfaced and while all bar "a few hundred euro" and bonuses still due for the Inter-Toto campaign have been paid since, there is considerable frustration that the irregularity of the payment received is causing problems with the players' various mortgages and other commitments.

"I know that Ollie breaks his heart for the club," said one of the club's players yesterday, "and the players have been great with him but at the end of the day if your mortgage is not being paid then you've got to seriously think about your other options."

Though they believe the commitment they received in July to be binding, the players expect Byrne to challenge any attempt to claim free agent status by players whose contracts extend beyond the close season.

Up to 10 players, however, will be out of contract at the end of the season and few are expected to stay. Many of the rest are expected to look to leave as well with Bohemians, who are set to confirm Se�n Connor as their new manager in the middle of next week, prominent amongst the potential suitors.

"Ideally, I think a lot of the lads would like to stay," said one team member, "but if there have been these sort of problems when there's money from games coming in then what's going to happen in the off season, this is their full-time job and you can't just go from week hoping that you get your money. There's a lot of talk, too, that Pat's going to walk because of everything that has gone on and where would that leave the club? Everyone has stayed really focused this year despite everything that has gone on but basically nobody wants to go through the same thing all over again".

The club's current problems are simply the latest manifestation of a longer term struggle to bring in enough money at Tolka Park to meet outgoings. In each of the last three seasons there have been substantial shortfalls and this year's situation has been made worse by the arrival of two substantial tax bills.

Byrne has managed the situation by drawing down significant advances on the sale price of Tolka Park from Coneforth Trading, a company owned by businessmen Ivano Cafolla, Jerry O'Reilly and Irish Sports Council chairman Ossie Kilkenny. Between �2.5 million and �3 million is believed to have been obtained against a gross purchase price estimated at around �25 million. This figure, however, is contingent on the number of housing units for which planning permission is obtained and a significant portion of it will have to be paid to clear the interests of other parties in the land leaving Shelbourne with a figure that was believed to be around �16 million or �17 million prior to the borrowing.

There have been suggestions within the game that the money advanced was to count double against the eventual purchase price but Cafolla last night denied this, stating that, "at one point, a long way back, we did discuss disincentives to the club seeking money in advance of the deal being concluded but that is a historical matter. As time has gone on there have not been penalties".

Fenlon declined to talk about the situation last night insisting that he preferred to concentrate on a game for which Joseph Ndo and club captain Owen Heary are the major doubts. "It's a great credit to the players that they're in this position," he said, "but nothing's guaranteed and personally I think there'll still be twists and turns in the top four. What we have to do now is just keep going till it's over."

� The Irish Times

**green-blood** · 10/11/2006, 8:03 AM

hahhaahahahahahahahaha

**green-blood** · 10/11/2006, 8:04 AM

sorry that wasn't very constructive

lets see

eh

hahaahhahahahahahahahhahahhahaha

**drummerboy** · 10/11/2006, 8:18 AM

If Shels do win the league, as seems likely, what kind of a team will they enter in the Champions league next year. And what effect will it have on all the progress made in Europe over the last number of years by Irish clubs, including Shels.

**Dr.Nightdub** · 10/11/2006, 8:22 AM

Shels fans will soon be on denying it all as usual. Ollie and his ostriches.

If anyone ever doubted the existence of karma, everything that's happened to Shels this season should convince them.

**BohsPartisan** · 10/11/2006, 8:23 AM

Originally Posted by green-blood

hahaahhahahahahahahahhahahhahaha

Thats a good point GB, I'd like to add my endorsement to this sentiment.

**BohsPartisan** · 10/11/2006, 8:29 AM

Originally Posted by Dr.Nightdub

Shels fans will soon be on denying it all as usual. Ollie and his ostriches.

.

Christmas number one?

**Jerry The Saint** · 10/11/2006, 9:09 AM

Pat Fenlong and the players are clearly JEALOU$ of Shelbourne's success. Do they not realise that Ollie Byrne works 24x7x52x365 for the club? They would want to take a long hard look at themselves.

**green-blood** · 10/11/2006, 9:35 AM

the lazy fecker there is a 29th of February every 4 years and he takes that off.... not acceptable

Players are mercenary, Ollie will get loan on the back of this years league winners cheque, pay them all, promise them payrises and chumps league football and they will all sign up - and be in the sem baot by June next year

**chippie0001** · 10/11/2006, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by green-blood

the lazy fecker there is a 29th of February every 4 years and he takes that off.... not acceptable

Players are mercenary, Ollie will get loan on the back of this years league winners cheque, pay them all, promise them payrises and chumps league football and they will all sign up - and be in the sem baot by June next year

Not so sure this time, think too many of them have been burnt by Ollie's promises and from a good source a few of them are talking to us already. Any player that accepts Ollie's promises of wages again gets exactly what they deserve when he fails to pay. Its a long time between December and March and it could be a long Xmas for whoever believes Ollie.

**drummerboy** · 10/11/2006, 10:16 AM

When do Shels expect to leave Tolka? Even if Rovers court case is successfull, where will they be playing next season, as Tallaght won't be ready?

**BohsPartisan** · 10/11/2006, 10:19 AM

I'm sure they'll find somewhere. We're minus a tennant now that DC have folded.

**kdjaC** · 10/11/2006, 10:31 AM

Mate plays for them and i reckon he said this

"I know that Ollie breaks his heart for the club," said one of the club's players yesterday, "and the players have been great with him but at the end of the day if your mortgage is not being paid then you've got to seriously think about your other options."

Noone no matter what if they have kids and a house would ever jeopardise that by continuing with the present situation, he wont and there about 5 or 6 who will leave.

Heary for Pats please thanks.

kdjac

**Dodge** · 10/11/2006, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by chippie0001

Not so sure this time, think too many of them have been burnt by Ollie's promises and from a good source a few of them are talking to us already. Any player that accepts Ollie's promises of wages again gets exactly what they deserve when he fails to pay. Its a long time between December and March and it could be a long Xmas for whoever believes Ollie.

Yeah but the problem is that most other clubs are ****ed and won't want to sign anybody and pay them for 4 months before they make their debut. The top players might be snapped up but most Shels players won't move, at least not for a while. AFAIK Pats have talked to at least 4 Shels players. Most of whom are out of contract already.

**dcfcsteve** · 10/11/2006, 11:24 AM

I hate to see an club in trouble, but there is a large degree of poetic justive about Shels being over a barrel at the moment. Coulcn't happen to a nicer buinch of people.

From the perspective of my club, would make it an even greater shame if Kenny left, as he might be able to attract a Shels player or two to sign for us. We're in dire need of natural goal-scorers.

**Poor Student** · 10/11/2006, 11:52 AM

I hope we don't see a Shels side so decminated that they can't win some games in Europe next season. It seems like Ollie has used all his efforts to desperately hold this Shels team together to drag them over the finishing line this season in one piece without any certainty for next season.

**Mr A** · 10/11/2006, 12:19 PM

I wonder if there's any possibility that Shels could fail licensing and not be allowed to play in the premier or even lose their European place given their financial problems this year?

**pineapple stu** · 10/11/2006, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by Galway Harps

I wonder if there's any possibility that Shels could fail licensing and not be allowed to play in the premier or even lose their European place given their financial problems this year?

Given that Dublin City were allowed to pass Licencing, and Shels have the extra weight of Ollie, then no. Not a chance. (I don't believe for an instant that the FAI's claims that they'll run things propoerly next year will come to anything)

Originally Posted by Poor Student

It seems like Ollie has used all his efforts to desperately hold this Shels team together to drag them over the finishing line this season in one piece without any certainty for next season.

Ollie seems to be doing the same thing as Seery - he has no ability to stand back and loko at the bigger picture, with the result that he refuses to admit things are going awry and refuses to take any steps which would lead away from self-destruction. Very common for people in this position to believe in their project so much that they keep striving for their ultimate saving goal - no matter how ludicrous - rather than admitting they're in trouble and reorganising.

**dcfcsteve** · 10/11/2006, 12:57 PM

Was just thinking the same comparison re Seery myself Pineapple.

Ollie's so desperate to make Shels a success that his efforts to do so are actually in danger of destroying the club instead. He seems utterly unable to do anything else though - I doubt consolidation is a word he's familiar with. A prisoner of his own slowly crumbling dream.