Drogs to be expelled ?

**patsh** · 12/01/2003, 11:37 AM

At tomorrows meeting of the leagues board of control, there is a motion to exclude Drogheda for "non-compliance with the rules on financial management".

It looks at this stage that the motion has a good chance of being adopted. This would mean Drogs playing their last 2 games and then be excluded from next season.

It may mean that another club from the first division may be promoted.

This is all to do with preparing the league for the UEFA licencing system and may mean other clubs being forced to leave the el.
It may, as a consequence, even create an all-Ireland league, as it seems at this point that a lot of clubs from both North and South will not survive in senior football.

Whatever about the Genesis report, it seems that the UEFA system could be the catalyst for finally producing a league in which only properly run clubs will survive, thus increasing the quality, attendances and ushering in a whole new era.

While I do not like the thought of any club being forced out of senior football, I believe the UEFA system could be the best thing to ever happen to football on this island.

**A face** · 12/01/2003, 8:55 PM

Where did you hear this about the Drogs ??

**dahamsta** · 13/01/2003, 11:14 AM

Drogheda to meet officials over financial situation

Drogheda United officials are due to present the club's books to the eircom League's board of control this evening amid growing speculation that they may be expelled from the Premier Division.

Drogheda have been plagued by financial trouble since winning promotion to the top flight this season.

Club chairman Peter Delaney resigned because of the matter last Friday.

**Francesco** · 13/01/2003, 12:57 PM

Who are all these people coming on with the doom and gloom? Anyway, it would be true to say that a decision will be made on Drogheda's future tonight with a three man team presenting to the Board of Control. Don't know where the suggestion of being kicked out for a year/ playing last two games etc has come from. That is sheer conjecture. We will all know tomorrow - maybe late tonight.

@ndy · 13/01/2003, 1:42 PM

As far as i know, and it's news enough to me...basically, the company that Drogheda United were trading as were struck off the register two years ago, therefore the club have been illegally trading for the last two years. Also, they have a few dirty moves this season, in signing three players at the last minute, then turning around and saying that they didn't have the money to pay for them. Therefore the club have gained a very unfair advantage in having players they shouldn't have.

It's just like another club deciding...sure feck it, lets buy a top name player and hopefully we'll have enough money to pay for him if we are successful with him.

For this reason some clubs...mainly Derry i think (understandable considering the bad situation they fairly brought themselves out of recently) are pretty p'ssed off.

Hopefully to avoid a messy situation developing, Drogheda (sorry drogheda fans) will end up getting relegated. If they were to avoid or even win the play offs then there would be some pretty peeved clubs asking questions...

It's an unfortunate situation.

**Francesco** · 13/01/2003, 2:06 PM

The board held up their hands and admitted that they made a mistake in signing players. However, one has played only 3 or 4 games and is in negotiations to be let go, another is on loan and has played twice and I'm not sure who the other was. So to say we got an unfair advantage would be a bit unfair. The real problem that the other clubs has is the fact that we had players on high salaries (based on crowds from the early season that we didn't maintain) and that this has pushed up the cost of their signing players. Also the fact that as you say there has been poor management in terms of the company. However, this seems to be sorted out now. Anyway, you will know tonight what will happen.