Football club disclosures

THE humble Doncaster Rovers football club in south Yorkshire was swept up in the complex financial transactions involving former minister Michael Lowry and telecoms businessman Denis O’Brien.

It was not until disclosures in early 2003 that the tribunal was made aware of the exact nature of the Doncaster deal. The Irish Times referred to letters from solicitor Christopher Vaughan dating from September 25, 1998, addressed to Mr Lowry at his Thurles home, referring to meetings between the two men that month relating to Doncaster Rovers.

One letter stated: “I had not appreciated your total involvement in the Doncaster Rovers’ transaction...” Previously the tribunal believed the Doncaster deal involved only Denis O’Brien.

It later emerged that those letters were not the only items linking Mr Lowry to the deal.

The initial idea for the Doncaster deal came from British-based property development consultant Kevin Phelan, with the plan of buying Doncaster Rovers’ ground in the centre of the town with a view to redevelopment, while the club moved to an out-of-town stadium.

The hunt for investors led him to Bill Maher, a friend of Michael Lowry.

The shares in the club were ultimately bought in 1998 by an off-shore company called Westferry, incorporated by Kevin Phelan, on behalf of a trust owned by Mr O’Brien.

The report concludes that there is no evidence that Mr Lowry did not have an involvement in the Doncaster deal, but accepts that Mr Lowry did not acquire any legal title regarding Doncaster Rovers FC.

It says it is satisfied Mr Lowry did have an involvement in the Doncaster deal, which would have entailed a payment to him from Mr O’Brien, even if it admits that it is unable to detail the “precise nature” of that involvement.