Finn Harps give green light for takeover by millionaire businessman Freddy Gonzalez

Alfredo “Freddy” Razon Gonzalez. Pic: Finn Harps/X

Members of the Finn Harps Co-Operative Society have given the green light for the Donegal club to be taken over by Filipino millionaire businessman Freddy Gonzalez.

On Tuesday night, there was a near-unanimous vote in favour of a Special Resolution to effectively approve his acquisition of the club, its players and staff, intellectual property and identity, together with the club’s existing debts, which will be transferred to the investor’s company.

A former Filipino international footballer - whose family has multiple business interests in Asia - Mr Gonzalez has pledged to invest more than €3.6 million over the next three years.

Significantly, he will assume full control of the club and will pay off the club’s debts (which exceed €500,000) and settle historic Revenue Commissioners’ arrears.

He will also provide the matching funding needed (€1.6 million) to draw down state grants for the construction of a new stadium less than a mile away from their Finn Park home.

As part of the deal agreed, the club’s co-op will, however, retain ownership of the new stadium and will grant control over leasing it out.

One of the chief reasons why Gonzalez is investing in Harps is that there are only 20 senior teams in the League of Ireland and he firmly believes that with his investment he can steer them into European football in the years to come, and to create a sustainable club.

This second vote rubber-stamps a previous initial vote in favour of more than 99% in favour of selling the club to Gonzalez, who has publicly expressed the wish to see Harps back in the Premier Division in the next two years.

Harps finished bottom of the First Division this season, but manager Patrick McEleney will go into the 2027 season with a much bigger budget.