New dawn beckons for Rovers

FROM being on the brink of extinction, Shamrock Rovers are set to enter a new era as a fans-owned club with a stadium in Tallaght, subject to High Court approval next week of a rescue package for the famous Dublin club.

Neil Hughes, the court-appointed examiner of the club which had amassed debts of €3 million, announced yesterday that following a series of critical meetings with creditors, his proposals to facilitate the survival of Shamrock Rovers had been accepted. Minutes after a press conference at the Plaza Hotel in Tallaght, Hughes found himself surrounded by cheering Rovers supporters already celebrating what looks to be a remarkable recovery for the embattled club.

Following an agreement to acquire 50% each of the restructured club on the part of the 400 Club the fans group which has been backrolling the Hoops this season and Australian-based businessman and longtime Rovers fan Ray Wilson, creditors yesterday voted to accept a series of proposals put to them by the examiner. As a result, Neil Hughes said: "We are now in a very optimistic position in terms of the future of Shamrock Rovers FC."