Murray: this is the lowest I’ve ever felt

DAN MURRAY yesterday claimed he is going through the lowest period of his life as wages owed to him, his fellow players and staff remain unpaid.

The Cork City captain doesn’t hold out any hope of ever being paid what he was owed – but claims he would rather be paid nothing under different ownership.

Murray was speaking after yesterday’s show of force by employees of the League of Ireland club at a specially convened press conference in the Maryborough House Hotel.

Telling reporters that he had just endured a very harsh Christmas, Murray reiterated calls for Tom Coughlan to strike a deal with a local consortium involving Jim McCarthy of the Quintas Group and Michael O’Connell.

He also admitted that it was hard to predict his future under Coughlan’s recent managerial appointment Roddy Collins – a notable absentee yesterday.

“Something is going to happen, I’d say,” responded Murray when asked whether or not a backlash was in the offing.

“I’m probably the first to get it anyway. He’s not paying me anyway so he can’t stop paying me! He can stop me playing but I’ve still got a contract. There’s nothing to gain from them doing anything to me. They are better off trying to work with me. I’m happy to work with Roddy for as long as he wants me.

“The way we see it, we’re not going to get paid at the minute. We’re probably not going to get paid even with new owners, we may have to come to an arrangement. But as players we would be happier to come to an arrangement with different people and not Tom Coughlan. Every time we’ve had an agreement with him, he’s not done what he said he would do.

“We’ve heard so many (lies) and I’ve had it to my face. I just can’t handle that. That has probably pissed me off more than anything else.

“The options for myself to leave are probably running out as you’ve kept people hanging on for so long. They’ve gone for other options. It’s more important to make sure the club is there – and at the moment I can’t see that with Tom in charge. I can’t see us getting a second chance with the Revenue on Monday, for example.”

Murray also outlined what had been a less than festive period.

“You can’t buy presents or travel home to England to see the family because you haven’t any money,’’ he said. “You can’t put petrol in the car, can’t buy your family presents, borrowing money off people just to pay the bills and put food on the table. I wouldn’t wish it upon your worst enemy. It was the worst Christmas I’ve ever experienced. It’s hard to accept what was going on.

“We just want to look after ourselves. We’re not on massive money like English Premier League players, where you can afford not to be paid for a few weeks and it won’t affect you. We get enough money to pay the mortgage and the bills and if you’re lucky, there is a bit more to pay for a few luxuries like dinner out or a night out. Over the last two months we haven’t been able to do any of that. I’ve probably turned into a bit of a hermit sitting at home watching Celebrity Big Brother.”

Murray agreed that it was probably the lowest period of his life.

“Yeah, I think it is. I have been lucky enough that I’ve had a good life and enjoyed most of it. I have good family support and friends but this is totally different. You go to bed every single night wondering what bill is going to come through the door the next morning, wondering where can I get the money. It puts stress on you, and its the most stressful I’ve ever been in football.

“Hopefully he (Coughlan) can see sense and get out while he still has something. I don’t know what he can gain by doing what he is doing now. If someone can just have a good talk to him and say – right Tom, this is a good time to go, for the good of yourself and Cork City Football Club just leave and give someone else a go.

“At the start I think he had the best interests in trying to do it properly but then as it went on he just dug a bigger and bigger hole and he just wants to fight to get out of it instead of just putting his hands up. I don’t know what he’s trying to get out of doing what he’s doing. Surely he knows now that he is not the best man to run the football club.”