Worst case I’ve ever seen, insists players’ solicitor

THE solicitor acting on behalf of Cork City players and staff yesterday described the standoff which has enveloped the League of Ireland club as the worst he has seen during his career in employment law.

Having endured 10 weeks without pay (money received on Christmas Eve had been due since October), the club’s employees contacted John Boylan for advice.

And yesterday, at a specially press conference, Boylan outlined the grievances of staff and players in a carefully constructed two-page statement.

“It’s the worst I’ve ever seen,” said Boylan. “If it was an ordinary work job – if it was my office and my secretaries weren’t paid for two and a half months and they went through Christmas without being paid I just actually can’t imagine that they would keep coming in.

“The idea of people loving football so much that they would take their eye off the ball and put up with not being paid – I just find it extraordinary. I’ve never actually come across it previously in any walk of life and I’m an employment lawyer for more than 20 years.

“I’ve actually never come across that. They love football so much and they are all decent, down-to-earth guys, they don’t make trouble and yet they manage to put up with two and a half months of not being paid. I find that extraordinary.”

Boylan did however rule out any court action.

“I told them that it was a waste of time going into the legal arena because I have acted for previous employees of Cork City Football Club and we have got judgements from the same consortium and they still haven’t been paid.

“There was a very long-standing employee Noelle Feeney, who is one of the heartbeats of the club. She was an employee – a registered employee – and she was fired on the spot. We went to the labour court and we won completely. And they have never paid her a penny.

“I will be keeping a close eye on things but having looked at the finances there is absolutely, in my opinion, no chance.

“Alan Mathews has got a judgement, Gareth Farrelly has got a judgement and neither of them have been paid. Noelle Feeney got a judgement nearly nine months ago. To be frank about it I haven’t seen any judgement paid except for the Revenue – and the Revenue are the only people who have a real hold over him.”