VIDEO: Bray players infuriated by chairman’s TV comments

“We have got to get the right management and the right players in, this is no reflection on the current players."

Tue, 07 Jul, 2015 - 14:02

Grainne McGuinness

Bray Wanderers chairman Denis O'Connor appeared on RTÉ’s Soccer Republic last night to try and calm recent controversy surrounding the club and its players - however he appears instead to have exacerbated the situation.

The Bray players issued a statement on July 4, saying they were: “Extremely disappointed that a number of payments, including some players wages, have not been made on time in recent weeks and months.”

The players have also said they had been forced to arrange training themselves and that unless drastic changes were made some players would be looking for other employment.

“The last week hasn’t been helpful to the club,” O’Connor said in response last night. “I have tried to focus on what’s good for the club and I cannot force other people to go down a certain pathway with me.”

“I believe that we should get back to running the club, get a manager in who runs the team, and get the team to deal with that manager and lets put all this other stuff aside.”

O’Connor went on to say: “We have got to get the right management and the right players in. This is no reflection on the current players.

“We're going to have to get some strong players in. My ambition this season is to finish in the top half of the league but next year go much higher and be ready for it."

His comments did not go down well with the existing players, already unhappy with the management of the club.

This morning the Bray Wanderers Support Club released a statement where they expressed their: "Growing concerns about the way in which our club has been run over the past few months.

"Whilst recognising the economic uncertainty of the club and ongoing efforts to keep the club afloat, we feel as supporters of Bray Wanderers Football Club that the current management structure has failed to stabilize the clubs reputational decline.

"Over the past number of months, under the stewardship of the current management , the club's name has been sullied and we as a supporters club feel it is time for change."