John Caulfield: 'Tim won't be moaning anymore with what Cork are paying'
TIGHT BUDGET: Galway United manager John Caulfield after his side's victory in the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match against Dundalk. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Mention football in Galway and the natural inclination is to think of two All-Ireland finals in the last nine days.
Yet the team operating the other code of football are doing the county proud in a nationwide setting too.
Sharing third place in the table with just under a third of the season left has fuelled talk of a first European qualification for 32 years.
Not bad for a side back whose last Premier Division campaign was 2017.
Off the pitch, last week’s launch of an application to the Government for majority funding of their €10m training base in Athenry was warmly received by politicians, local and national.
That the Mountain South project is a joint venture with the Swans Hockey club meets the multisport alliance highlighted as desirable by the sports minister.
It’s easy to get caught up in the feelgood factor of a bouncing Eamon Deacy Park and that prospective pot of gold in Europe which Shamrock Rovers, St Patrick’s Athletic and Shelbourne have lavished in this year.
That’s not where the minds of manager John Caulfield nor the club’s billionaire owners, the Comer Brothers, are at.
Wage inflation was highlighted in the recent transfer window when it came to the market for a small group of premium players, especially by Cork City boss Tim Clancy, but Caulfield dismissed “rumours” they were indulging the outlay.
Speaking in the aftermath of their latest win – a 2-0 victory at Dundalk – the man who led Cork City to the double in 2017 insisted Galway were among the lowest three clubs in the 10-team league for budget.
That’s the reason, he insisted, they didn’t bite at the possibility of Ruairí Keating returning to the west when he recently became available from St Patrick’s Athletic.
Furthermore, he revealed that another striker linked with a move to runaway First Division leaders Cork City – his former frontman and now free agent Seani Maguire – is also out of his wage range.
“We work off a very tight budget, nowhere near what most others have despite what’s been said,” said Caulfield. "There’s been lots of rumours and rubbish talked about.
“People probably won’t believe it but our budget is somewhere between eight and tenth in the league.
“We had to let players leave to bring some in during the window. For others, we couldn’t compete because they’re being offered double what we could afford.
“I got a call a week-and-a-half ago about Ruairí Keating but we didn’t even enter the conversation because it was ridiculous.
“Fair play to Cork for coming up with the money. I saw Tim (Clancy) moaning a couple of weeks ago but he won’t be moaning anymore with what they’re paying.”
A reunion with Maguire to bolster their armoury for the business end is a non-runner.
The 30-year-old has taken part in the PFA camp following his release from Carlisle United and the Kilkenny man is expected to return home with his young family.
“There’s an offer on the table but the demands are way above where we can go,” asserted Caulfield. “We’re done.” Caulfield’s proclamations on Galway's place in the spending hierarchy will be ridiculed by sceptics pointing to the acquisition of Greg Cunningham.
The four-times capped left-sided player made a comeback to his home town from Preston North End in July.
“Greg was good for us but he wanted to move home for family reasons,” he explained.
“We couldn’t compete with the money he was on in England. He had offers from League One clubs too.
“It was never a question of money with Greg because he knows where we’re at and he’s a Galway lad.
"It’s good for us to bring the Galway players home to lend their experience.”
The 59-year-old was eager to cite the accommodation overhead they’re disproportionately impacted by compared to clubs in Dublin and Cork.
Another cost not unique to the Tribesmen is rental of pitches for matches and training, an expense they’re aiming to cull by the construction of their base, which Luke Comer has forecasted to be superior to Arsenal’s once completed
“Housing players in Galway is a huge issue,” he stressed. “It’s easier for clubs whose players are living at home.
“Galway United have eight teams - three women’s and five male - all of whom train in rented venues.
“Our Academy teams are not training enough because we can’t get access to the venues and the cost.
“When you add that to what we’re paying in accommodation, it’s a lot of money.
“If we could save rent, it would make a big difference to where we can spend.
“European qualification makes a difference but you’ve clubs with serious financial clout who’ve brought in a lot of good players on big wages during the window.
“I’d always back money coming into the league so long as it’s sustainable. We don’t want to go back to the 2000s but thankfully clubs are better run.
“I’ve no problem with our budget. As a manager, I work within those rules agreed since I came to the club. Our plan was to get promoted from the First Division, this year was about staying up and hopefully we can bring in more players for next year.
“Our supporters are realistic about expectations. Fans own 15% of the club and we’re close to them, holding questions and answers events. The facts are clear.
“Many people felt at the start of the year we’d be at the bottom but our feeling was we’d be better than that. In fairness to the lads, they’ve proven that.
“We get criticised for lacking goals in our team but could have had more than two at Dundalk.
“It will be mayhem during the run-in but we’ve competed well and can pick up plenty of points.”
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