How did it come to this? Only fans can save Dundalk now
Dundalk players and staff react as their side is relegated after the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between Dundalk and Derry City at Oriel Park in Dundalk, Louth. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile
Four years ago this month Dundalk travelled to the Emirates to play Arsenal in the UEFA Europa League group stages.
It was the best of times and the worst.
This was the second time in four years that the County Louth club had reached the group stages of that competition but with covid still rampant there were no fans inside the London venue – nor were there when Arsenal came to the Aviva the following December. Or when Molde and Rapid Vienna played in Dublin.
Dundalk would have made a lot of money in ticket and merchandise sales for those games. They missed out on all that potential extra revenue - but there was plenty of UEFA prize money. Things looked fine.
The then reigning champions had just relinquished their title to Shamrock Rovers as the covid-shortened League of Ireland season of 2020 was coming to an end. But third place and European football was secured – followed by an FAI Cup final victory over Rovers at an empty Aviva Stadium. Things were still fine.
But fast forward four years: When Dundalk host Rovers on Sunday evening it will be the last Premier Division game at Oriel Park until at least 2026 and that’s being optimistic. In reality, it could be a lot longer than that.
It’s been a disaster on the pitch this season but off it too.
The club is badly in debt. For starters €200k is owed to Revenue; €50k to An Garda Síochána, and there is money owed to former manager Stephen O’Donnell and ex-players, Wilfried Zahibo and Louie Annesley.
New owner John Temple, a respected barrister, confirmed these figures when speaking to local media earlier this week – though it’s been the talk of the town for weeks, months. The dogs in the streets knew.
Temple only took over at Oriel Park last month. He owns 80% of the club with the other 20% owned by four investors who came in this time last year with then new owner Brian Ainscough. Temple rode to the rescue when Ainscough went close to putting the club into examinership.
At the end of the 2023 season Ainscough in turn had taken the club off the hands of then owners Andy Connolly and sports technology firm Statsports.
Temple this week questioned the governance and accounting practices during the Connolly/Statsports period - claiming there was a surplus of €1.7m in the bank account when they took over and a deficit of €1.5m when they left.
After last Friday’s defeat to Derry City which confirmed relegation, Temple got into a heated argument in the main stand with an individual who was involved in a previous ownership regime. When leaving the stand Temple was allegedly punched by a different individual. Gardai were later notified.
Temple said that seven people in total were involved and that they are now barred from the ground. That seven includes Andy Connolly and his brother, the club’s ex-chief operating officer Martin Connolly.
But how did this great club get to this point? They’ve had financial issues several times down the years but not as serious as this. What’s gone wrong? What can be done to get it back on its feet and competing again?
Clearly poor governance going right back to American owners Peak 6 hasn’t helped. It’s often cited as the starting point but it’s vital to remember that they funded the club during those good times and left money in the bank when they left.
But nothing was done to improve facilities at Oriel Park; the success wasn’t built upon; great players left.
There was surprise and disappointment when little effort was made to keep Patrick Hoban at the club last winter – but it’s clear now that the money wasn’t there …. But Daryl Horgan was given a bumper new deal just a few months back. It doesn’t make sense.
Back in April Dundalk hosted St Pat’s at Oriel Park. Dundalk were bottom of the table with just four draws and no wins from eight games. John Murphy – who captained the club to league success way back in 1963 and who now commentates on matches for community radio station Dundalk FM – was worried. I told him there was plenty of time and plenty of points to play for. “They won’t be relegated John. Don’t worry about that,” I told him……
We both wondered about the possibility of former manager Stephen Kenny making a triumphant return to the Carrick Road venue. Liam Burns and Brian Gartland were looking after team affairs that night. Noel King hadn’t yet come and gone; while current Dundalk boss Jon Daly was still in the Pat’s hot seat.
Now, with hindsight, there was never any real prospect of Kenny returning to Oriel Park. And even if he had, and had the run of success he has had at Pat’s, it wouldn’t change what was happening off the pitch.
It is clear to anyone with an interest in the club that supporters must have a say in the future of the club – and a hands on role. Having seen how it has worked elsewhere, my personal view is that the club should go down the route of full fan ownership or co-ownership. Fans then have a say in how the club is run and how the money is spent.
Tonight, the new Dundalk Supporters Trust will state its case in the Town Hall.
It’s expected that they will tonight propose to raise €500k to €1m a year by way of donations of €1,000; or weekly subscriptions of €10 or €5 – or whatever members can afford.
One of the organisers, Brendan Ogle, explained to The Press Box podcast: “Each person will become a voting member of the trust. It’s not the more you put in the more you get. It’s the opposite, it’s one vote per person.
“I see it as a fourth revenue stream for the club. The other streams being tickets and gate receipts; the commercial side; and money drawn down thorough the FAI, grants and that sort of thing.
“It will be independent of this or any future owner. It will be a guardian angel of the team in good times and bad. The trust will always be there even if the owners come and go.
“Money will be given to the club in exchange for one thing – good governance.” As we have seen at Dundalk, and at other League of Ireland clubs time and time again…having one owner or a small number of owners doesn’t always work.
Fans are different. Fans are, well,…..fans.
Indeed, Cork’s own Niamh O’Mahony, who knows a thing or two about fan ownership, was one of those asked to speak to supporters at Oriel Park on the day after Ainscough had reached agreement with Temple last month.
The meeting heard from speakers about the positives of the fan owned model and how the club could get out of its current horrors - or as Orla Crilly of the 1903 Supporters Club said: “The different transitions in a club’s life.”
It will get a club back on its feet and up and running again. Of course, the fan owned model can only work to a certain extent over time, before big investment is needed.
Coincidently, on the night before Dundalk played Arsenal at the Emirates back in 2020, FORAS members had voted to hand over ownership of Cork City to Grovemore, owned by the late Trevor Hemmings.
This was at the end of that shortened season that saw City relegated. Poor financial decisions had been made after the double-winning year of 2017 and it was very clear that an investor with deep pockets was needed. Of course, that particular ownership transfer never materialised but it did take the arrival of Dermot Usher to steady the ship two years later.
It's worked for Shamrock Rovers as well. Very well. Though it has to be argued that part of the Rovers success is access to a fantastic facility at Tallaght Stadium, owned by the local council. Dundalk don’t have that. Dundalk have Oriel Park. Ainscough referred to it as a “pigsty” soon after taking over. He’s right. The Trust has plans for the ground too. But they’ll need money. Lots of it.
There’s a Facebook page that’s proving very popular with Dundalk people at the moment. It’s called ‘Humans of Dundalk’ and each post features a local person telling their life story.
Dundalk footballing legend Francie Callan, who first lined out at Oriel Park back in 1955; and businessman and former Dundalk FC board member Frank Keating, are among those featured so far.
Who knows? Maybe in time, a post will pop up where someone will tell his, her, or their, story of how they saved the great Dundalk Football Club. They wouldn’t be the first to do so.
The new Dundalk Supporters Trust holds its first public meeting in the Town Hall, Crowe Street, Dundalk, tonight at 7.30pm. All are welcome.
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