When Dundalk FC fans arranged a gathering at Oriel Park on Monday afternoon it seemed as though it would be akin to a wake with their beloved club on the verge of extinction after a terrible season both on and off the pitch.
The club’s owner Brian Ainscough had imposed a deadline of 5pm to secure investment, allowing the club to see out the season. Over the weekend New York businessman Jeffrey Saunders pulled out of talks which could have potentially seen him invest in the club. Things were looking bleak. Very bleak.
Bob Marley’s ‘Three Little Birds’ the club’s unofficial anthem, which includes the lyrics ‘Don’t worry about a thing. Cos every little thing, is gonna be alright’ didn’t ring true as reports of the imminent death of the club intensified throughout Monday morning. Dundalk have been in trouble on a number of occassions throughout their long storied history but it had never been this bad.
However, as the day progressed the lyrics of that famous old song sounded more plausible as reports filtered through that the club would not be liquidated on Monday and that an extension had been granted by Ainscough as he continued talks with two separate groups (one from North America and one from Continental Europe which includes a Dundalk man) looking to take over the club.
Then further good news arrived when it was announced by Minister of State for Sport, Thomas Byrne that the club’s application for €500,000 in Sports Capital funding would be approved in full in the next two weeks.
None of this money however can be used to pay off any debts in Oriel Park and must be used as stated on the application to pay for essential upgrades inside the ground including laying a new pitch which will take up the bulk of the money.
Suddenly the hundreds of supporters who had gathered outside Oriel Park fearing the worst were given some hope. Orla Crilly, chairperson of the 1903 Official Supporters Club spoke to the crowd stating that there was light at the end of the tunnel after the doom and gloom that had been circulating earlier in the day.
“I believe that our owner has been in discussions with two investors over the weekend. I believe that’s now down to one investor and they are in an advanced state of talks. There is light at the end of the tunnel. There had been a 5pm deadline but it looks like we’ll be able to move past that today and continue talks with potential investors over the next couple of days. And that hopefully will bring with it resolution to this issue,” explained Orla.
She also thanked all supporters who turned out up outside Oriel Park saying that it was really important to any investor to see exactly what they were buying. Not just the club but all that goes with it including the club’s passionate fans who would help get Dundalk back to where they belong.
At the time of going to press talks were still ongoing between Brian Ainscough and the European consortium. Dundalk fans will be hoping and praying that a rollercoaster week can end on a high and that lessons can be learned to ensure they will never have to endure what transpired on Monday when the club were just hours away from folding.
