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Galway United
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The management commitee have made all info available since they began running the club, they have had numerous open public meetings where everything has been discussed.I keep hearing this kind of stuff on here, but I don't think the message has gotten through to the ordinary decent sport fans in Galway. I'm a season ticket holder but haven't been able to bring myself to attend since the shambles which was the defeat to Drogheda at home.
What really did go on over the last five years? I haven't been told how bad things are during my trips up the Dyke Road. All I know is that the team is bottom of the League, on its worst run in history, and there's no money to pay players.
The message is not really getting through about how bad things were, or what significant improvements (if any) have been made since GUST took over. All I can see is that there seems to be a mass clearout of players every season these days and now mid-season as well, if anyone actually wanted the players.
People might be more sympathetic if it was made public how the club was allegedly mis-managed in the recent past.
But I'd rather give my money to a genuine charity than GUFC when I see people collecting with buckets in the city centre. These are tough times for everyone. Sorry guys!
They took over a club which is riddled with bad debts racked up by Mr Leeson, bus companies, suit hirers to name but two were owed in the thousands, figures which he hid from the directors and from GUST when they offered their help. The club owes anywhere form €600000 to €1000000 in debts to various creditors, some of which are former directors personal loans which they know they will not get back.
The club is now being run in a proper way and the MC has endeavoured to begin the job of paying back the various local businesses screwed over by 'him'. The club can pay players but with the downturn in form and crowds this has been more difficult so they are now cutting their cloth accordingly. We need all the support possible from the sporting public to help this club up onto its feet, its not an easy ask, i for one have been going to Terryland for the last 24years, and this is the worst ive ever seen us, but thats sport, ups and downs, good and bad. If the club can come through this then in the years to come there will most definitely be more ups.0 -
The only way I see Galway getting out of this is with the help of the fans ..................they really need to get back to Terryland , that will give the players a we bit more belief and they will perhaps start playing better,
sad to see this happen to them really ,
and the players at oriel last friday night looked so dejected even in the match warm up0 -
The statement that the club is being run in the proper way does not seem right when you are stating creditors are between 600k and a million. If it was run properly then you should be more aware of money outstanding. Until this is accurately portrayed together with directors loans owed being written off by the former directors themselves surely no plans for survival can be achieved. Saying the directors know they will not get repaid is worthless until they agree to wave these amounts. At least if this is done then people might be prepared to pay sponsorships or feel like helping the club. Nobody wants to put money into a club unless they feel it will help the club now rather than go into a "black hole" of past debts0
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Agree. When we bought our season tickets at ths start of the season we were led to believe that the threadbare squad Sean Connor put together would be there for the season and might even be strengthened during the current transfer window.
Then, half way through, with the team going through an awful run, all of the players are put on the transfer list. It doesn't look like the club is being well run from the outside, as the team spirals towards relegation and the crowds dwindle.
It's just no fun to head up to Terryland and see your team getting beaten 3-0 by an average side.
If the new management only discovered an appalling mess after they took over then they should be more proactive in letting the public know. The whole country is struggling right now and I'd hate to see the club fold, but I don't think GUST is getting the message across. Or else the full scale of what they've taken on has only just hit them.0 -
For the second time now, there have been numerous open public meetings about the issues, if you did not attend then fair enough but they cant go door to door now can they.Agree. When we bought our season tickets at ths start of the season we were led to believe that the threadbare squad Sean Connor put together would be there for the season and might even be strengthened during the current transfer window.
Then, half way through, with the team going through an awful run, all of the players are put on the transfer list. It doesn't look like the club is being well run from the outside, as the team spirals towards relegation and the crowds dwindle.
It's just no fun to head up to Terryland and see your team getting beaten 3-0 by an average side.
If the new management only discovered an appalling mess after they took over then they should be more proactive in letting the public know. The whole country is struggling right now and I'd hate to see the club fold, but I don't think GUST is getting the message across. Or else the full scale of what they've taken on has only just hit them.
The squad and budget is based on income, which has now nosedived as people are not prepared to watch a losing team.
Its not fun seeing us lose each week but if you are a real fan you go anyway because you always have and always will as long as the club is in existence.
As for the previous comment by pilgrim, what would you do, not pay back the clubs creditors? That would hardly create a good image for the club when they come knocking next time now would it?0 -
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I understand your concerns but there are very good reasons for what you have pointed out.restingpilgrim wrote: »The statement that the club is being run in the proper way does not seem right when you are stating creditors are between 600k and a million.If it was run properly then you should be more aware of money outstanding.
Forgive my frequent use of "allegedly" but I feel I need to.
The manner in which the club was run by Nick Leeson made it very difficult to get an accurate picture of the real debt, although I would guess the vast majority has been accounted for at this point.
The club (under the sole day to day control of Nick Leeson) has owed banks sums in the hundreds of thousands for a number of years now and sometime in the last couple of years banking facilities were allegedly withdrawn from the club by all the banks due to the massive level of debt.
This had the effect of the club not being able to lodge cheques or gate receipts etc, or pay players by that method, not that it would have bothered Nick in some ways, as it allowed him to deal in cash and well, I won't make any allegations I can't back up at this moment.
Ben.schlomo quoted a figure of 600k to 1m, which is vague, but I would be surprised if the management committee themselves don't have an accurate account of the known debts of the club. Because somebody quoted a vague figure on the internet is no reflection on the ability of the management committee.
I say "known debts" because they have a nasty habit of popping up every so often. Not as often now as in the couple of months after GUST took the day to day running of the club, but a substantial bill for €20,000 was recently discovered by chance, while GUST members were working hard to secure sponsorship from local businesses.
The sad truth of the situation is that debts in the six figure range were allegedly not recorded in the books and have been uncovered over the last couple of years by GUST. All of this was hidden by Leeson and it was only through the members of GUST contacting businesses hoping for support that they were told of the debt owed to them by the club.
On one occasion GUST hoped to hire a room from a local hotel for a meeting. They were taken aback, as the business mistook GUST for Galway United and informed them that it would be no problem once the matter of the five-figure debts owed to them was resolved.
I am told that many different bus companies had been used by Nick to transport the players to away matches. If Leeson's behaviour towards one local bus company that I know of is anything to go by, they seem to have allegedly been "used" until they could no longer afford to be taken for a ride by Leeson.
I know of at least one incident where a bus company allegedly refused to leave for an away match until they received a payment. They were allegedly owed thousands at the time and the situation reached boiling point. GUST were forced to make out a cheque to the company as they correctly were not prepared to accept any promise of money from Leeson. The match would likely not have gone ahead otherwise and the club would could have faced expulsion from the league.
GUST stepped in on other occasions to pay player insurance on the day of a match, as it would not be permitted to go ahead by the league otherwise, again likely resulting in expulsion from the league.
I am firm in the belief that the above is a mostly accurate portrayal of Leeson's behaviour towards any company foolish enough to extend credit to him.
You might think that anyone in their right minds would allow the company to collapse, as it would literally have happened overnight if GUST withdrew their support at any time in the last 12 months... but the fans want to see a team on the pitch and for the club to survive. Maybe it might happen somewhere down the line, but folding mid-season is not something any of us want to contemplate.
My hope and belief is that the management committee and everyone that volunteers their time in the name of the club can reach that end of the season when the odds were stacked against them from the start. Whatever happens come November, the committee will be able to hold their heads high knowing that they can run a football club in the very worst of circumstances.
To my knowledge, there is a legally binding agreement which would see control of the club in the hands of GUST should the debts be cleared.restingpilgrim wrote: »TUntil this is accurately portrayed together with directors loans owed being written off by the former directors themselves surely no plans for survival can be achieved. Saying the directors know they will not get repaid is worthless until they agree to wave these amounts. At least if this is done then people might be prepared to pay sponsorships or feel like helping the club. Nobody wants to put money into a club unless they feel it will help the club now rather than go into a "black hole" of past debts
In my opinion, should Galway United ever be controlled by GUST it will not be as a result of this agreement.
It could take a decade to clear those debts. I don't see the company being around that long.0 -
Join Date:Posts: 10078
Excellent, informative post. These days I think that you could write a weighty company law tome solely on the case law stemming from the LOI.civis_liberalis wrote: »I understand your concerns but there are very good reasons for what you have pointed out.
Forgive my frequent use of "allegedly" but I feel I need to.
The manner in which the club was run by Nick Leeson made it very difficult to get an accurate picture of the real debt, although I would guess the vast majority has been accounted for at this point.
The club (under the sole day to day control of Nick Leeson) has owed banks sums in the hundreds of thousands for a number of years now and sometime in the last couple of years banking facilities were allegedly withdrawn from the club by all the banks due to the massive level of debt.
This had the effect of the club not being able to lodge cheques or gate receipts etc, or pay players by that method, not that it would have bothered Nick in some ways, as it allowed him to deal in cash and well, I won't make any allegations I can't back up at this moment.
Ben.schlomo quoted a figure of 600k to 1m, which is vague, but I would be surprised if the management committee themselves don't have an accurate account of the known debts of the club. Because somebody quoted a vague figure on the internet is no reflection on the ability of the management committee.
I say "known debts" because they have a nasty habit of popping up every so often. Not as often now as in the couple of months after GUST took the day to day running of the club, but a substantial bill for €20,000 was recently discovered by chance, while GUST members were working hard to secure sponsorship from local businesses.
The sad truth of the situation is that debts in the six figure range were allegedly not recorded in the books and have been uncovered over the last couple of years by GUST. All of this was hidden by Leeson and it was only through the members of GUST contacting businesses hoping for support that they were told of the debt owed to them by the club.
On one occasion GUST hoped to hire a room from a local hotel for a meeting. They were taken aback, as the business mistook GUST for Galway United and informed them that it would be no problem once the matter of the five-figure debts owed to them was resolved.
I am told that many different bus companies had been used by Nick to transport the players to away matches. If Leeson's behaviour towards one local bus company that I know of is anything to go by, they seem to have allegedly been "used" until they could no longer afford to be taken for a ride by Leeson.
I know of at least one incident where a bus company allegedly refused to leave for an away match until they received a payment. They were allegedly owed thousands at the time and the situation reached boiling point. GUST were forced to make out a cheque to the company as they correctly were not prepared to accept any promise of money from Leeson. The match would likely not have gone ahead otherwise and the club would could have faced expulsion from the league.
GUST stepped in on other occasions to pay player insurance on the day of a match, as it would not be permitted to go ahead by the league otherwise, again likely resulting in expulsion from the league.
I am firm in the belief that the above is a mostly accurate portrayal of Leeson's behaviour towards any company foolish enough to extend credit to him.
You might think that anyone in their right minds would allow the company to collapse, as it would literally have happened overnight if GUST withdrew their support at any time in the last 12 months... but the fans want to see a team on the pitch and for the club to survive. Maybe it might happen somewhere down the line, but folding mid-season is not something any of us want to contemplate.
My hope and belief is that the management committee and everyone that volunteers their time in the name of the club can reach that end of the season when the odds were stacked against them from the start. Whatever happens come November, the committee will be able to hold their heads high knowing that they can run a football club in the very worst of circumstances.
To my knowledge, there is a legally binding agreement which would see control of the club in the hands of GUST should the debts be cleared.
In my opinion, should Galway United ever be controlled by GUST it will not be as a result of this agreement.
It could take a decade to clear those debts. I don't see the company being around that long.
By the way, the Paul Appleby in the ODCE has been looking for a high profile head on a stake for years, Leeson seems to fit that bill.0 -
One thing that gets me and I think it was already raised on this thread. How come more isn't being made of the mess left behind by the board in the media? I was away from Galway in the last couple of years and have only recently started heading back to Terryland for matches and it's only through this thread that anything resembling the truth behind the financial situation is coming out.
Look at today's write-up in the Advertiser for tomorrow's match v UCD for example:
This is as close as the writer gets to saying the club is broke and God forbid they'd try to hazard a guess as to why. I distinctly remember a newspaper article on Leeson when he took over so why hasn't there been an equivalent now that he's gone?United’s plight at present has a great deal to do with the club's inability to establish itself in a sufficiently robust fashion from which it could develop on a progressive basis.0 -
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This is as close as the writer gets to saying the club is broke and God forbid they'd try to hazard a guess as to why. I distinctly remember a newspaper article on Leeson when he took over so why hasn't there been an equivalent now that he's gone?
I agree that more could be made of it, but I am fairly sure there was a "Leesons leaves United, GUST running the club" type article in the Advertiser when it happened.0 -
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I agree, but one very good reason GUST should not have done their best to hang him yet is because for example, if GUST expose even a couple of his lies during the licencing process, it would have resulted in no Galway United team playing in the league this season.Excellent, informative post. These days I think that you could write a weighty company law tome solely on the case law stemming from the LOI.
By the way, the Paul Appleby in the ODCE has been looking for a high profile head on a stake for years, Leeson seems to fit that bill.
It's a fine line. I have no say in any of this, but I would personally like to see the company allowed to collapse at the end of the season and for GUST to apply for a licence under the name of the Co-operative Society I hear they set up earlier in the year and for them to pay back the local creditors over a period of time that won't strangle the club.
The banks, directors and Nick Leeson would be told to go **** themselves. Leeson continues to contact the FAI on a regular basis looking for the money he claims he did no pay himself in 2010. From what I know of the accounts, had he been trying to prove when he did pay himself, there would be no account of it.0 -
civis liberalis,
Two excellent posts there. My point exactly on this thread is that GUFC are not getting the point across to the public about the mess they inherited when they took over the club. I'm not the type to attend meetings, rather than matches, and I'm also back in Galway after some time away so I haven't been up to speed with what went on.
It seems the people who appointed Leeson have a lot to answer for, but I guess there is no point in going back over old ground.
Is there a point in folding GUFC as a company and setting up a new one? If I'm not mistaken Galway Rovers became Galway United because they could not pay their debts. It sounds to me that the current situation is far worse than back then in the 1970s or 80s.
People just look at the League table and say 'Galway Utd are sh"""te, why go up there?" and it's hard to drag friends up when the football is so dire and confidence so low, which is what football is all about really, i.e. what happens on the pitch.
If people really knew what a mess the club was in, they might fight for its survival.
Right now most Galway sports fans just think the LOI is a joke. We have three teams in the League when we can't afford to keep one going and there seems to be a revolving door for players. There are something like five or six ex-United men storming the League with Sligo.
Will the club survive?0 -
The League of Ireland is not on the radar of most people so it is difficult to get the message out about anything. The situation has been detailed in the press, mostly accurately.GUFC are not getting the point across to the public about the mess they inherited when they took over the club. I'm not the type to attend meetings, rather than matches, and I'm also back in Galway after some time away so I haven't been up to speed with what went on.
A lot of questions that people ask cannot be answered without divulging information that would be better off not being in the public domain. People often mistake vague or incomplete answers for a lack of willingness on the part of GUST to engage with people. A lot of things could be said but they would jeopardise the club.
Leeson is no longer involved in the running of the club but is still waiting in the long grass. He will no doubt attempt to hold GUST to ransom over money he allegedly didn't pay himself when the time comes to re-apply for the league licence. What happens with that and all other creditors is something that will have to be looked at when the time comes.
I've done a bit of reading about the club before I began supporting them in the 90's but I'm not familiar with what happened exactly when the name change happened, but from bits of info I've heard here and there the same sort of culture that led to it was alive and well in the club since, even before Leeson arrived on the scene.Is there a point in folding GUFC as a company and setting up a new one? If I'm not mistaken Galway Rovers became Galway United because they could not pay their debts. It sounds to me that the current situation is far worse than back then in the 1970s or 80s.
I think myself the company should be allowed to collapse in November and GUST should apply for a First Division licence with their own non-profit company and the experience of having run a Premier Division team under terrible circumstances for a whole season.
The League of Ireland is a joke.Right now most Galway sports fans just think the LOI is a joke.
The lads in GUST are going nowhere. If the club ended up having to play in division 4B of the junior league they'd still be there.Will the club survive?0 -
Home match this evening vs UCD, Terryland Park. KO is 7.45pm.
"Fiver Friday" offer - €5 admission for all senior citizens this evening. Two adult tickets or a family ticket available for €20, with U12s free of charge (accompanied by an adult).
For further information, visit www.galwayunitedfc.ie..0 -
Why dont ye do what everyone else does.
Declare bankrupcy, open a new company 10 seconds later and transfer all assets to new company
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There are no assets and I would be sceptical of the current company getting a licence with Nick Leeson likely to hold GUST to ransom over money he alleges he wasn't paid.
If he didn't pay creditors and he didn't pay himself, where the **** did it go then?0 -
i heard galway had a real go at the match last night. feel really sorry for the guys pickin up the pieces.
i hope they enter the league with their own company next year and leave behind all the **** they fought against for years0 -
i heard galway had a real go at the match last night. feel really sorry for the guys pickin up the pieces.
i hope they enter the league with their own company next year and leave behind all the **** they fought against for years
Probably the best if not the most honest i have seen them play this season. They were unlucky with the first goal as personally i didn't think it was a penalty. Defensively we still have big problems and we are terrible at defending from corners and set plays. UCD keeper made a couple of saves and one in particular from a point blank header was excellent.
In saying this UCD have a poor record for conceding goals so i was expecting us to score.0 -
A much improved performance and a lot of fight shown, but it was definitely a clear cut stonewall penalty, G Kelly had a large chunk of their lads jersey and he didnt even complain when it was given.tribesman78 wrote: »Probably the best if not the most honest i have seen them play this season. They were unlucky with the first goal as personally i didn't think it was a penalty. Defensively we still have big problems and we are terrible at defending from corners and set plays. UCD keeper made a couple of saves and one in particular from a point blank header was excellent.
In saying this UCD have a poor record for conceding goals so i was expecting us to score.0 -
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On this debate, absolute full credit goes to all who are putting in the time and effort in trying to pull the club back from the brink but in reality I think everyone sees the writing on the wall for GUFC in its current guise. I agree every effort should be made to repay local businesses and so on and its great that the club is showing that integrity in comparison to other clubs.
However having said all that I don't think supporters can justify putting any more money into the club at present. It really is a black hole at this stage. No-one seems to know the full extent of the mess. Everyone has enough issues paying their own bills and so on and any free money they have to be spend on something they enjoy doing. They don't want to spend money on supporting the club only for it to go straight out the door again. Its great to see fundraising efforts and so on and of course they are necessary but all we hear is support the fundraisers to keep the club going, keep going to Terryland to support the team because it is the right thing to do to support your local team. Beating the drum, lets get the players wages paid and move on,cheque handed over, still issues with former players and managers not paid emerges, lets get to the end of the season and reassess, lets get past the licensing process and reassess, lets get to the end of the season and reassess. Its a constant denial of a club that can't ever move forward in its current guise.
Relegation is inevitable (lets be honest we will lose the play off), then back to division 1 where crowds will fall even more, fans won't buy season tickets to watch junior league players battling it out with Athlone and Wexford. Debts will mount even more than at present as the gate receipts won't even cover match day expenses.
I don't fully agree with the approach Cork took and I believe that long term the club should look towards trying to repay as much as possible the money owed to local creditors but in reality the club needs to remove the millstone from around its neck and try to start from scratch and sign agreements with creditors who come forward before a certain date. However, what I do agree with about the Cork approach is that their fans refused to hand over their money to Tom Coughlan, keeping it in reserve for starting the new club.
The FAI licensing system has yet again proven to be a complete joke, if the new entity has to start in the A championship so be it.0 -
while it pains me to see what is happening im makin easy money backin us on the handicaps every week. printing money.0
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There's a public meeting on in Terryland Park, next Wednesday the 13th of July at 7.30PM.
The purpose of the meeting is to inform all supporters of the up-to-date situation at the club, and to outline plans to ensure that Galway United can compete in the Airtricity League for the remainder of the season. Everyone interested in the future of the club is asked to attend.0 -
Former Mervue centre-half Eric Browne has signed for Galway United. He will be included in the panel for tomorrow evenings Premier Division match against Bohemians.0
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Borders no.2 wrote: »On this debate, absolute full credit goes to all who are putting in the time and effort in trying to pull the club back from the brink but in reality I think everyone sees the writing on the wall for GUFC in its current guise. I agree every effort should be made to repay local businesses and so on and its great that the club is showing that integrity in comparison to other clubs.
However having said all that I don't think supporters can justify putting any more money into the club at present. It really is a black hole at this stage. No-one seems to know the full extent of the mess. Everyone has enough issues paying their own bills and so on and any free money they have to be spend on something they enjoy doing. They don't want to spend money on supporting the club only for it to go straight out the door again. Its great to see fundraising efforts and so on and of course they are necessary but all we hear is support the fundraisers to keep the club going, keep going to Terryland to support the team because it is the right thing to do to support your local team. Beating the drum, lets get the players wages paid and move on,cheque handed over, still issues with former players and managers not paid emerges, lets get to the end of the season and reassess, lets get past the licensing process and reassess, lets get to the end of the season and reassess. Its a constant denial of a club that can't ever move forward in its current guise.
Relegation is inevitable (lets be honest we will lose the play off), then back to division 1 where crowds will fall even more, fans won't buy season tickets to watch junior league players battling it out with Athlone and Wexford. Debts will mount even more than at present as the gate receipts won't even cover match day expenses.
I don't fully agree with the approach Cork took and I believe that long term the club should look towards trying to repay as much as possible the money owed to local creditors but in reality the club needs to remove the millstone from around its neck and try to start from scratch and sign agreements with creditors who come forward before a certain date. However, what I do agree with about the Cork approach is that their fans refused to hand over their money to Tom Coughlan, keeping it in reserve for starting the new club.
The FAI licensing system has yet again proven to be a complete joke, if the new entity has to start in the A championship so be it.
This0 -
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United lost 2-0 against Bohemians at Dalymount this evening.
Line-up : Winn, Sinnott, Walsh, Brown, Preston-Kelly, Ryan, Murphy, Kelly, Dusi, Gilmore, Caldwell. Subs : Cheevers (for Gilmore), Gartlan (for Walsh), Duggan (unused).
Next match is versus Sligo Rovers at Terryland Park on Friday 15th July (KO 7.45pm).0 -
Open meeting tomorrow evening, 7.30PM in Terryland Park.0
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Historical Walking Tour of Galway continues on Saturday, July 16th, departing from The Spanish Arch at 2.30pm. The tour lasts for approx 2 hours. All proceeds to Galway United - suggested donation €10.0
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so disappointed 2night. on the bright side. got sligo -6 at 24/1. so im fairly delighted.0
This discussion has been closed.
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