Soccer

Shamrock Rovers versus Derry shares spotlight with unpaid Dundalk

Squad is still left without cash at Oriel Park but new owners promising to cover wages next week

Shamrock Rovers' Aaron Greene celebrates scoring the opening goal of the game in April's fixture against Derry City at the Brandywell Stadium. Photograph: Lorcan Doherty/Inpho
Shamrock Rovers' Aaron Greene celebrates scoring the opening goal of the game in April's fixture against Derry City at the Brandywell Stadium. Photograph: Lorcan Doherty/Inpho
Gavin Cummiskey
Fri Sept 20 2024 - 06:00

New Dundalk owner John Temple has outlined the precarious position of the club.

Temple, a local barrister, will ensure player and staff wages are paid up to November 30th, after he led a group of investors to buy out Brian Ainscough this week.

Due to a lack of investment following losses of almost €1.2 million last year, Ainscough had come close to liquidating the club.

“We are getting behind it now to see if it worthwhile,” said Temple. “If the club is not viable by the end of [the] season, we will have a look at it with the other investors.

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“If it is not viable it is just not viable. If the unfortunate day of truth sets upon us and says ‘this is just it’ ... I don’t want that for Dundalk,” he continued. “I have tried to staved off the execution, but the daggers are growing and hanging over every hour.

“Hopefully creditors will sit down and negotiate and talk to me.”

The Dundalk weekly wage bill comes to €20,000, according to The Irish Independent.

In 2022 and 2023, the club sustained losses of almost €2.3 million, but the threat to its existence only came to light this month when head coach Jon Daly revealed that his players had not been paid.

Dundalk are not the only League of Ireland club running alarming losses. None of the six Premier Division clubs that published accounts for 2023 were in profit.

[ Dundalk FC saved from liquidation after consortium agrees 80% purchase ]

The worst off on paper is Shamrock Rovers, with losses just under €2.4 million last year but the Tallaght club are guaranteed a bumper 2024, having reached the group stages of the Uefa Conference League where win bonuses from their upcoming six matches are €400,000 each.

Derry revealed losses of almost €1.3 million, which shows how important it is for the double-chasing Candystripes, under Ruaidhri Higgins, to win the league and enter European competition next year via the Champions League route.

If Derry beat Rovers at the Brandywell, live tonight on RTÉ2, they could cut Shelbourne’s lead at the top to a single point. Or should they lose, Shels can go seven clear with a win in Galway.

“We know what it takes as a team,” said Stephen Bradley, the Rovers manager. “We have been here before.

“We know Derry are a team full of good players and we are a top team. It has the makings to be a really good match and hopefully both teams will go to try and win, and we will see a good game of football.”

Damien Duff’s Shelbourne have led the league for most of the campaign but one win in five matches shows how damaging the departure of their best players, Gavin Molloy and Will Jarvis, has proved.

Dundalk can climb off the bottom of the table by winning away to Sligo Rovers on Saturday, providing Drogheda United draw or lose against Bohemians at Dalymount Park.

League of Ireland Premier Division

Tonight (7.45pm)

St Patrick’s Athletic v Waterford

Galway United v Shelbourne

Derry City v Shamrock Rovers

Bohemians v Drogheda United

Saturday

Sligo Rovers v Dundalk, 7.45pm

Gavin Cummiskey

Gavin Cummiskey

Gavin Cummiskey is The Irish Times' Soccer Correspondent