Dundalk Football Club has been saved from receivership and possible closure with a takeover announced last night that will see local barrister John Temple take over the club from outgoing owner Brian Ainscough.
Temple had been one of the parties bidding to take control of the club from Andy Connolly 12 months ago.
Temple will lead a consortium of investors who have agreed to underwrite the players’ current wages until the end of the season and will examine the viability of the club and its facilities going forward.
“Dundalk is a football town and the club is hugely important to all the staff, players and supporters,” he said in a statement issued by the club last night.
“We appreciate the concerns raised by all of our supporters in recent weeks and it has underscored what the club means to every one of them.”
“We are fully supportive of Jon Daly and the team to get the results required on the pitch. I am more concerned right now about getting the off-field matters sorted.”
“We are very grateful to Minister Thomas Byrne who has pledged the Government’s support for our Sports Capital Grant application, which is most welcome, and this is the silver lining for today’s takeover announcement.
“A new Board of Directors will be appointed in the coming weeks and a meeting will take place with staff and players in the next week when everything is finalised.”
Examining the viability of the club is hardly the words of a bright new future that optimistic football fans might have hoped for but it is a realistic assessment of where the club is.
From the Department perspective, the promise of money is only that until it is drawn down and that would be after that assessment has taken place.
Dundalk’s Premier League status in the SSE Airtricity league is in perilous condition with a battle against Louth rivals Drogheda United likely over the last six games of the season.
Relegation would significantly reduce attendances, though if the loyalty of supporters is as is suggested then taking a year out to bounce back might not be fatal. Galway United have held their own in the top flight this season, and Cork City are confident of doing so next year.
Football has always been an expression of hope over sometimes reality. keeping the lights on and the players and staff paid is often not met from the match day revenues and requires the faith of investors that there are better days ahead to keep the show on the road.
Hopefully that will be the case for Dundalk who have been through multiple changes of ownership in recent years and could do with a period of stability.
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