It’s a great opening line that all the drafts of Drogheda United Co-Chair Ben Boycott to the fans were set aside, and the text we publish below was from the heart.
While reporting on the story over the past week, we emphasised that this should not be viewed by fans as a failure on the part of ownership, which would mean they should be castigated and hounded out.
The Trivela Group bears ultimate responsibility, but there was an unfairness at the heart of UEFA’s decision, which occurred during a transitional period that did not apply to Manchester City and Manchester United.
The idea of a blind trust as a flawed workaround for UEFA in dealing with multi-club ownership is just that. Nottingham Forest’s owner put one in place to avoid a similar situation with Olympiakos, but his passion for the club was then very evident as Euro qualification loomed. To say he had no controlling interest because of a piece of paper can be read as you wish.
The loss of a place in the draw and the adventure of a European trip is a real punishment for fans and players, emotionally more than financially, with the Trivela Group undertaking to cover the financial hit.
But if you take away the emotion from being a fan, then really, what is left?
We’ll be diving into this more with Drogheda United director Conor Hoey at our now sold-out League of Ireland event with Grant Thornton next week, but for now, here is the open letter that was sent to all this week, as the final chance of a resolution was extinguished.
To the Directors, Staff, Players, and Supporters of Drogheda United Football Club
There have been several drafts of this statement, with wise words and good counsel from lawyers, PR teams, and trusted advisors. But I’ve set them all aside. This one is just from me.
Monday was one of the most frustrating days of my professional career. The split decision by the Court for Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to uphold UEFA’s ban on Drogheda United’s participation in the 2025–26 UEFA Conference League was a devastating blow, and one which I disagree with. It concluded a months-long, all-hands effort involving countless hours of work by people who care deeply about this club.
Let me say first: I absolutely respect UEFA’s aim to uphold sporting integrity in European competitions. But I believe—strongly—that the way this year’s rule changes around multi-club ownership (MCO) were introduced and enforced has unintended negative consequences to that goal. I believe that the process has lacked consistency, clarity, and fairness. And Drogheda United is paying the price.
What Happened
There is and will be much talk about a missed deadline. I submit to you that the truth is much more nuanced and complicated than DUFC failing to file some paperwork on time. The issue at hand is that, according to UEFA, Trivela should have taken meaningful steps to fully separate from Drogheda United—through a share sale or transfer of control—in February, months before there was any certainty that Silkeborg IF would qualify for Europe, and in the midst of major off-field transitions for Drogheda.
That was a busy and critical time for this club. We were transitioning to full-time football. We were securing a new long-term training ground. We were preparing for a brand new LOI season, and completing important and significant stadium upgrades, such as the 12th Man Lounge. Silkeborg were in and around the middle of the table in Denmark while we were doing all of this work at DUFC – over three months before SIF would ultimately become the final team to qualify for Europe.
The core regulatory issue hinges on the “Assessment Date” used by UEFA and the Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) to evaluate the eligibility of clubs in MCOs. In all previous seasons, this date fell in early June—after domestic seasons had concluded. That timing gave clubs and groups the opportunity to react to final standings and take necessary steps.
This year, for the first time ever, that date was moved up to March 1st. Notification of the coming change was shared in one piece of communication – a circular letter which UEFA sent to national associations in October 2024. After that, the full rules for the 2025-26 season, including the new assessment date, were not fully adopted until February 26th, 2025—just two days before the new assessment date took effect, and it appears were not made publicly available until March 1st.
I believe that this very limited communication around a significant rule change created a meaningful blind spot. It appears that other MCO groups were proactively contacted by UEFA in December and January regarding these rule changes. Further, it seems that some of those that were contacted and began taking steps before this deadline were then given time to implement structures after the deadline. We were not ever contacted directly, and Drogheda was not afforded that same flexibility. Regardless of how it happened – the reality is that larger and more resourced clubs had much more information and opportunity than DUFC did. That’s a system that puts clubs and groups like ours at a disadvantage.
Worse still, historical precedent gave us every reason to believe that we would have a path to resolve any concerns post-assessment date. In recent years, multiple clubs have enacted share transfers, blind trust structures, and other remedies after the assessment date. Those precedents shaped our expectations—and we acted accordingly.
The moment it became clear to us that this cycle would be different – months ago, at this point – we engaged directly with UEFA. Over those months, we offered multiple remedies: a share transfer back to the Drogheda United Members Club, placement of shares into an Irish trust, and participation in a UK-based UEFA-approved templatized blind trust structure. We were turned away at every step.
The end result is that CAS has now ruled, on a 2–1 split decision, that UEFA was within its rights to enforce the rule this way. Perhaps this is the case – but it remains the fact that DUFC faced a severe disadvantage relative to other clubs.
Moving Forward
I personally believe this decision makes an example of Drogheda so that UEFA can signal a change of approach to its regulation of MCOs. It punishes a club that, just a year ago, was still part-time and operating without a CEO. It punishes a community-focused organization run with integrity, ambition, and limited resources—while major clubs with compliance departments and vast legal teams were granted direct communication and additional time to comply.
That disparity, however inadvertent, should not exist in European football. But it does.
That said, accountability ultimately falls on us at DUFC and at Trivela Group. The responsibility to navigate regulations—however murky or fast-changing—belongs to our leadership. There was no malice and no bad faith. We have always endeavored to work in the best interests of the club and the community. But we now know that wasn’t enough. And ultimate responsibility for our various teams and staff working on these issues rolls up to me. And for that, I offer a personal, sincere apology to our players, staff, and supporters. This will never happen again.
But let me be equally clear: this setback will not define Drogheda United’s future. We care deeply about this club and this town, and we are committed to its long-term success. The club remains on sound footing. Trivela will cover the shortfall in revenue from missing Europe, and we are fully committed to seeing this project through. Day-to-day operations are unaffected. I will be meeting personally with our players and staff in the coming days, and I hope that we as a group can remain focused on the task at hand. Our FAI Cup title defense begins in July. And we have great potential to qualify for Europe again via the League of Ireland campaign.
The future remains bright. We’ve now submitted documents to Louth County Council to pursue securing the land for our new stadium—one of the most significant steps in this club’s history. That work continues, uninterrupted.
Drogheda United is no stranger to adversity. We’ve been written off, knocked down, and counted out before. We’ve come back every time. This time will be no different.
We are hurt, but we are not done. The path ahead remains the same. This club is still going somewhere special. And nothing—not even this—will stop us.
With grief and resolve,
– BB
Digital Infrastructure Event
An event with leaders in the field looking at how Irish sporting organisations and sponsors can play at the top of their game in the Digital world. Scheduled for August 29th. Let us know below if you are interested and we will be in touch.
The Latest Sport for Business Podcast
Further Reading for Sport for Business members:
Check out more of our Sport for Business coverage of Sports Technology
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
Sport for Business is in planning for major events bringing together leaders in Irish Sport and Business across a range of subjects in the second half of the year.
On Thursday, August 29th we will host a special event looking at Digital infrastructure including the use of AI in sport..
Register your interest in joining us for this event above
Find out More about Our Sport for Business Events Programme Here
MEMBERSHIP AND EVENTS
Drogheda United, the FAI and all the leading sporting and business organisations in and around the world of sport are among the 300+ members of the Sport for Business community, which includes all of the leading sports and sponsors, as well as commercial and state agencies, individuals interested in our world, and an increasing number from beyond these shores taking a keen interest in Ireland.
Find out more about becoming a member today.
Get the full benefit of a Sport for Business membership by joining us at one of our upcoming events, where sporting and business leadership come together.
Or sign up for our twice-daily bulletins to get a flavour of the material we cover.
Sign up for our News Bulletins here.
