Fans group aims to return Galway Utd to its ÔrootsÕ

Keith Kelly

THE Galway United fans group, which this week announced its decision to split from the club and instead apply to enter its own team into the 2012 Airtricity League, insists it is going back to Galway United’s roots by holding an open public meeting in the Claddagh on Sunday (7pm).

It was in the Claddagh Hall that Galway Rovers – the precursor to Galway United – was formed in 1937, and the Galway United Supporters Trust says that as a sign of its intent to return Galway United to its true community roots, it is delighted to have been offered the use of Claddagh Hall for Sunday’s crucial meeting.

A sense of the support for the move by the fans is the fact that it was Galway Rovers who approached them with the offer of the use of the hall, with the GUST saying it has been “astounded by the messages of support from around the world by Galwegians and football supporters alike supporting their licence application for the 2012 Airtricity League”.

It will use the meeting to outline its plans for a new club – to be provisionally called Galway United Supporters Trust FC – which it hopes will be granted a licence to play in the Airtricity League First Division next season, and it is urging all fans of Galway United to attend Sunday’s meeting.

It has been a tumultuous week for Galway United FC, which began on Monday night with the announcement by the GUST that it was withdrawing its support from the club, and instead going ahead with plans to enter its own team in the League of Ireland.

That announcement was followed on Tuesday afternoon by a statement from the Board of Directors of Galway United FC that, in view of the decision by the GUST, the Board was withdrawing the licence application submitted in the name of Galway United.

In its statement, the Board said that it did not mean the end of Galway United, but rather that “the ensuing 12 months will allow the club to assess strategic and infrastructural changes that are required to be made ahead of an application for the 2013 season”.

The statement goes on to say that “a decision will then be taken as to the best route forward for soccer in Galway and discussions will take place with all stakeholders”, so as things stand, Galway United is still operational, but is not operating in so far as competing in the League of Ireland next season.

That has caused confusion among some Galway United supporters, who are torn between a loyalty for a club which is still in existence, and the desire to see a football club playing in the domestic league which is representative of the city and county.

It is believed that John Brennan – who last month was named as Galway United manager for the 2012 season, having stepped in as caretaker manager towards the end of last season – has thrown his support behind the proposed new entity, as have a number of past players of the club.

The GUST confirmed at its AGM in the city on Monday night that it was ending its agreement with the United board over its day-to-day management of the club, and instead was pursuing its own application for a First Division licence next season.

That move has the backing of the UK-based organisation Sports Direct, a UEFA recognised group which aims to promote greater fan involvement in – and, preferably, total control over – the running of clubs. The fans group says its objective “is to return Galway senior soccer back to its roots as a community club run and directed by its members”.

The news of the split – which does not appear to have been acrimonious – between fans and the club has been met with opposing views this week, with those close to the GUST saying it was the only decision available to it to ensure the club, in some guise, could continue to survive; while others suggest that the move is the death knell for Galway United, and that there is little or no chance of the fan-run club being granted a licence for next season.

For more, read this week's Galway City Tribune.