Fans seek mediation with Utd board over debts
Date Published: {J}
KEITH KELLY
THE Galway United Supporters Trust (GUST) has called for an independent mediation service with the board of the club to try and solve the impasse between the two parties over a number of differences in relation to the running of the club.
Around 70 fans attended an emergency meeting called by GUST in Terryland Park on Wednesday night to discuss what it described as a “major difference” in the reported immediate ‘football’ debt of the club. One of the options up for discussion at the meeting was believed to have been the withdrawalof financial support from GUST for the club – the Trust effectively kept the club afloat near the end of the season, paying players wages and making payments to other creditors – but fans decided against this option and instead called for fresh talks between themsewlves and the United board.
“The Galway United Supporters Trust was delighted at the large crowd that attended Wednesday night’s meeting at Terryland Park. A number of options were discussed by supporters.
“The unanimous decision was to offer to enter an independent mediation process with the Board of Directors of Galway United. GUST hope that this offer will be accepted and that all parties can work together to ensure that Galway United secure a Premier Division Licence for 2011,” read a two paragraph statement issued by GUST after the meeting.
The chairman of the fans’ group, Ronan Coleman, was contacted yesterday in relation to the matter but said that Wednesday night’s meeting decided to not issue any further statements on the matter to give the mediation process a chance to succeed.
GUST claims that the club has a ‘football’ debt of around €70,000 – a figure with which United CEO Nick Leeson agreed when it was put to him by our sister paper the Sentinel on Monday – but the club issued a press release to RTÉ on Tuesday evening claiming the actual figure was closer to €35,000-€40,000.
For more, read this week's Galway City Tribune.