Galway United announce series of fundraisers in bid to raise much-needed cash for the club

Galway United have announced a series of fundraisers for the coming months in a bid to generate enough income to see the club survive until the end of the season.

At an open fans forum last Wednesday night, the supporter-run Management Committee (MC) have a presentation which showed a shortfall of around €45,000 in income to meet its obligations between now and the end of the season.

In the presentation, the club is forecasting that match-day takings (including programme sales and raffle tickets) between now and the end of the season will average at €1,400, with the club’s Maroon Army scheme bringing in another €500 a week on average.

However that figure falls well short of the weekly outgoings of €5,000 a week, including wages (€2,100) and other expenses such as insurance €300), payments to Revenue (€450), the rental of Terryland Park (€600) and expenses for match-day officials (€350).

In order the try and make up the short-fall, the MC has announced a number of fundraisers, which began a couple of weeks ago with a Flag Day in the city centre which raised more than €2,000.

Events coming up include a poker classic in the Eglinton Casino on Eglinton Street on Saturday August 13; a concert in the Black Box the following Saturday, August 20, by Kings of Leon tribute band, Knights of Leon; while there are also plans to hold a tea dance in the Menlo Park Hotel in September.

The club is also looking at holding a number of carboot sales, while one fan is holding guided historical walks of the city every couple of weeks, with all proceeds from those walks – which cost €10 per person – going to the club.

The club is also planning on relaunching the Galway United club lotto, and is also operating a Maroon Army scheme which people can join for €20, €30 or €40 per month.

There is a monthly draw for members of the scheme, with a top prize of €500 and two runners-up prizes of €100, with people who sign up for €40 per month entered twice into the draw.

The MC is looking to hold other fundraisers as well, and is asking fans who have ideas, or want to get involved in any of the above, to contact the club office in Terryland Park at (091) 767336.