Sean Murray: 'We saw it as a chance to bond as a team - in hindsight, it was a mistake’'

Dundalk are set to escape from any FAI sanction regarding a player’s trip to Belfast last weekend.

Late last Sunday evening, pictures began to circulate on social media showing members of the Dundalk first team in Belfast.

Restrictions were due to end some days later as intercounty travel was set to be allowed once more.

“We saw it as a chance to bond as a team. In hindsight, it was a mistake and we had to get tested the other day and rightly so,” Sean Murray siad.

“The lads thought it was a mistake as well and we feel bad for the fans and everything. Luckily, we all came in negative, and we can focus on the game,” continued Murray.

Sporting director and current interim manager Jim Magilton read out a statement on behalf of the club.

“On behalf of the management, staff and of course the players, I want to apologise to the Dundalk FC fans, the FAI, the HSE and all frontline workers, the League of Ireland family and people everywhere for the actions of some of the Dundalk FC players who broke government protocol last weekend when they travelled to Belfast. Gratefully we have announced that all Covid-19 tests have returned negative.

“The HSE has confirmed that the club has satisfied all of the necessary protocols to resume training and playing games. The following actions have already been put into action. The players who participated will bear the cost of testing the club's personnel, the players will be making a donation to a local charitable cause, the Save our Sonia campaign, in due course. At best this was a misguided attempt at a team bonding exercise which was not sanctioned by the club and the players involved wish to apologise for letting Dundalk FC, the fans and themselves down,” the statement read.

Dundalk have signed at least ten players from abroad this year, usually in normal circumstances players would be integrated to the group through team bonding trips, but this has not been possible this year.

“It’s not a normal situation for anyone at the moment, so yeah it is difficult to do them things, but we have to do them in the right way,” said Murray.

“We tried to spend as much time as possible here at the training ground with each other and get to know each other well.

“It’s been massive for clubs I’ve been at in the past, team bonding. You have to have a good dressing room to do well and that’s what we’re trying to create,” continued Murray.

The League of Ireland season was given the green light when other sports were told they could not return. Dundalk acted quickly to resolve the situation by cancelling training on Monday morning.

“The staff were amazing, we got messages out to players who had arrived home and we contacted the necessary people and got them tested the next morning,” said interim manager Magilton.

“Probably the longest day of all our lives and then we got the results that night. Obviously, we were in contact, the Doc, the physio, the medical team were in contact with the HSE, and we were given the green light to go again and obviously they came back negative.

“We liaised with the FAI and got feedback from those guys, Mark Scanlon in particular, and obviously we are preparing for the game on Friday night,” said Magilton.

Teams in the past have turned to letting off steam in the hope of rekindling better performances on the pitch.

“I've been involved in it and it does help especially when you are going through a dodgy period because, again, with our bunch, a lot of foreign lads are in the team and they haven't had that opportunity to get together and again, I'm not condoning it for one second, absolutely not and at times it does help but this didn't and only time will tell if they did bond,” said Magilton.

Finn Harps are the next opponents for the Lilywhites before a home game against Shamrock Rovers followed by two away games against St. Patricks Athletic and Bohemians. The question mark over the togetherness of the squad will be eked out shortly.

“We'll soon find out on Friday night because they're going to have to bond on Friday night. We'll get little sympathy out of Finn Harps and quite rightly so and we'll have to stand up to it and show our character,” said Magilton.