Derry players come forward; Derry Chairman resigns
Credit: Extratime Team (ETPhotos)
In a dramatic sequence of events on Tuesday night, Derry City players have released a statement stating they unknowingly entered into two contracts with the club. Shortly before the release of the statement, Derry City Club Chairman Pat McDaid announced his resignation along with the resignations of Joe W Doherty, Peter Leonard and Francis Houston.
The full statements from the players, Derry City chairman Pat McDaid and the FAI can be found below.
Statement from Pat McDaid (released 10pm)
It is with deep regret and sadness that I must announce with immediate effect my resignation as Chairman of Derry City Football Club.
I feel that this is an important step to ensure Derry City return to the League of Ireland and it’s quite clear my relationship with Mr Delaney and the FAI has reached a point of no return. This was articulated clearly by Mr Delaney on this morning’s Radio Foyle programme and this has left me in a difficult position to say the least. Respectfully this is perhaps the only issue on which Mr Delaney and I can agree upon.
It’s my view that it would not be in the best interests of this football club for me to continue in light of the stance taken by the FAI and I need to take into consideration the players, fans, office staff, coaches and volunteers of the club. Personalities have to be a secondary consideration and the sole focus of efforts must now be turned into securing our senior status in Irish football
Without prejudice to all that has happened, or allegedly happened, Derry City Football Club must survive and I feel, despite my desire to remain and be part of a solution to move this club forward, that the best interests of the club are being served by this decision
On a personal level I feel I have always acted in the best interests of this magnificent club and it has been a privilege and a huge honor to have been chairman for this past two years. Derry City is a big part of my life and four different generations of my family have supported this historic club and I take this decision to resign with a heavy heart
I would like to take this opportunity to thank a number of people who have supported me over this past two years:
My family and friends have given me unquantifiable support – my wife Shauna and three children Patrick, Caoimhe and Emma together with my wider family circle have been a source of tremendous support and encouragement during what for long times have been testing and tremendously pressurised circumstances.
I would also like to place on record my thanks to all directors I have worked with, office staff, coaches, players, club volunteers and in particular the fans of this club which are without doubt the best in Ireland and its been an incredible privilege for me to work on behalf of so many fantastic people.
I would also like to thank the vast majority of the local and national press and media for the courtesy and respect they have afforded me.
Stephen Mc Carron is remaining on the board of Derry City FC and I wish him and any future new directors the very best of good fortune for the future and its my genuine and honest hope and desire that the current difficulties may be overcome.
I will forever remain as a supporter and sponsor of this football club and would now ask for people to kindly respect my privacy as taking this decision has been one of the hardest decisions of my life, but its my firm belief I was left with no choice and will not take any risks in terms of our future return to senior football, by remaining in place.
Statement from the Derry City Players (released 10:24pm)
The events of the past week have come as major shock and disappointment to the players of Derry City Football Club. Until the allegations of “dual contracts” were made very recently, no player was aware of the existence of a second document which contained different figures to the one which we had originally agreed.
The position is that at the beginning of the contract period, each player was presented with a document on Derry City headed paper which contained income amounts which we each individually agreed with the club. With only one exception, no player knowingly signed a second document.
It now appears that, what the club had misrepresented to us as a blank registration form containing no figures, terms or conditions was, in fact, a second document upon which different figures were subsequently entered and lodged with the league.
The full terms of this contract were never made available to the players and we fully believed that the wages which we were being paid were disclosed to the league in accordance with normal practice.
It has transpired that one of the players was aware of the existence of the second document but had ensured that the figures entered on it were identical to those on the original headed paper. No other players were aware of a second document.
As soon as the players became aware of the situation, we have immediately agreed to set the record straight and we wish to have nothing to do with this wrongdoing. We are deeply distressed at this turn of events and we wish to distance ourselves entirely from the board’s conduct.
We recognise that the actions of the club board have compromised the integrity of the league but we wish to make it perfectly clear that we were not knowing participants in this deception.
We hope that by addressing these issues and by clarifying our position, the club can now move forward and have a future in senior football.
FAI Statement (released 10:40pm)
The Football Association of Ireland tonight (November 10) confirmed that following a meeting in Abbotstown, the players of Derry City Football Club have put on public record the fact that they had signed two contracts, the standard player’s contract and a separate contract on club headed paper.
As of today, the FAI has accepted these players’ assurances that they were not personally aware of any financial irregularities at the club. The FAI also recognise the difficulties that have been created by the club in not paying players for the last eight/nine weeks at Derry City FC, and the impact that has on each player and his immediate family.
The FAI has also confirmed that it intends to send a delegation to Derry, on Thursday, with a view to beginning the process of returning the club to stability, now that the Club Chairman has accepted his untenable position.
The full statements from the players, Derry City chairman Pat McDaid and the FAI can be found below.
Statement from Pat McDaid (released 10pm)
It is with deep regret and sadness that I must announce with immediate effect my resignation as Chairman of Derry City Football Club.
I feel that this is an important step to ensure Derry City return to the League of Ireland and it’s quite clear my relationship with Mr Delaney and the FAI has reached a point of no return. This was articulated clearly by Mr Delaney on this morning’s Radio Foyle programme and this has left me in a difficult position to say the least. Respectfully this is perhaps the only issue on which Mr Delaney and I can agree upon.
It’s my view that it would not be in the best interests of this football club for me to continue in light of the stance taken by the FAI and I need to take into consideration the players, fans, office staff, coaches and volunteers of the club. Personalities have to be a secondary consideration and the sole focus of efforts must now be turned into securing our senior status in Irish football
Without prejudice to all that has happened, or allegedly happened, Derry City Football Club must survive and I feel, despite my desire to remain and be part of a solution to move this club forward, that the best interests of the club are being served by this decision
On a personal level I feel I have always acted in the best interests of this magnificent club and it has been a privilege and a huge honor to have been chairman for this past two years. Derry City is a big part of my life and four different generations of my family have supported this historic club and I take this decision to resign with a heavy heart
I would like to take this opportunity to thank a number of people who have supported me over this past two years:
My family and friends have given me unquantifiable support – my wife Shauna and three children Patrick, Caoimhe and Emma together with my wider family circle have been a source of tremendous support and encouragement during what for long times have been testing and tremendously pressurised circumstances.
I would also like to place on record my thanks to all directors I have worked with, office staff, coaches, players, club volunteers and in particular the fans of this club which are without doubt the best in Ireland and its been an incredible privilege for me to work on behalf of so many fantastic people.
I would also like to thank the vast majority of the local and national press and media for the courtesy and respect they have afforded me.
Stephen Mc Carron is remaining on the board of Derry City FC and I wish him and any future new directors the very best of good fortune for the future and its my genuine and honest hope and desire that the current difficulties may be overcome.
I will forever remain as a supporter and sponsor of this football club and would now ask for people to kindly respect my privacy as taking this decision has been one of the hardest decisions of my life, but its my firm belief I was left with no choice and will not take any risks in terms of our future return to senior football, by remaining in place.
Statement from the Derry City Players (released 10:24pm)
The events of the past week have come as major shock and disappointment to the players of Derry City Football Club. Until the allegations of “dual contracts” were made very recently, no player was aware of the existence of a second document which contained different figures to the one which we had originally agreed.
The position is that at the beginning of the contract period, each player was presented with a document on Derry City headed paper which contained income amounts which we each individually agreed with the club. With only one exception, no player knowingly signed a second document.
It now appears that, what the club had misrepresented to us as a blank registration form containing no figures, terms or conditions was, in fact, a second document upon which different figures were subsequently entered and lodged with the league.
The full terms of this contract were never made available to the players and we fully believed that the wages which we were being paid were disclosed to the league in accordance with normal practice.
It has transpired that one of the players was aware of the existence of the second document but had ensured that the figures entered on it were identical to those on the original headed paper. No other players were aware of a second document.
As soon as the players became aware of the situation, we have immediately agreed to set the record straight and we wish to have nothing to do with this wrongdoing. We are deeply distressed at this turn of events and we wish to distance ourselves entirely from the board’s conduct.
We recognise that the actions of the club board have compromised the integrity of the league but we wish to make it perfectly clear that we were not knowing participants in this deception.
We hope that by addressing these issues and by clarifying our position, the club can now move forward and have a future in senior football.
FAI Statement (released 10:40pm)
The Football Association of Ireland tonight (November 10) confirmed that following a meeting in Abbotstown, the players of Derry City Football Club have put on public record the fact that they had signed two contracts, the standard player’s contract and a separate contract on club headed paper.
As of today, the FAI has accepted these players’ assurances that they were not personally aware of any financial irregularities at the club. The FAI also recognise the difficulties that have been created by the club in not paying players for the last eight/nine weeks at Derry City FC, and the impact that has on each player and his immediate family.
The FAI has also confirmed that it intends to send a delegation to Derry, on Thursday, with a view to beginning the process of returning the club to stability, now that the Club Chairman has accepted his untenable position.
About Gareth Penrose
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