The CEO of the FAI has commiserated with Galway United fans on the demise of the club, but has asked them to row in behind the new side that is being lined up to represent Galway in the Airtricity League First Division next season.
Speaking at the launch of Galway FC at the Connacht Hotel in Galway City on Monday night, John Delaney acknowledged the disappointment of United fans that the club had gone to the wall, but he asked them to throw their support behind the new side in the season ahead.
“It is bad enough when your team is hurting on the pitch, when results are going against you, but to suffer because your club goes out of existence is particularly hard,” he told a crowd of more than 200 people at the launch of Galway FC.
He praised the involvement of the Galway United Supporters Trust (GUST) in the formation of Galway FC, and said that “if you have no supporters, you have no club – they are hugely important to the success of Galway FC”.
The formation of a club that is meant to unite the soccer community in Galway has actually caused a serious split in the GUST, with some members refusing to give Galway FC their backing over a lack of clarity on the formation of a co-operative structure to run the new club.
The supporters’ group held a meeting in September at which a motion asking that a set timeframe was put in place a co-op structure to run Galway FC – that vote was presented to the Board of Galway FC, which has set up a sub-committee to address the issue.
That sub-committee is due to report to the Board in the near future – Chairman of Galway FC, Bernie O’Connell, confirmed in a passionate speech that the co-op structure was being seriously looked at and a report was imminent – but some GUST members are furious that no follow-up meeting of the group has been held to update its members on the progress over the co-op proposal.
However, speaking at the launch on Monday night, Mayor of Galway City, Padraig Conneely, also called on people to put the past behind them, saying the new club will put Galway on the soccer map “stronger than ever”.
“Stop talking, go to Eamonn Deacy Park, this has to be supported by the public. The Comer brothers have laid the foundation with their sponsorship of Galway FC, so forget about the past, it is time to move forward, only with the support of the public will this be a success,” said Mayor Conneely, who was a Galway United season ticket holder.
“I was disappointed when soccer disappeared from Galway, but we are back, and we are back stronger than ever. We are here for the launch of what we should have always had – we had a temporary lapse, but we are back stronger than ever.
He praised the work of Delaney in driving the project to have a united team in Galway, as well as the work of O’Connell, describing the former secretary of Galway United as “hugely dedicated, a true follower of the game who has Galway at his heart”.
He also said that the GUST “should be commended, they are standing there on Shop Street every week and they kept the show on the road”, which was greeted by warm applause, as was the arrival of Brian and Luke Comer, the Glenamaddy brothers whose company, Comer Property Group, has signed a three-year sponsorship deal with the club.
There has been no official confirmation as to the value of the deal, but it is widely accepted to be worth €100,000 a year for three years, which Delaney described as “one of the biggest in the League”.
He told the packed gathering how the sponsorship deal was secured: Jim McDermott, a member of GUST and a native of Glenamaddy, grew up with the Comer brothers and broached the possibility of sponsorship with them when GUST were looking to enter a team into the League of Ireland after the demise of Galway United.
After initial soundings, the FAI became involved when talks began over Galway FC, and Delaney travelled to London to meet the Comers, with the deal finally being signed 20 minutes before kick-off in the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup qualifier with Sweden in the Aviva Stadium in early September.
“They have been brilliant – without their involvement, it would have been very difficult to start,” Delaney said.
Speaking exclusively to Tribune Sport, Brian Comer said the reason his company decided to get involved was because it knew the value of sport for young people, along with the desire to see top-flight football return to Galway.
“We were disappointed to see the way football had gone in Galway, and we would like to see a team back up in the Premier Division, where Galway deserves to have a team. Sport is very important to young people, and we see this new club as one which young people from the city and the county can identify with,” he said.
Asked about the details of the sponsorship deal, he was reluctant to put an exact figure on the amount, but admitted it was significant, and for a very good reason: “There is no point in half-measures, if you are going to do something, you have to do it right, and that is why we have agreed to the deal we have with Galway FC,” said Brian, who along with his brother Luke, and Luke’s son Barry, travelled down from Dublin to attend the launch.
The launch was also attended by Director of the Airtricity League, Fran Gain; and Chairman of the League, Eamon Naughton, who both have ties to Galway. Naughton is a native of Galway, and is a previous Board member of Galway United; while Gavin made 47 appearances for Galway United over a four-year period, and also served as temporary manager alongside Denis Bonner in November 1988 following the departure of John Herrick, until the appointment of Seamus McDonagh, who is the new goalkeeping coach to the Republic of Ireland senior squad.
Naughton spoke of his hope that Galway FC would develop into a strong side that would represent the city and county for years to come; while Gavin said he wanted to see the club not only back in the Premier Division, but in European action.
For more on this story, check out this week’s Connacht Tribune and Galway City Tribune.
