Change ahead at Oriel Park

The dogs on the street are aware by now that there is change in store for the club and it is going to happen soon. Rumours, as usual, are rife and vary drastically in levels of accuracy.

Current owner, Gerry Matthews, has given his all to the club for the duration of his ownership. This writer was extremely sceptical about his takeover initially but it didn't take long for it to become clear that his intentions were as good as his work ethic and that he was willing to put adequate finance into the club to drag it kicking and screaming from near-extinction to its current strong position. I admire the honesty that was evident throughout his ownership, he stated quite clearly that he was not willing to be a cash cow indefinitely for the club but that he had a 5 year plan to transform the club into a self financing entity. He was offering us something infinitely more valuable than money, he was offering business acumen and his time. For the most part it has been a successful operation, with Dundalk FC now closer to the holy grail of self sufficiency than it has been for a very long time. Thanks to Gerry Matthews, instead of the club hitting the wall and dying a tragic death, we now have a setup that is the envy of the majority of clubs and is in a strong position to move to the next level. Gerry's 5 year plan is up, he feels he has done what he came to do and he now plans to move on to other challenges.

In typical Dundalk fashion, however, it seems that it is impossible for some fans of the club to thank Gerry for his significant input and work with the current custodians of the club to ensure that we make that next step up. Instead, we have seen a campaign of spin and bluster which has diminished the success of Gerry and the board in the minds of many Dundalk fans. It's not clear yet what the purpose of this is, but at a guess it has been an effort by those wishing to take over the club to force the current owners' hands and improve their own standpoint in negotiations.

It is very disappointing to see the path that this process has followed, and it can only be hoped that this is not an indicator for the way that the club will be managed post takeover. If worst fears come to fruition then those who think this season is a low point will see what that truly looks like.

Here's hoping all parties involved can find a way to work together for the good of the club we love. Unfortunately I am not hopeful enough on that point to hold my breath.