PFAI says ISPs attempt to undermine financial viability

PFAI General Secretary Stephen McGuinness accuses the FAI of attempting to undermine the financial viability of the Players Union and the right of its members to strike against the Airtricity League clubs.

There was a widespread surprise on Wednesday night when the badociation announced the proposal, which involves the union setting up half of the € 300,000 involved, without consulting the PFAI at all, and McGuinness said that He was "stunned" When he saw the press release. "

" If you strip all this up to the bone, they try to cripple us financially and prevent us from hitting " McGuinness said Thursday.

Earlier, at a briefing in Abbotstown, John Delaney had declined to comment on how the badociation would consider a decision made by the council of another organization to propose an ISP that would pay half the cost, then publish it without ever having exceeded it in front of the FAI.

Delaney suggests that the director of the competitions of the badociation, Fran Gavin, can better provide an answer: "You must know all s the facts. He will answer you exactly because he has the details. "

Gavin then suggested that McGuinness was aware of the proposal, which McGuinness specifically denies, insisting that he only knew the notion that such a fund could be established but n & # 39; Never imagining that one could expect the union to bring half of the money.

On this, the FAI official said: "We are fully aware that the PFAI has the resources and more to contribute to a fund like that. "

Financial Results

Given that the FAI has announced financial results this week with a 49 million business turnover. euros and a surplus of 2.8 million euros, while the annual turnover of the PFAI is about 300 000 euros, that can only make sense if the badociation expects the union to obtain the necessary funds federation of international players' unions which already supports the work of its Irish subsidiary. However, McGuinness insists that there is no precedent for this, and that he will not ask for money for this purpose.

However, it has never been made clear why the FAI had begun a kind of dialogue with Siptu rather than communicating directly. with the PFAI, whose offices are in the building of the badociation on the national sports campus. McGuinness was, however, adamant that Siptu plays no role in the day-to-day operations of the Players Union, insisting that "our members are members because it gives them the right to strike. do, and we do not have enough members. "

Two Clubs

On the issue of the current unrest in Bray Wanderers and Limerick, meanwhile, which gave rise to discussions about a fund in first, Gavin says that the badociation is satisfied with the badurance that all engagements be met until the end of the season.

The situation in Bray will clearly have been greatly facilitated by the resumed club, confirmed Thursday by Niall O 'Driscoll.The current president of the highly respected St Joseph's Boys' School Boys, who will lead the youth of Wanderers, O ' Driscoll has for a long time established links with football through his company, O 'Driscoll O. Neill Insurance.

He retained a stake in the club but O' Driscoll said after what was clearly a difficult fate, he wants to "return to Bray the old glories and turn it into a club that represents the local community and all Wicklow. "