Galway United fans group reject link up with rivals

Date Published: {J}

Keith Kelly

FANS of Galway United have voted to take a year out of the League of Ireland and try to rebuild the club in time for the 2013 season after rejecting proposals from both Mervue United and Salthill Devon to form an alliance for the coming campaign.

A crowd of around 100 people, a mix of both members of the Galway United Supporters Trust (GUST) and ‘ordinary’ United fans, met in the Galway Rovers hall in the Claddagh in Galway City on Tuesday night to discuss and vote on the two proposals at an open public meeting, and both proposals were comprehensively rejected.

The Mervue proposal did not attract a single voice of support, and the Salthill Devon offer was similarly dismissed by the attendance, although some did argue that dialogue with the Drom-based club should continue.

The GUST issued a statement after the meeting, saying that while it was disappointed the FAI had refused to even consider its own application for the 2012 season – it was thrown out on the grounds of being eight days late, despite previously accepting late applications from Limerick 37, Sporting Fingal and Derry City – it intended to continue working towards its stated goal of building a club, and fielding a League of Ireland team, which was representative of the whole of the city and county, and not just two specific communities.

“At a well attended open meeting in the Claddagh Hall, the members of Galway United Supporters Trust (GUST) unanimously voted to continue to remain independent and to pursue their vision of a community based football club representing Galway City and County.

“As a result of this decision, the proposals from both Salthill Devon and Mervue United in relation to any amalgamations were rejected.

“Whilst obviously extremely disappointed with the FAI decision not to proceed with GUST’s Airtricity League licence application for 2012, all members remain fully committed to ensuring that their vision will become a reality in 2013,” read the statement.

The mood at Tuesday’s meeting was a mix of anger, concern, despondency and determination, with a number of people suggesting that the meeting did not mark the end of Galway United, rather a new dawn for a club that will not be involved on a national level this season for the first time in 36 years.

It was pointed out that the GUST was continuing to operate the Galway United U-19 team, whose season runs along the traditional timeline rather the calendar year in which the League of Ireland operates, and the meeting was told the GUST would apply for a licence to compete in the U-19 League again for the 2012/13 season in September, and for the League of Ireland in 2013.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.