Questions remain unanswered by FAI over Galway payments

The FAI has failed to confirm or deny reports that the new Galway FC will be the only club competing in next year’s Airtricity League season that will not benefit from so-called ‘solidarity’ payments, meaning the new side will miss out on anything up to €20,000 in annual support funding from the association.

Europe’s governing body, UEFA, provides member associations with funding to be dispersed to member clubs, and in relation to the domestic league here, the payments are made by the FAI to League of Ireland clubs which have an underage structure.

A number of questions were put to theFAI in writing last Friday by Sentinel Sport, and while the association did comment on one of the questions, it has left a number of others unanswered.

The Galway United Supports’ Trust has called a public meeting for the Galway Rovers Hall in Claddagh this Thursday (8pm) amid growing disquiet amongst its membership over last week’s announcement that a new side called Galway FC is to apply for a licence to compete in next year’s Airtricity League.

A number of GUST members have expressed anger at the timing of the statement, claiming its contents had not been approved by a vote of its members, and it appears that concern over the statement having been premature may have a ring of truth to it.

The statement last Wednesday stated that “Galway Football Club is delighted to announce that it will be seeking a licence to play in the Airtricity League next season” and that “a formal launch of Galway FC will take place in the coming weeks”.

However, a search of the Companies Registration Office by Sentinel Sport has discovered that the business name ‘Galway FC’ was registered as a business name with the CRO back in March with a registered address of “c/o GUST Office, Terryland Park”. The GUST has also registered ‘Galway United Football Club’ was a business with the CRO.