LIMERICK FC PLAYERS have voted in favour of strike action over outstanding wages and will serve strike notice, according to the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland (PFAI).
A statement published on behalf of the players on the PFAI website says that the “vote was overwhelmingly in favour” of taking industrial action having received “no payment since 1 June”.
However, the club has also released a statement apologising to players and staff for the delay in payment of salaries and says that the “issue was resolved“ on Tuesday. It also says that sanctions have been imposed on Limerick FC by the FAI.
“The club have taken measures to cut costs over the last number of weeks to ensure we can fulfil our contracted obligations to staff and players,” the statement reads. “We will continue to monitor our projected income streams and should the need arise make more adjustments.”
The players — who met with SIPTU and the PFAI today about the possibility balloting union members for strike action — say in their statement that they have received commitments from the club “at the eleventh hour” that they will be paid what they are owed to date, but that they have received “no satisfactory confirmation that our contracts will be honoured in the future”.
The players have balloted to strike and intend to serve strike notice. They also say that they will have no choice but to take the last resort option of going on strike “if payments which fall due in the future are not honoured”.
The full statement reads: “As has been well documented now in the media, we met today with our representatives, the PFA Ireland, in relation to the outstanding monies due to us individually on foot of our contracts.
“We had received no payment since 1 June and despite numerous attempts over the course of the past six weeks to address this issue by our representatives, no payments have been made until the imminent threat of strike became real.
“At the eleventh hour, we have received commitments from the club that we will be paid what we are owed to date but have received no satisfactory confirmation that our contracts will be honoured in the future.
“With nearly four months of the season to go, this leaves us in a very precarious situation as we simply cannot endure another long period without pay. Like most workers, we have commitments and outgoings which will not wait for payment at the club’s behest.
“Our representatives, the PFA Ireland, had sought guarantee of payment for the future, which is entirely reasonable given the history of the last six weeks, and this has not been provided.
In the circumstances, we have now balloted to strike and the vote was overwhelmingly in favour.
“We will now serve strike notice and if payments which fall due in the future are not honoured then we will have no option but to take the last resort option of going on strike.
“It is disappointing that it has taken this long for the club and FAI to engage properly with this crisis and we hope they will take this issue of late payment seriously from now on.
“We hope the supporters, players and other clubs will appreciate that this action will only be taken if we are left with no other option.”
Following a meeting with FAI officials on Monday, sanctions were imposed on Limerick FC.
The club cannot sign any new players for the remainder of the season. They will not be invited to participate in the IRN-BRU Scottish Challenge Cup, after they were initially next in line for the competition following the removal of Bray Wanderers.
The club’s statement also criticises the PFAI for arranging a meeting with the players for 17 July to ballot them on strike action.
“The PFAI’s only course of action was to look for an escrow account for players’ salaries and then call for strike action.
This was very disappointing and would only further reduce the club’s potential income and ultimately create more issues with payments to their members that remain employed by the club.
“The action of the PFAI and the leadership by Mr McGuinness in their decision-making, during this time, has not being conducive to create a good working environment between players and management.
“It should be noted that since 2009 there has been no occasion for the PFAI to contact Limerick FC regarding non-payment of players’ wages. In the last three seasons alone the club have honoured just over €1 million in players’ salaries and while doing so created on average 45 number jobs per annum in Limerick FC.”
You can read Limerick FC’s full statement here.
The PFAI has since released a statement in response to this, claiming that Limerick’s statement contains “inaccuracies”.
It is entirely wrong for Limerick to now seek to pass any blame for this completely unsatisfactory situation away from anyone but themselves.
“They entered into contracts with players which they as per their payment schedule haven’t been able to keep. That is their fault and theirs alone. Limerick need to step up to the plate and honour the contractual obligations on the dates they are due.”
You can read the PFAI’s full statement here.
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Christ, 2 teams in our league of ten. Id be happy to pay my tv licence if there was a game on the tele every week and some of that money went to the players rather than tubridys new suits
@Zossima: It actually costs the clubs money when the game is on TV.
@Zossima: The RTE money goes to the coffers of the FAI, the clubs lose out in gate receipts and match day revenue.
You couldn’t make this up…
The blame here lies with the FAI.
Clubs cannot function in this day and age on matchday revenue.
LOI clubs are the only clubs in Europe who do not get TV money.
Bray and Limerick are on the chopping block today. It will be two other clubs next season.
@John Smith: it’s an embarrassment were is the fai in all of this 2 clubs with players on strike and a chief executive who is on 360000 a year after taking 2 pay cuts he was on over 400 a year were is he in all of this should he not be trying to fix it? and how are clubs getting the licence if they are already in dire straits
Genuine question from a non football fan, how come the league has such a small support from fans of the sport in this country?
The amount of Brit bashing this week from “the best fans in the world” here in Ireland, but have no qualms in supporting the same players when they are wearing their various club colors week in week out.
If more people payed to go to their local LOI game, or buy their jerseys the standard of the game would improve and wages could be paid.
@Alan Biddulph: JP €€€€€€€€€€€€€
@Alan Biddulph: The reasons are many and complex.
The Dublin clubs suffer because of the population shift from the between the canals to the broader suburban belt, gutting the clubs of their core support.
The Provincial cities and towns suffer for similar reasons.
The emergence of wall to wall UK football coverage on tv hasn’t helped.
Irish people don’t help, we do not have a culture of supporting league sport, that also affects GAA and Rugby. Following a team for 8 months is hard going sometimes, but ultimately very enjoyable.
@Alan Biddulph: Historically was always seen as a garrison town sport and clubs never got the mass appeal and support. Sure there is no clubs to any relevance through the middle of Ireland.
Now there was a time when clubs did get decent enough support but as soon as BBC and other English channels became more widespread here people flocked to watch English Division1/Premiership football.
@Alan Biddulph: ireland has a small pop. Gaelic foootball hurling and rugby are all hugely popular and we are bang next door to the most popular, marketed and televised league in the world. I hate to say it but i cant see this changing anytime soon. League of iteland always has clubs going outta business. It happens in lower leagues in england too or at least it used to a lot. It also happens in usa as there is so much competition from other sports seen as more traditionally american. I played gaa and soccer for my home town. The crowd at the gaa match would dwarf that of the soccer and the same lads playing both. Thats the way it always has been in 99% of places
Delaney must go. Any government funding must stop until new management are in place. It’s treated the same way as the charities and look who benefitted there.
A sad state of affairs, I didn’t know that the clubs received NO money for tv rights. How can that be fair?. Furthermore how can the clubs condone and accept this?. As for the low attendances, clubs are hardly helping themselves with really bad favilities, ramshackle toilets, antiquated stands with obstructed views etc. If a few hundred grand was put in to the facilities and an ergonomic spectacle for the fans I’m sure that would help. As for the football, it can be very good when the managers aren’t insisting on an ultra catious approach. Shamrock Rovers and Cork City performances in Europe over the last week spring to mind. FAI need to have a good look at themselves, no integity or shame.
Maybe if people supported local teams they would able to pay players!
Nobody answered me on the previous article, but didn’t this happen before to League of Ireland clubs in the early 00s? The clubs went professional and soon couldn’t afford the wages?
Yes I hear you, but I don’t know why we can’t look to the Scottish league for something to aim for, similar population to us, and more appeal with some big names playing for the larger clubs. League of Ireland won’t ever get that chance.
@Alan Biddulph: Or a model like in Croatia whereby there is a continuous emphasis on developing young players at clubs.
Pat Hi key is available at that money.
everything goes tits up as soon as you let those commie idiots from SIPTU in the door
@King Billy: dead right, people have some nerve expecting to be paid for their work. Snowflakes.