A fundraising page has been initiated by The 1903, a passionate group of Dundalk FC fans, seeking to gather €100,000 in financial support for the survival of the club until the season concludes. The club’s personnel and players are anxiously awaiting their earnings from the previous week, following revelations from the club’s US-based owner, Brian Ainscough, concerning his quest for supplementary funds to sustain the club until the season’s end.
Ainscough, who seized full control of the club last autumn after severing ties with Kerry FC where he held the position of CEO, has struggled to gain external backing, thereby plunging the 14-time League of Ireland winners into a precarious fiscal situation. “We implore all fans to give willingly whatever they can spare. Your generosity would mean the world,” stated The 1903 group. “The funds gathered will provide essential support to the club in these times of dire financial straits. Remaining amounts will be channelled into the long-term evolution of the club.
The call to action is clear: ‘The moment is now for us to unite and step forward. Our beloved football club is teetering on a precipice, it urgently needs your help.'”
Jon Daly, Dundalk’s manager, confirmed on the previous Friday that a number of athletic performance-related payments are still due. “In all sincerity, no matter your profession, it’s a fundamental expectation that you receive payment if you fulfil your duties,” admitted Daly.
On the first day of the week, Ainscough broadcasted a statement on the official club website. “I am making tireless attempts to keep the club operating. However, my topmost priority at this junction is to ensure the duration of the club’s existence until the end of this season. I am tirelessly on the hunt for additional investment and am critically evaluating all aspects of the ownership model of the club to guarantee that it persists. I am consistently available to engage with potential investors and remain confident that we will be able to get the required financial boost to keep us afloat.
In reference to the delay in disbursing salaries last week,” Ainscough pressed on. “I am cognisant of the hardship this has brought on our staff and players. I am committed to resolving this transient issue within the upcoming days.”
A fraction of Dundalk FC’s staff are on a weekly payment schedule while others receive remuneration monthly, with contracts for nine players extending into 2025. “I cannot express enough gratitude to our players, staff, supporters and the broader community for their unwavering support and patience during these trying times. I just wanted to reassure them that we are working industriously to rectify this turmoil,” pronounced the businessman from Dublin living in Boston.
During their tenure of just 10 months, Ainscough’s management of Dundalk Football Club has resulted in a dramatic fall of the first team to the very bottom of the Premier Division. They are lagging behind their Louth adversaries, Drogheda United, by one point, with only seven matches left in the season. The club potentially faces relegation and point reduction if they enter into examinership.
In prior seasons, specifically the 2016/17 and 2020/21 seasons, Dundalk managed to make it to the Europa League’s group stages; even competed against Arsenal at the Aviva Stadium in December 2020, suffering a 4-2 defeat since Oriel Park does not comply with UEFA’s criteria for European matches. Now Oriel Park is in dire need of immediate investment to upgrade the facility to elementary standards in preparation for the forthcoming season.
In 2021, a consortium inclusive of a technology firm known as Statsports and the club’s former co-owner Andy Connolly, purchased the club from Peak6, a US-based firm. This was before Ainscough acquired ownership. The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) is aware of Dundalk FC’s precarious financial state and is staying in constant communication with all parties involved in the issue, providing support where necessary.
Since Daly assumed leadership in May after leading St Patrick’s Athletic to win the FAI Cup the previous year, Dundalk FC’s performance has continued to decline with only three matches won and eight lost under his command. The team is set to face off against Waterford at the RSC on the upcoming Friday night.