THE FIVE League of Ireland clubs in line to compete in this year’s Setanta Sports Cup have been told they will receive firm news of whether the competition is to go ahead when they meet with FAI officials in Dublin tomorrow.
Clubs from the Irish League have been told much the same by the IFA but, as of last night, officials from both sides of the border seemed to be in the dark as to how the competition and their clubs would be affected by the broadcaster’s escalating problems.
The main British-based Setanta ceased broadcasting yesterday as the company finally slipped into administration but the company continues to trade in Ireland amid ongoing hopes of a rescue plan.
For the moment at least, the Irish operation retains rights to some of the events that its British counterpart lost in recent days, including matches from next season’s English Premier League.
But there are practical difficulties to be overcome if it is to actually broadcast games due to the involvement of a new rights holder, ESPN, in Britain.
The money involved in organising the Setanta Sports Cup is very small when compared to the sort of figures involved in the purchase of rights for the game in England but at Bohemians, Cork City, Derry City, St Patrick’s Athletic and Sligo Rovers there will still be concern about the possible loss of a competition that provided significant revenue, particularly to the winners and runners-up.
Elsewhere, the immediate future of Limerick FC appeared to have been secured yesterday, as local businessman, Pat O’Sullivan confirmed he is making an investment in the club.
O’Sullivan, whose local interests include Galtee Fuels and Green Heat, is the most prominent of a number of people to express an interest in helping the club since a meeting of supporters at the Strand Hotel last weekend and he is the first to commit significant funds.
Club officials say there has been a very positive response, too, from ordinary fans who have given undertakings to support a lottery costing €21 per month, buy season tickets for the rest of the current campaign or sponsor players. Details of all the initiatives are listed at www.limerickfc.ie.
The club’s American-based chairman, Jack McCarthy, said he is delighted at the support which comes as Limerick’s very future hung in the balance in recent weeks. “Despite all the challenges, I’ve grown to love the club and I’m thrilled that local investors are getting behind us. The city deserves a successful football organisation like the one it had in the early 1960s and 1980s. Now, Pat O’Sullivan is leading the way, and with continuing support from the Limerick community we can achieve our financial goals.”
It appears the team will be able to get through the current campaign while a reorganised board plots the club’s long- term future.
