Finn Harps still seeking to end crisis

TALKS were continuing yesterday between representatives of the two sides involved in the dispute over control of National League Premier Division side Finn Harps.

Club secretary Pat Gallen said, that he had been involved in talks aimed at sorting out the current crisis at the club until the early hours of yesterday morning. He was, he said "willing to talk to anyone" in order to resolve the difficulties that have arisen out of a bid by a consortium of five businessmen to take over the club.

"When the committee saw the structure of the company behind the bid they rejected it and the vote against it was by three to one, but we're still hopeful that something can be sorted out," he said.

Gallen, who is the only remaining director of the club after the resignations of the other four says that significant alternative funding has been committed to the club by the local business community and by interested individuals. However, even if this can be harnessed, the club faces an uphill struggle to be ready for the start of their first premier Division campaign he said.

The completion of the eight transfers initiated by Dermot Keely with the intention of giving the club a side capable of surviving at the higher level are all now in limbo as the manager claims he has been sacked and Gallen says that he has resigned.

Keely's return is not ruled out by Gallen, but the situation will have to be resolved quickly if these, or other, transfers are to be completed in time for the start, of the new season.

Last night, at least, there were signs that some progress had been made. Keely and the transferred players in question were at Finn Park for the friendly match with a Celtic XI which was intended as a gesture of respect towards the Glasgow club who were represented by a team which included Packie Bonner and Declan Boyle.

Those on the other side of the dispute still feel, however, that a satisfactory resolution of the current difficulties can only be achieved if the members of the management committee, who have blocked the consortium so far, change their tune.

It is ridiculous to say that we've gone to Bernard Allen looking for £100,000 of Lottery funds for the club and yet we're talking about turning down that sort of money from local people willing to put it into the club," said former chairman Jimmy Harte who resigned his position over the weekend.