Group discuss league's demand

Members of the new consortium intending to take over the running of Drogheda United met in the town last night to consider the demand by the Eircom League's Board of Control that the club lodge €100,000 with the FAI by close of business this afternoon or face the prospect of being expelled from senior football.

With more than 20 potential investors attending last night, the meeting continued for several hours as the instruction to reinstate Hinge Trading Limited, the company under which the club had previously operated, and a number of other conditions imposed were also considered.

Prior to the meeting a member of the consortium, Joe Fay, said that he was disappointed with the position adopted by the board and by the fact that the decision made on Monday evening had been revealed to the media before it had been presented to last night's meeting.

"It may be that we were simply too open and honest for our own good," he remarked, "and it was certainly a shock to read about in the papers before we had even had written confirmation of the decision from the league.

"But for my part," he continued, "the intention would be to do everything necessary to meet with the league's demands. We will have to wait and see what other people have to say about it but I would be optimistic that the people who have been involved with the club for the last six weeks and who have seen what the problems here are won't be deterred by this."