I sat down after the Longford game on Saturday night and thought to myself , Where did it all go wrong?
Its hard, watching a team with the amount of experienced players and talent go through the motions against, at times, 9 men and still have no intensity or creativity to break them down.
It was heartbreaking to watch.
In a way it was a new low for us, the team that reshaped League of Ireland football over the last decade, the team that broke so many records year on year, the team that represented the League of Ireland in the Europe League twice in five years, how could a team with that much experience and talent be second from bottom and facing down the barrel of a relegation playoff.
There isnt much to write about the game on saturday night, there wouldnt even be a “man of the match” award handed out, it was that bad. So instead im going to write about why we are here, in the position we are in.
I just need to vent because like every other Dundalk fan I have had enough.
We deserve better and we should demand better, not just from our players and management, but moreso from our ownership.
In February 2018, Peak6 strolled into the YDC building to face the Dundalk Fans with Stephen Kenny alongside to reassure all of us that things would be ok, nothing would change and the dominance would continue. The word they used was Continuity.
“Why would we change something that is clearly working….”, was a qoute from a member of the Peak6 entourage on that night.
But how quickly things changed.
So, where did it all go wrong?
Was it the depature of Stephen Kenny in December 2018?
Was it the promotion of Vinny Perth in December 2018?
Was it the shambles around the contact of Pat Hobans in 2019 which saw the introduction of Bill Hulsizer to our club?
Was it the hiring of Bill Hulsizer as Chairman of our Club in 2019?
Was it the departure of Mark Devlin as CEO in 2019?
Was it the departure of Mike Treacy in January 2020?
Was it due to the pandemic and no crowds allowed into Oriel Park?
Was it the sacking of Vinny Perth in August 2020?
Was it the hiring of Filippo Giovagnoli in September 2020?
Was it the news reports of First Team interferance by Bill Hulsizer?
Was it the news reports of the board wanting to move Dundalk to the Aviva?
Was it the news reports of Peak6 looking to buy the Aviva?
Was it that Filippo was given the permanent role of First Team Manager in December 2020, without any UEFA coaching badges?
Was it the demoting of Filippo to First Team Coach when UEFA issued their fine for Shadow Coaching to Dundalk FC in January 2021?
Was it the hiring of Jim Magiltion as Sporting Director in December 2020?
Was it the promotion of Shane Keegan to First Team Coach to try and circumvent the UEFA Shadow Coaching fine in Jan 2021?
Was it the departure of Martin Connolly from the Board of Directors?
Was it the disasterous transfer window in Jan 2021 that saw the core of our team leave to our rivals on free contracts?
Was it the dropping of our community shirt sponsor, Fyffes, for a Malta based betting company, BetRegal?
Was it the introduction of unknown and untested foriegn players into Oriel Park.
Was it the disasterous recruitment strategy that saw players arrive into Oriel Park on the most expensive contracts in the League of Ireland with no gametime.
Was it the recruitment strategy to hire International Players who would spend more time away on International Duty then being available to the first team.
Was it the depature of Shane Keegan in April 2021?
Was it the depature of Filippo Giovagnoli in April 2021?
Was it the sacking of volunteers from Oriel Park?
Was it that the fans were given no option but to protest for the removal of the Chairman outside Oriel Park in April 2021?
Was it the promises by Jim Magilton that he had “hundreds” of offers from all around Europe from prospects for First Team Manager?
Was it the, reluctant, role that Jim Magilton played as First Team Manager?
Was it the hiring of Vinny Perth in June 2021?
Was it the lack of transfers in July 2021?
Was it the signing of players on free contracts who where all free agents with minimum game time?
Was it the depature of Giuseppe Rossi in July 2021?
Was it the depature of Chris Shields to Linfield in July 2021?
Was it the pre-contract offer given by Derry City to Patrick Mc Eleney in July 2021?
Was it the lack of contract extensions given to our core players to date for 2021?
Was it the lack of communication from the Board of Directors of Dundalk FC to the fans?
Was it any of these? No, it was ALL of these things.
Its hard to believe that even one or two of the above happened to our club, but for all of them to happen in the space of 18 months is unforgivable.
I doubt my words will have any impact, and i suppose they arent meant to, but if the owners do read this, then shame on each and everyone of you for letting this happen to our club.
You maybe the owners on paper, but this club will always belong to the community of Dundalk and that will never change. A saying around Oriel Park is,
“Someday you will die but Dundalk FC never will.”
In the midst of all this madness the fans have setup the new Dundalk FC Supporters club called “The 1903”, it was called this because Dundalk FC was founded in the year 1903, previously known as GNR Football Association and for a brief year or so after called Dundalk Rovers before being officially called Dundalk Football Club in 1903.
The club has been apart of our town since then and we have seen good times and bad times but we always prevail and come out stronger on the other end. I urge everyone to join this supporters club because together we have a stronger voice and we have more influence when opening paths of communications with the current and future ownership.
To finish, I feel for the staff and players of Dundalk FC who are working through these hard times, through these conditions and under this current ownership, but let me say this to the players and staff, we will always support our club no matter what happens and we will follow you everywhere we play, so we pick ourselves back up, dust ourselves down and go again, because together we are Dundalk Football Club and we never give up.
Keep the heads high, Cmon The Town.