Clubs confined to one speaker

THE annual general meeting of the Clare Junior Soccer League, held over a month ago, produced plenty of talking points before delegates voted to adjourn debate on a number of motions.

The adjourned meeting took place on Tuesday when, it would appear from the early exchanges, little had changed, as views differed greatly between a number of delegates and members of the executive.
The first signs of a clash came when the executive sought to confine comment from the clubs to a designated speaker.
As secretary Oliver Fitzpatrick asked clubs to name who will be speaking for the club, Shannon Olympic’s Eoin Madden asked “is this a new rule?”
Kilrush Rangers delegate Robert Clancy opposed the move while other delegates felt those who took the time to attend the meeting should be allowed to speak. On a show of hands, delegates voted to confine comments to one delegate from each club “for this meeting only”.

Chairman detaches himself from remarks

OPENING the meeting, chairman Donie Garrihy noted that hopefully it won’t take two AGMs next year.
“I wasn’t impressed with the last AGM. I am not a man that went to many AGMs or to many meetings. I want to detatch myself as leader of football in this county from some of the stuff that went on here at the last meeting. I want to detatch myself from some of the stuff that was said at the last meeting”.
Turning to Bridge United delegate Mikey White he said, “You said some stuff about ‘ye all play illegal players’. That’s not what we are all about. Last season I feel me made a lot of strides in football at inter-county. We are taking huge steps in the County Grounds. It has been a dormant environment for a long time. It’s on the road to being a state-of-the-art facility.
“Standing still in my life is not an option. I like to be able to drive on and push myself to the limits and I want to push us to the limits. I want to tell you here and now that some of the stuff said at the last meeting, I wasn’t proud of. That’s not the way I carry myself. I want to tell you that going forward, as a league chairman, I do not want to have any part to play in ‘Oh doesn’t everybody do it’. Not everybody does it. I wouldn’t like to think that going forward I would accept that as a chairman. That was a bad episode in our 2012-2013 season and I want to put the record straight.
“It’s not easy to be here on August 6. It’s a very busy time for everybody. I shoot from the hip. I speak for what I believe in,” he said.

Inch motion fails

A PROPOSAL from the Inch Crusaders club that “any executive committee member found guilty of leaking private league business into the media or public shall receive a minimum five-year suspension from being a member of the executive committee”, was beaten by 20 votes to 11 at this week’s adjourned meeting.
A number of delegates questioned the need for the motion when pointing out that the FAI League rules adequately cover such situations.
Asked to explain why the motion was put forward, league secretary Oliver Fitzpatrick, whose club proposed the motion, said there was a situation last season when clubs read the outcome of a disciplinary matter before he had officially notified them.

Registration fee unchanged

A PROPOSAL from Turnpike to drop the registration fee from €40 per player to €30 failed to win support.
Having read the motion to the attendence, chairman Garrihy read out a short statement from the executive noting their opposition to the proposal and stressing that they would not be able to function if this was allowed.
He pointed to the work currently underway at the County Grounds where floodlights are being installed and both he and treasurer Mike McInerney stated they had held discussions with the bank for a loan based on figures that included €40 per player.
Ronnie Pyne from Turnpike Rovers, who had put the motion, stressed the financial difficulties clubs are in.
“We are asking the same people to fund everything. Sponsors are gone, as are golf classics and other fundraising events. There has to be some reduction.”
Lennie Franks from Hermitage agreed and pointed out “we are all looking for facilities”. Denis Collins from Ennis Town told the meeting his club had “some players who didn’t play this year because they couldn’t pay”.
At this point the chairman referred back to the annual meeting and said “some smart arse suggested we have an audit and that word could have cost us €4,000”.
Lifford delegate John O’Neill said, “I suggested the audit”, to which Garrihy replied “I didn’t know it was you”.
“I quoted the rule and I asked why don’t you spend money on an audit,” adding that “I came here out of respect for Clare soccer; I don’t have a vote”.
“You can observe,” replied Garrihy.
“I’d rather go if you allow it,” said O’Neill.
“Of course you are entitled to go,” he said.
O’Neill asked to be excused from the meeting, pointing out his club didn’t have a vote.
“I can’t stop you from leaving,” replied Garrihy as the Lifford delegation departed the meeting.
At the AGM last month Lifford and Manus Celtic were not allowed to vote as they had not paid their full affiliation fee. Lifford were still without a vote on Tuesday but Manus were allowed participate.
Some delegates asked how this was the case.
In response Garrihy said “they have paid the monies owed”. When it was pointed out to him that this week’s meeting was a continuation of the AGM, he replied, “When a man discharges his debt, it’s discharged. Manus have paid their fees”.
The meeting voted to retain the €40 registration fee but it can now be paid in four moieties instead of three.