There is no dressing fall-out and no culture of heavy drinking among Derry City players who are 100 per cent behind their manager, fans of the Brandywell club have been told.
No dressing room bust-up – Derry City players celebrate winning last year’s FAI Cup.
That was the message delivered to Candy Stripe supporters by team boss Declan Devine and players Ruiari Higgins and Rory Patterson at a face-face meeting between fans and club officials held last night in the Derry City Social Club in Crawford Square.
Around 200 supporters attended what one fan described as “an open and frank, clear the air” meeting, falling far short of the “witch-hunt” that had been predicted.
Despite successes in the FAI and League Cups, Derry have only won the top prize twice since returning to senior football in 1985 – the last time being 1996 when Felix Healy led Derry to Premiership glory.
The meeting, which was arranged some time ago, was held just three days after City slumped to their sixth defeat in eight league games and at a time which has seen attendances drop at the Brandywell.
Chairperson Mr Philip O’Doherty assured fans the club was on a sound financial footing and were projecting to “break even” at the end of the season, mainly down to securing a television deal for their Europa League tie with Turkish side which has made up for the shortfall in attendances.
Mr O’Doherty revealed the £120,000 the club earned as a result of former Derry winger James McLean’s transfer from Sunderland to Wigan Athletic during the “transfer window” in England would be paid in £40,000 instalments over the next three years.
Mr O’Doherty added the club’s budget was the third highest in the Airtricity Premiership, behind Shamrock Rovers and Sligo Rovers, pointing out the Dubliners’ budget was double that of Derry’s while the budget of the defending league champions was also way ahead.
Pointing out his aims for Derry City were to qualify for European competitions every season he said he hoped to win the league title within five years.
Mr O’Doherty also said the club were very much committed to the redevelopment of Brandywell Stadium. He revealed a meeting due to be held today with Derry CIty Council’s Cllr Pat Ramsey had been postponed due to the current crisis within the SDLP but stressed he was confident the ground would be refurbished, hopefully during his time as chairperson.
Following questions from fans, manager Devine and players Higgins and Patterson were passionate in their responses stating there was no dressing fall-out.
Devine said there was no in-fighting although he did concede there were a few minor disciplinary issues which were no different from any other season. He said rumours about heaving drinking were nonsense, stressing club policy was no alcohol allowed three days before a game.
Higgins and Patterson told fans there were no issues or fall outs among the squad and they are all 100% behind Devine and what he is trying to achieve.
The team boss said he felt the team had been unlucky when it came to injuries.
Turning to the number of youth players in the set-up, he said most of the League of Ireland clubs envied Derry’s youth development and criticised home supporters who shouted at abuse at them when they made mistakes.
Devine conceded the “buck stops” with him but he and his assistant, Paul Hegarty, and everyone at the club was determined to get the team back to winning ways – that opportunity comes tomorrow when Derry will entertain Shelbourne in the Brandywell.
Supporter Tommy Morrison, a life-long fan of the Brandywell, said the meeting panned out as he expected.
He said: “It was a frank and open, clear the air meeting and was not anywhere near the ‘witch hunt’ some fans had predicted.”
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