Game 32

St Pats 1-0 Dundalk

Let’s be honest, there are bigger things going on right now than what happened on the field on Monday night. What did happen will have footballing consequences. What is about to happen will have much bigger consequences.

It has been said by many people, people with more knowledge than me, deeper connections than me, more experience than me but it feels like this needs to be said again, now more than ever.

This football club, Dundalk FC belongs to this town. It belongs to the people of this town, the people of this community.

Over the past couple of years the club has been losing its connection to the community, yes we had COVID but it’s not just that. We will always love the club because it’s our club but this past 18 months or so has put an incredible strain on the relationship.

This is your club. Our club. We have to do everything in our power to make sure that the heart of this town keeps pumping.

We’ve been hearing about protests planned and signs and that’s all admirable and it comes from the very best of intentions but we need to change the message.

We need to keep this club local. If we have an opportunity to return this club to the hands of people who know this club, love this club, love this town, then that needs to be our primary objective.

It’s been a brutal few days for all of us connected with the club, fans, staff and players alike. Cup heartache followed by staff members leaving, followed by rumours upon rumours of takeover bids.

After the results on Monday night we’re now in a serious relegation battle. The hope of European football is gone, now we’re one hundred per cent in a dogfight to avoid the dreaded drop.

But that’s not the only battle going on. We’ve fought with Peak6, we’ve fought with Bill, with his son, with others who have not had this football club’s best interests at heart. We’ve fought to be heard, fought for communication, fought for understanding.

We’ve fought amongst ourselves and even somehow managed to make Dan McDonnell ‘El Diablo’. By the way, Dan is more than likely just as pissed off about all of this as you are. Just saying.

It seems like we’re nearing the end of that battle and although we might want to celebrate the eventual vanquishing of the Americans we need to understand what’s ahead.

I don’t like talking about rumours and things that aren’t factual but what we all have heard is that there is an offer for the club from a local consortium. There are other offers which are more than likely more lucrative to Peak6 but to us, the fans, the people of this town, there is only one offer of any substance.

None of us can see the future, we don’t know what will happen but we all know which offer we want Peak6 to take.

How can any of us make this happen? How can any of us make Dundalk Local Again? Will anything work?

We think that because Peak6 didn’t respond to us that they didn’t hear us? They definitely heard us, they saw the signs they said they didn’t see, they heard the podcasts that they don’t respect, they read the words from writers who challenged them and demanded clarity from them. They heard it. And they need to hear this too.

We’re not naive, we know money talks and the lack of connection between the owners and the people make it so much easier for them to turn their back on us and shake hands with the highest bidder. But we have to let them know that the right thing to do, the face saving, PR battle winning thing to do is sell the club back to the locals who helped make it what it was before the takeover.

Like I said, we’re not naive. But we can’t just let this opportunity pass us by. If we continue full steam ahead with Peak6 Out campaigns and protests is that going to make it more likely that they’ll give us what we want?

We need to make noise. If we fail, we fail, but we have to try. If the sale goes in another direction, there could be absolutely dire consequences.