No more Thoroughbreds as Kildare pull the plug
Monday November 09 2009
THEIR demise has been overshadowed by events in Derry but troubled Kildare County are no more, with Saturday's loss to Shelbourne marking the end of the failed experiment.
"We don't have a standing board of directors any longer. The club is gone. We won't be competing in a play-off," said interim chairman Declan Forde.
"It's very sad that Kildare will now be without involvement in senior football. Hopefully somebody else will come in and do it."
The Thoroughbreds came very close to not fulfiling the fixture, with manager Joey Somerville and his backroom team resigning before the encounter and the board effectively admitting defeat in their struggle to keep the club afloat.
Faced with the prospect of causing chaos for other clubs in the First Division, players and supporters rallied together to ensure that the match went ahead -- with the hosts wearing a set of jerseys belonging to local side Newbridge Town and emerging for their warm-up only ten minutes before the game started.
The players agreed to go ahead with the game only after PFAI chief Stephen McGuinness was guaranteed a meeting with the FAI today to discuss whether the last place prize money for the First Division -- €6,000 -- could be divided amongst the depleted squad. Presently, they are understood to be owed a collective figure in the region of €20,000.
Now, it seems as though Salthill Devon will be granted admission to the league's First Division subject to meeting the licensing criteria, even though that would mean a third side from Galway in the league following the promotion of Mervue United 12 months ago.
Whether the city of the Tribes has enough talent to support three clubs is doubtful and the FAI have some tough decisions to make amid calls for restructuring of the current system.
Critics of the 10-team Premier Division, including Sligo boss Paul Cook, have called for a new top division of either 14 or 16 teams incorporating the best clubs from the First Division, with the others making up a new 'A' Division.
Ironically, Kildare County were on the losing side when Mervue gained entry to the First Division last year, but regained their spot after the collapse of Cobh Ramblers.
Meanwhile, Shelbourne will host Sporting Fingal in the First Division half of the promotion/relegation play-off at Tolka Park tomorrow night.
- Daniel McDonnell
Irish Independent
