Tom Coughlan (football chairman)

Last updated

Tom Coughlan was chairman of Cork City from 2008 to 2010. Originally taking over the club following examinership in 2008, [1] he was banned from the game in 2009 for twelve months. [2] [3] Due to accounting failures, the holding company of Cork City, Cork City Investments Fc Limited, was denied a League of Ireland Premier Division licence and later wound up. [4]

Contents

Background

In 1997, Coughlan ran for election to the Dáil as a candidate for the Progressive Democrats in Cork South-Central. He was not elected. [5] He had previously been associated with Fianna Fáil and was election agent for Billy Kelleher's unsuccessful first run for the Dáil in 1992. [6]

Cork City FC

Takeover and management changes

In August 2008, Cork City went into examinership with debts of up to €1.3 million. [7] The club had two potential buyers, but by the end of September, Coughlan was the preferred bidder. [8] Cork City FC was taken out of examinership on 16 October 2008, with the club being taken over by Coughlan, and within two weeks the club were in the Setanta Sports Cup Final. They won this competition, and received prize money of €150,000. One of the first of many major decisions made by Coughlan at the club was to sack manager Alan Mathews on 9 December 2008. Mathews later claimed he had been sacked by phone with Coughlan telling him "out of the blue" that he was no longer a part of the club. Mathews threatened legal action [9] - but it was not pursued in the courts.

Winding-up order

In May 2009, the club were issued with a winding up order over unpaid taxes to the Revenue Commissioners. The club needed to raise €400,000 in a few weeks to keep the club from being wound-up. Despite raising some funds by selling some players, it was not enough, and the club was wound up on 27 July 2009. The club however successfully appealed the decision with the announcement of a friendly (and expected gate receipts) with Scottish club Celtic.

Around this time an issue arose before a game against St Pats in which the bus company would not take the team to the match - because the company had not been paid to do so. This resulted in what a player described as a "humiliating" plea from the team, as they sat stranded near the bus, on radio station Cork's 96FM for urgent donations from the general public to get them to the game on time. [10]

Ban and closure

In response to his management practices, the FAI banned Coughlan from all football related activities for a year. On Thursday 17 December 2009, the FAI held a meeting, in which they were to accuse Coughlan of "bringing the game into disrepute". [11] This meeting had been intended to take place on Monday 7 December 2009, but Coughlan was granted two adjournments. On the day of the rescheduled meeting, Coughlan and his solicitor left FAI headquarters, as they had been "left waiting an hour for proceedings to begin". [12] Upon leaving, Coughlan was contacted by the FAI, who offered him to return or for the meeting to take place via video. Coughlan however refused, and as the maximum allowable adjournment had elapsed, the Independent Disciplinary Committee held the meeting in his absence. He was sanctioned with a one-year ban from football related activities, along with a €5,000 fine.

Coughlan later appealed this decision in the High Court, bypassing the FAI's appeal system. [13] On Wednesday 26 January 2010, Coughlan lost this appeal, as the judge ruled that it was not a public matter. Justice John Hedigan referred to this as the "latest episode" in "the sad saga of Cork City's financial difficulties". [14] Coughlan subsequently complied with the FAI ban, and stepped aside as chairman of the club.

Following his departure as chairman, the Cork City supporters group, backed by the investment firm Quintas, approached Coughlan for a takeover of the club. This takeover however ultimately failed - with responsibility for the failure (and ultimate winding up of the club) leveled at Coughlan by Quintas. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Micheál Martin</span> Irish politician (born 1960)

Micheál Martin is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who is serving as the 27th and current Tánaiste, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and as well as the Minister for Defence since December 2022. He served as Taoiseach from 2020 to 2022 and has been Leader of Fianna Fáil since January 2011. He has been a TD for Cork South-Central since 1989. He served as Leader of the Opposition from 2011 to 2020 and held various Cabinet offices under Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glounthaune</span> Village by Cork Harbour, Ireland

Glounthaune is a village in County Cork, Ireland, some 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) east of Cork city, on the north shore of Cork Harbour, the estuary of the River Lee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cork City F.C.</span> Irish association football club

Cork City Football Club is an Irish association football club based in Cork. The club was founded and elected to the League of Ireland in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drogheda United F.C.</span> Irish association football club

Drogheda United Football Club is a professional Irish association football club based in Drogheda, County Louth playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division. They play their home matches at Weavers Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shamrock Rovers F.C.</span> Association football club in Tallaght, Ireland

Shamrock Rovers Football Club is an Irish professional football club based in Tallaght, South Dublin. The club's senior team competes in the League of Ireland Premier Division and it is the most successful club in the Republic of Ireland. The club has won the League of Ireland title a record 21 times and the FAI Cup a record 25 times. Shamrock Rovers have supplied more players to the Republic of Ireland national football team (64) than any other club. In All-Ireland competitions, such as the Intercity Cup, they hold the record for winning the most titles, having won seven cups overall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterford F.C.</span> Association football club in the Republic of Ireland

Waterford Football Club formerly Waterford United Football Club is an Irish association football club based in Waterford who play in the League of Ireland Premier Division. The club was founded and elected to the league in 1930. Originally the club was based at the greyhound stadium known as Kilcohan Park, but moved to the Waterford Regional Sports Centre in the 1993–94 season. In 2018 the club and its players became fully professional.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Limerick F.C.</span> Association football club in Ireland

Limerick Football Club was an association football club based in Limerick, Ireland who played in the League of Ireland and currently have teams competing in the underage National League of Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Healy</span> Irish footballer

Colin Healy is an Irish football manager and former player. He was appointed manager of Cork City F.C. in late 2020, and held the post until May 2023.

Alan Mathews is a former Irish football player and manager. He is currently technical director at St Patrick's Athletic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George O'Callaghan</span> Irish footballer and manager

George Paul O'Callaghan is an Irish former football player and manager.

The League of Ireland Premier Division, also known as the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division for sponsorship reasons, is the top level division in both the League of Ireland and the Republic of Ireland football league system. The division was formed in 1985 following a reorganisation of the League of Ireland. St Patrick's Athletic and Bohemians are the only current League of Ireland clubs never to have been relegated from the Premier Division. The league has been won on two occasions by Northern Ireland-based club Derry City, the presence of which within the league makes it a cross-border competition. Since 2003, the Premier Division has taken place from spring to autumn.

Shamrock Rovers Football Club is a football club from Dublin, Republic of Ireland. Founded in Ringsend, a southside, inner suburb of Dublin, the club's date of foundation is uncertain and disputed. Between 1926 and 1987 the club played at Glenmalure Park, Milltown. Shamrock Rovers F.C. is Ireland's most successful football club having won the League of Ireland a record 21 times, including four times in a row in the 1980s and again in 2020s, along with the FAI Cup a record 25 times, including six times in a row in the 1960s. It was also the first Irish club to participate in a European competition, playing in the European Cup in 1957. Shamrock Rovers was also one of the European club teams that spent the 1967 season in the United States to found the United Soccer Association, representing Boston as the Boston Rovers.

The FIFA Two refers to Colin Healy and Gareth Farrelly, two Irish international football players who were prevented from playing for Cork City as they had already played for two other clubs in the 2006-07 period. A number of sources noted the conflict between the FIFA ruling, barring the players from playing, and the European Union's regulations which forbid restrictions on a citizen's right to work. After lobbying from Ireland's football governing body, the Football Association of Ireland, FIFA subsequently changed its transfer regulations in January 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Football Association of Ireland</span> Football association of the Republic of Ireland

The Football Association of Ireland is the governing body for association football in the Republic of Ireland.

Patrick Sullivan is an Irish retired footballer who played as a defender.

The All–Ireland League was a name given to a proposed all-Ireland football league featuring teams from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The proposal was abandoned, due to a lack of support from the authorities and clubs within the League of Ireland and the Irish Football League.

The League of Ireland Women's Premier Division is a professional women's association football league in the Republic of Ireland, organised by the League of Ireland, which began play in the 2023 season. The league consists of eleven teams, eight of which owned by clubs with men's teams in the League of Ireland's Premier Division or First Division. The winners of the league qualify for the first round of the UEFA Women's Champions League in the following season.

The 2005 FAI Cup Final was the final match of the 2005 FAI Cup. The final took place on 4 December 2005 at Lansdowne Road, Dublin in front of a crowd of 24,521 and a television audience which peaked at 285,000. This was the largest attendance at an FAI Cup Final since 1990. The match was originally due to take place at Tolka Park, Dublin however the match was moved to Lansdowne Road in order to accommodate a larger crowd. Drogheda United and Cork City contested the final. Drogheda United were generally seen as underdogs coming into the game but they successfully claimed their first major trophy by winning the match. It was Cork City's first appearance in the final since 1998. Drogheda United last contested the final in 1976. Live coverage of the match was provided on RTÉ Two and RTÉ Radio 1.

The 2007 FAI Cup Final was the final match of the 2007 FAI Cup, the national association football cup of the Republic of Ireland. Cork City and Longford Town contested the final, which was played at the RDS Arena in Dublin as Lansdowne Road, the usual venue for the final, was under re-development. Much of the build-up to the game was dominated by the events at Cork City, where many of the squad were out of contract and were seemingly not going to be offered new deals. Cork won the game 1–0 by virtue of a goal from Denis Behan. Despite his side's victory, Cork manager Damien Richardson left the club a few weeks later and was replaced by Longford manager Alan Mathews.

Ronan Liam Coughlan is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a striker for EFL League One club Fleetwood Town.

References

  1. ↑ "Cork City unveil new chairman". RTÉ. Retrieved 4 November 2009.
  2. ↑ "FAI impose fine and ban on Coughlan". RTÉ. 17 December 2009. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
  3. ↑ Daniel McDonnell (18 December 2009). "Coughlan hit with 12-month ban as Cork farce escalates". Irish Independent. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
  4. ↑ "Does anyone really care about sorry tale of two Cities?". Independent.ie.
  5. ↑ "ElectionsIreland.org: Tom Coughlan". electionsireland.org.
  6. ↑ "'Name one popular chairman of a football club?'". 6 March 2009.
  7. ↑ "Who are the owners of Cork City?". Independent.ie.
  8. ↑ "Coughlan named as Cork saviour". Eleven-a-side.com. 26 September 2008.
  9. ↑ "Mathews and Cork City part company". RTÉ Sport. 9 December 2008.
  10. ↑ "Foras not with Coughlan as fans blame Cork City owner". The Irish Times. 29 September 2009.
  11. ↑ "FAI calls on Tom Coughlan to consider his position at Cork City FC". Airtricityleague.com. 17 December 2009. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012.
  12. ↑ "Coughlan to appeal 'unjust and unfair' ban". Irish Examiner. 18 December 2009.
  13. ↑ "Cork City miss wages deadline". rte.ie. Retrieved 22 December 2009.
  14. ↑ "Cork City owner loses appeal against FAI ban". breakingnews.ie. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  15. ↑ "Quintas criticise Coughlan as FAI pull plug on Cork's Premier Division status". Herald.ie. Archived from the original on 1 August 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.