Today marks the 50th day since Shelbourne FC issued a statement (4 October 2016) announcing the club would be relocating to Dalymount Park. That announcement was in stark contrast to a previous promise by club chairman Joe Casey at the club’s Fans’ Forum in Tolka Park on 2 March 2015 that there would be no move without the consultation of the fans.
The same statement from the club also alleged that Shelbourne supporters’ groups had lobbied Dublin City Councillors in favour of the club relocating to Dalymount Park. No Shelbourne supporters’ group has ever publicly supported the relocation of the club to Dalymount Park and the position of Reds Independent with regard to that issue was addressed in a public statement on 5 October 2016.
The same statement on 5 October 2016 called upon the board of Shelbourne FC to explain two simple things which they publicly stated.
1) What happened to the promise by Joe Casey to consult with the supporters over the relocation of the club?
2) To name the supporters’ groups that the board alleged had lobbied DCC in favour of the club relocating to Dalymount.
Despite the statement from RI on 5 October, and countless requests for an explanation on social media from fans to simply explain their public statement, the board has contemptuously ignored the supporters.
As Shelbourne FC is currently a privately owned entity with no obligation nor accountability to its’ supporters, we find that we can no longer continue to fund the club in any way while the current board hold its’ supporters in such disregard.
It is with deep regret that we hereby find ourselves with no other option but to ask all Shelbourne supporters not to fund the club in any way while the status quo exists. We ask supporters not to pay into home league matches nor any cup matches that the club are entitled to a percentage of gate receipts from. We also ask supporters not to buy any product that will fund the club nor to fund the club through any form of sponsorship.
Reds Independent
23 November 2016
