THERE ARE BILLIONAIRES, millionaires and volunteers at the heart of the League of Ireland.
The models of ownership are varied.
Shamrock Rovers, on course for their fourth Premier Division title in a row, have supporters to thank for keeping the club alive before eventually finding a home at Tallaght Stadium.
They still have a 50 per cent share with wealthy lifelong fan Ray Wilson, who is based in Australia, holding 25 per cent and Dermot Desmond’s initial investment of €2 million in 2019 granting him the other quarter.
The intricacies of that boardroom are delicate, to say the least, and as manager Stephen Bradley alluded to recently it is by no means plain sailing.
Their nearest rivals, at least in terms of the league table, are Derry City. They, too, have a board of directors with a strong bond to the club, as well as self-made billionaire Philip Doherty installed as chairman.
Shelbourne’s takeover earlier this year by Turkish millionaire Acun Illali made them part of a multi-club model along with Hull City, following in the same vein as Waterford who have links to Fleetwood Town following their 2022 buyout.
However, owner Andy Pilley was removed from their list of directors in July when he was given a 13-year sentence for fraud at Preston Crown Court.
Waterford could yet secure promotion through the play-offs, a clash with Cork City potentially on the horizon.
The Leesiders had been wholly fan-owned until February of this year when Kildare businessman Dermot Usher took the reins from the FORAS Trust, while next month marks two years since a consortium led by former Dundalk owner Andy Connolly and the sports technology company Statsports completed their takeover from the Chicago-based group Peak6 at Oriel Park.
In the west, Sligo Rovers remain community-owned and volunteer-led, while Galway United will be coming up from the First Division with the billionaire Comer brothers – Brian and Luke – looking to make John Caulfield’s side a force in the top flight.
Last week saw the landscape shift further in both divisions with one takeover completed and another provisionally accepted.
Both involved investment firms from North America sprinkled with local knowledge.
The Trivela Group, based in Alabama in the United States, have been granted approval by the FAI to become the new owners of Drogheda United after months of talks with the current board.
Trivela already own English League Two club Walsall but have shown a willingness to lend on those already in place by confirming that current chairperson Joanna Byrne will remain in situ as co-chair alongside the American firm’s managing director Benjamin Boycott.
The takeover is subject to a vote by the club’s members at a Special General Meeting on 6 November, and Byrne enthused about the reasons for the deal in a statement.
“Among the numerous prospective investors we engaged with, Trivela Group stood out due to their emphasis on community, facilities, and engagement. We are excited to welcome them to Drogheda United and are confident that their impact will extend beyond the club to our town and city.”
Drogheda are now set to become a full-time set-up, their part-time status a remnant of the crash which followed their boom years in the mid to late 2000s.
They chased success and delivered, but there was nothing sustainable about the glory.
Treaty United emerged simply out of a need for stability. The club was formed after Limerick FC’s liquidation and began competing in the Women’s League of Ireland in 2020 before a men’s side came on the scene.
Outgoing chairman Conn Murray spoke on Wednesday after The 42 revealed that Canadian investment firm Tricor Pacific Capital were to become joint owners along with former Republic of Ireland international and current Treaty player Ciara McCormack.
“When we sat across the table during this process we emphasised our culture, that we built from the ground up and are a community-based operation,” Murray said, and further details are set to emerge at a press conference tomorrow.
“They understood what we were about as a club and for that reason it is why we worked to bring it together.”
Maintaining and strengthening that sense of community and belonging among its fans is the only way to build something sustainable.
Take the two Premier Division teams that have reached the FAI Cup final.
Bohemians are members-owned while St Patrick’s Athletic rely on the investment of long-term backer Garret Kelleher, with the fan group Patron Saints having contributed more than €200,000 since it was established in 2002.
More than 25,000 tickets were sold for the Aviva Stadium showpiece on 12 November in the first two days of being released earlier this week.
That fervour is not solely down to success.
Bohs and St Pat’s are a perfect pairing for the FAI because they are two clubs that are the epitome of the revival taking place. The work being done at boardroom level has filtered right through to communities with the impact visible in rising attendances that, crucially, look as though they can be sustained.
They are being built on something far more credible and meaningful than fleeting opportunities to lift silverware.
In the two years since they met in the 2021 final their respective fanbases have had as much strife as they have success.
There have been managerial changes and, as ever in the League of Ireland, loss of key personnel.
But the support has been unwavering with average attendances for league games this season upwards of 4,000 at both Richmond and Dalymount Park.
The latter ground hasn’t been able to open fully, though, such is the need for redevelopment, and that moved a step closer last week when Dublin City Council (DCC) formally lodged a planning application for the next stage of the process.
The 2027 season is the target for that opening and Bohs have urged the Government to provide the necessary funding to ensure it can be met.
That, of course, is another stark reality when discussing the progress being made by clubs becoming valuable members of their communities.
In a league where there are billionaires, millionaires and volunteers, a coherent plan of investment is vital to ensure progress doesn’t stop before its true potential is realised.
That sense of community and belonging will sustain the revival but more is required for it to flourish.