Derry City players deny phantom contracts

Derry City’s players have vehemently denied that they were aware that the club were using phantom second player contracts to hide their costs in disclosures to the FAI. In a statement issued to Sportspeak.eu by the PFAI it’s another twist in the tale of the former League Of Ireland Champions’ possible demise as a footballing force south of the border.

PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLERS’ ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND STATEMENT

STATEMENT OF THE PLAYERS OF DERRY CITY FOOTBALL CLUB

Tuesday 10 November 2009

The events of the past week have come as major shock and disappointment to the players of Derry City Football Club.  Until the allegations of “dual contracts” were made very recently, no player was aware of the existence of a second document which contained different figures to the one which we had originally agreed.

The position is that at the beginning of the contract period, each player was presented with a document on Derry City headed paper which contained income amounts which we each individually agreed with the club.  With only one exception, no player knowingly signed a second document. It now appears that, what the club had misrepresented to us as a blank registration form containing no figures, terms or conditions was, in fact, a second document upon which different figures were subsequently entered and lodged with the league.  The full terms of this contract were never made available to the players and we fully believed that the wages which we were being paid were disclosed to the league in accordance with normal practice.

It has transpired that one of the players was aware of the existence of the second document but had ensured that the figures entered on it were identical to those on the original headed paper.  No other players were aware of a second document.

As soon as the players became aware of the situation, we have immediately agreed to set the record straight and we wish to have nothing to do with this wrongdoing. We are deeply distressed at this turn of events and we wish to distance ourselves entirely from the board’s conduct.

We recognise that the actions of the club board have compromised the integrity of the league but we wish to make it perfectly clear that we were not knowing participants in this deception.

We hope that by addressing these issues and by clarifying our position, the club can now move forward and have a future in senior football.