Hi °C | Lo °C Derry City chairman Pat McDaid wants to call in the Professional Footballers’ Association to mediate between the players and club.
His call came in the wake of revelations from manager Stephen Kenny at the weekend that the players were increasingly unhappy at the club’s financial situation.
Derry, who can move back into third place in the League of Ireland Premier Division table this evening with a win at home to Sligo Rovers, are again having trouble paying wages.
“We are trying to formulate a strategy to keep us right and the players right. We want to use Stephen McGuinness in a mediation capacity,” said McDaid.
Eight Derry players will be out of contract at the end of the season.
“We are not in a position to offer contract extensions at the minute as we don't know if we are going to be in Europe, for example,” McDaid added.
“There are various other factors in our budget that are far from clear so we are not prepared to renew contracts if we can't afford to do it.”
Derry go into this evening’s game without a recognised striker with Mark Farren, Tommy Stewart, Sammy Morrow and Tam McManus all injured.
“We have no strikers available for tomorrow night’s game but it could present a younger player (such as Aaron Nash) with an opportunity to come in and do a job,” said Kenny. Meanwhile, Cork City’s players have threatened to go out on strike if they are not paid their wages today. They are due to play league leaders Shamrock Rovers but say they will not get on the bus to Dublin if they are not paid by 1pm today.
