Club will continue to pay wages for as long as possible

DUNDALK FC will continue to pay staff in full for as long as possible, according to chairman Bill Hulsizer.

While Covid-19 has had a huge impact on club finances, the SSE Airtricity League champions have so far honoured all wages to players, coaches and staff.

While Hulsizer admits this is weighed up on a week by week basis, he feels the correct thing to do is keep paying right now.

‘That’s a week by week decision that we make as a board along with our investors but believe me, as long as it’s physically possible to pay people, we’re going to do it because there’s enough stress in everybody’s life and how you’re going to pay your mortgage shouldn’t be one of them.

‘Will we run out of money? Eventually. It’s not a bottomless pit but at this point we’re simply trying to get over the hump along with everybody else in the league.’

Hulsizer admitted that the longer it took football to return the more chance there was of him having to negotiate a wage cut with players but said that was not something he wanted to have to do.

‘Nobody knows what is going to happen. At this point we’re going along with paying everyone but will it come to a point where we ask our players to donate back 25% of their money? Maybe.

‘At this point, it’s not a decision I have to make so I’m not going to make it. I want them to be happy and I want to take as much stress out of their lives as I can. I would like to do that for everybody in Ireland but unfortunately I can’t. I look at Dundalk FC as my extended family. They’ll pay me back along the way, I’ve no doubt.

‘I hope that we’re back to playing football and making money soon. If that doesn’t happen then each day we’re going to have to address the problem and see what the solution is but right now I don’t have enough information to determine how long it will be until we’re back playing,’ he said.