‘We’re here to build a football club’
NEW Bray Wanderers owner Niall O’Driscoll spoke to journalists following his side’s 1-3 loss at the hands of Cork City and below we bring you a full breakdown of the conversation.
J: Do you know what you’re getting into?
NO’D: “Absolutely not. This was probably quite a very quick decision that happened within a period of about three or four days...it was something I was asked to do and I looked at it, did a wee bit of work and said ‘hey, why not?’. When you’re involved in football as long as I am...what I’ve done at schoolboy and underage and obviously I have experience on the business side, I’ll give this a go and can you build the club again?
J: There’s a lot of people that will tell you that getting involved with a League of Ireland club is a good way of getting rid of money.
NO’D: The only good thing is that I don’t think I’m walking in blind. I know what I’m walking into, I know what’s required and if it works then happy days but at least I know what I’m walking into.
J: What was it like watching over the previous six months with Joey’s?
NO’D: Well they’re two separate things. I’ll be very clear with my involvement here, this is myself and my brother - from a business perspective we’ve become majority shareholders in Bray Wanderers. J: Is that Timmy?
NO’D: Timmy, yeah. Myself and Timmy. Timmy obviously played League of Ireland with Rovers and played with the Dublin team so we’re big into sports and most of the business we do is sport related so this is something we got involved in and we’ll have a bit of fun doing it and we’ll do the best we can. That’s really where this came from and when I spoke to Gerry, (I asked) was the opportunity there? Yeah, we went in and did whatever had to be done as I’m sure you know with due diligence and bits and pieces and a deal was done on Thursday so I came here and I met the players on Thursday evening. Here I am now - you asked the question do I really know what I’m letting myself in for? No but maybe I’ll tell you in six months time!
J: Is this a three-year plan, a five-year plan...?
NO’D: We’re in this for the longhaul. This isn’t a quick-fix. We’re in this for football. We’re here to build a football club and whatever decisions have to be made that are best for Bray Wanderers; hopefully we’ll make those.
J: The club has lost a lot of support, goodwill and volunteers over the last couple of years. Is winning games separate to trying to get all that back again?
NO’D: I think they’re two separate but relatable issues. I think to build a club you need people and my first job - and you’ve probably seen it - is to get people back into Bray Wanderers. I think most parents (sic) have children so we’ll get the children involved, we’ll get them into stuff, we’ll do the work in the schools. Yes there is a whole group of people here that are gone and I’ve been overwhelmed in the last 24 hours by the amount of people that want to get back involved.
We’ve set up a hotline e-mail address and already there’s 30 people saying that they want to give their time for Bray Wanderers (e-mail address was only hours old at the time of speaking to Niall) and that they want to help me do what I want to do.
I’ve been approached by the supporters’ club, they want to get that going again, they want a junior supporters’ club (again).
Hey, whatever time people can give me whether it’s one hour where they’ll wash the window or mark the pitch or whatever they can give, then let’s go build it. It’s not just a Bray issue, it’s Wicklow. This is Wicklow’s League of Ireland club and I was thrilled tonight to see young Cian Walsh get on the pitch from our U-17’s. He’s a young lad from Newtown and he’s just turned 17 and that to me is what this is about.
J: There’s a lot of speculation about the Carlisle Grounds. Do you see the club’s future here?
NO’D: I haven’t a clue on that one. My view is very simple; whatever is right for Bray is right for Bray. If the Carlisle Grounds is the best place in the country and that’s Bray’s option, if someone decides to go out and build a new stadium - whatever is right for Bray will be done for Bray. I’ve no view on that. It’s a bit like when I got involved with other clubs. It is about facilities, it would be lovely to have a brand new stadium and pitch but we live in a real world.
J: Will you be speaking to Wicklow County Council?
NO’D: I think every stakeholder who has an interest in Bray Wanderers - the council are big players, no different than the supporters or the football people in the schools - they’re all stakeholders and I’ll talk to anybody. I’m only here a day or two and I think it’s going to be a journey rather than a (sprint) and that’s why when loads of people are saying what’s your plan, the plans are to build a football club and we all know what’s involved with that. Yes, national associations are involved just as much as councillors and government funding and all that sort of stuff. I think the issues here a little bit more immediate; I think build a club, get the community together, get the football community together. Yes there should be schoolboys finals played here and yes this ground should be used - why not?
Facilities are no good unless they’re used and shared - that’s just a personal view. This is a fine facility. It’s well capable of hosting a lot more games than Bray Wanderers and why not? I think it’s important for the kids in the county to aspire to play on this pitch and maybe further afield.
J: Do you think the Joey’s/ Wicklow thing might be a problem given that it hasn’t always been the best relationship?
NO’D: I’ve been involved with Joey’s for many years and it always is when the top clubs (as they’re) perceived in schoolboy football attract the best players and there’s perceptions...that’s life. From a Bray Wanderers perspective, with the association and the creation of the academy - they’ve been a huge success in terms of how they’ve been able to compete with the other national league clubs.
J: The players have asked about assurances, have they been given assurances?
NO’D: I’ve met the players and I’ve said my bit ( J: in terms of wages?) oh absolutely, when we committed to the club, we will guarantee every commitment that is made. I would expect for any player in any club that his wages will be paid. Of course we are committed to that just as we are to every other bill.
J: Are there serious debts non-football debts?
NO’D: I’m not going to share information that’s confidential but we’ve committed and we know there’s no debts and we’d hope by the end of the season everything will be cleared.
J: That reality will probably mean a very long-term view on this in terms of what you can afford player wise?
NO’D: Oh it’ll absolutely be realistic. The development of young kids and young players and developing them into the national league will be our strategy instead of going out and paying €1,000 to a player.
That won’t happen. Let’s be realistic about that.
We’ll cut our cloth to fit but the strategy is to build the club first, attract the best young talent that we can and get the best young coaches that we can get our hands on and let’s go build a club and see where it takes us. Are we going to be a Shamrock Rovers or a Dundalk? No, we’re not. We’re Bray Wanderers. And whatever that will mean in one or two years, that’s where we’ll go to. -