Fran Gavin has defended the Football Association of Ireland’s role in the crisis that has placed Bray Wanderers’ future in doubt.
The chairman Denis O’Connor resigned this week with their former investor Gerry Mulvey taking over in the interim having previously stopped funding the first team due to an unrelated legal matter.
Before he departed O’Connor said that there was new investment in place to get the club through the rest of the season but the players are seeking firm guarantees before the transfer window closes at the end of this month.
However, Gavin, the FAI’s competitions director, says that the club licensing system is working despite Bray increasing their budget during the off-season only to soon run into difficulties.
“It’s an absolute priority that the players’ salaries are secured and it has always been a priority for us,” Gavin said. “That’s what we have been looking at over the last few years to make sure there is stability in place and we have less and less of this insecurity which can shake the game; especially at a time when a lot of positive stuff is happening around the league.
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“I think licensing is one of the best things that happened in the league in the last few years in that it’s starting to get stability among clubs. We do work with the clubs in pre-season, we do work around their budgets, we look for assurances, we got the assurances, the club got the assurances at that time.
“But sometimes unforeseeable things do happen in any industry. We need to make sure there is a responsibility on everybody to resolve it and that’s what we want to do. It’s a very delicate situation at the moment.”
Gavin indicated that further talks will take place next week. “We’re communicating with the club and other stakeholders,” he said.
Gavin would not discuss the Athlone Town investigation into match-fixing. Four players face charges relating to the game against Longford Town. A hearing has been set for August 3.