Can you clarify the exact reason why the pitch failed recent tests? Your reported comments at the Oriel Travel Club AGM about weather affecting the results of the test has made the issue more confusing…

The pitch failed two different type of tests. One measured the height a ball would bounce after being dropped and the other measured how far the ball would travel before coming to a stop. My point about the weather is that if it was to rain all night before the tests it would give a completely different result. I don’t believe these tests to be a valid examination of the quality of our pitch. It is far too rigorous. I also believe that there is no doubt that these tests would fail on the majority of grass pitches in the country.

Would you consider replacing the artificial surface with grass and converting Hiney Park to an all-weather surface? Surely this would allow us to maintain income levels from pitch rental and ensure we have no possible problems with our main pitch..
We did speak at board level of moving back to grass. However, after discussing the issue we believe it would be a backward step. Firstly, financially that is a huge undertaking. It is not just a matter of rolling up the artificial pitch and putting it out on Hiney Park. Also, going back to grass on the main pitch is also an enormous operation. It is not just like going into a greenfield. The main pitch would need to have all the underpitch fittings removed all the infill and stone replaced and all the drainage modified. The costs involved are totally prohibitive. Also, if we were to convert Hiney Park to an artificial surface we would have to undergo a big development with the removal of topsoil, subsoil, installation of a drainage system, floodlights and a way of ensuring that the surface was protecting from vandalism.

But what if the rules change regarding artificial pitches?
I don’t think that will be the case. FIFA are even proposing these pitches to be used at the next World Cup. It’s frustrating as we have an excellent safe pitch but recent events and the loss of our Premier License might make people feel that there is a big problem with it. We all know that it is a great pitch. The players have never complained to me about it from any of the teams here. John Gill also likes the surface.

What are the plans for the pitch now that it has failed the criteria for Premier Division football?
It will have to be resolved this season obviously. We are working closely with the FAI and the manufacturers and installation company to get the matter resolved. The FAI have been very helpful. This is not a problem from their end as they have to abide by FIFA rules. If the surface needs to be replaced it would only take two weeks so perhaps during the mid-season break or at a time when we have two successive away games. Worst case scenario is to miss one home match.

You appear to be totally adamant on the pitch issue…
If anything I would like to have both Oriel Park and Hiney Park as an artificial surface! But, let me emphasise something regarding the pitch that I want people to understand. If the main Oriel surface is grass then, in order to keep it at a high standard, we could only use it for 1st team football. So one of our main assets could only be used maybe 20 times per year. We need to think about the other 345 days in the year. There is a particular prestige in using the main pitch that the youth team players and the Ladies teams enjoy. Also, we are planning to run Soccer Camps for 4-5 weeks over the year as well as allowing other clubs, schoolboys matches etc to be used on the main pitch. The income from the pitch is a considerable boost to the club and I am not willing to abandon something that is a major earner for the club and a great facility for the local community. As well as the fact that it is one of the best pitches in the country. Compare it to a rock hard pitch in July or a muddy pitch in November and see what you prefer!

What is the current situation regarding the proposed Youth Development Centre?
We have a meeting in the next couple of weeks with the Department of Sports & Tourism, John Delaney and Dermot Ahern. We have applied for grant funding and last week developed a brochure to go along with our application. It was a two stage process initially. Firstly we needed to obtain full planning permission. That was achieved. Now it is a matter of securing as much funding as possible.

Who much will it cost and how much funding are the club seeking?
The cost of construction is approximately €12 million. Needless to say we are seeking as much funding as possible.

Some people might argue that instead of spending that money on the Youth Development Centre that it should go into team development?
Well I totally disagree. For a start we are seeking substantial grant funding for this project and once that is in place I believe we can start fundraising properly for this project and approaching banks for funding. Even factoring in higher gate receipts and sponsorship the 1st Team does not make money. I cannot stress that point enough. Not unless we get additional investors into the club of which there are absolutely none lining up. Therefore we need to concentrate on building the club up. This project will make money and that will boost the club’s ability to sign better players.

How will the Youth Development Centre make money?
We have carried out a feasibility study that shows that schools, not just in Dundalk, but all around the North East region would utilise these facilities. The plans include an indoor pitch, a futsal pitch, a gym along with a bar and function room. It’s not going to be free to use these facilities. The club is also going to purchase a bus to collect children from schools and leave them back. I think it’s a great opportunity. It’s not just about making money also. It’s also about nurturing the talent of children. I believe that it will be a great facility for the community and a financial success that will benefit the club and, going back to the previous question, increase the finances for the first team.

Are there any plans for any other parts of Oriel Park to be sheltered?
Not at the moment.

Have you any plans for Hiney Park?
No. It is not my intention to be negative here and I can understand why people would want to know about any extra development work. The fact is that since the end of the season we have totally transformed Oriel Park. The forty year old dressing rooms have been replaced along with a lot of other work to bring us up to the highest of standards. When I get asked “Are you going to build a new stand” or something I often wonder why they don’t recognise the work that has been done. It appears if you provide something that it only leads to people wanting more. I know most people are not like that but it can be frustrating that after all the improvements we have made that some people dismiss it and want to know “what’s next?”.

Finally on ground development have you ever considered leaving Oriel Park and just starting from scratch?
Well that would be a big decision. Considering all the improvements we have done and plan to do I don’t think so. I think a lot of people like to walk up from town to Oriel Park. I’m not so sure people would like it if we moved out to, say, the Ballymac area. So it has not been seriously considered.

How is the club performing financially?
We are performing very well but we are still not making money. We can pay our players and we can pay all of our bills. That’s a huge improvement on the past. There was a shortfall of €80,000 last year that other directors and myself made up. Still we are heading in the right direction. We are putting in structures to ensure that we improve again this year. To put it in perspective in the four years prior to the takeover the club was losing on average €5,000 per week. This equates to €250,000 per year or €1 Million over the four years. So it was always going to take time to get things absolutely right.

Comparatively it’s a big improvement but €80,000 is still a lot of money…
Well myself and other directors have made up that shortfall. I am hopeful of making a profit in 2008. For example, the job Paul Johnston is here to do is a long-term project and I anticipate that that will improve further this year. Also the DFC Trust Patron Scheme is has yet to be factored in and that is a big success. Sponsorship is going very well and every match this season has been sponsored before a ball has been kicked. It is always a very tough challenge and we need as much support from our fundraisers as possible. We will not be in a position to increase the manager’s budget unless people support us in our endeavours. We have an ambitious fundraising programme ahead for 2008 and the success of those will have a large bearing on what type of budget our manager receives whether it be in the first division or the premier.

Is the club adhering to the 65% ruling on player’s wages?
Yes we are. Hopefully with everybody’s support that will not be a problem.

Will the club be in a position to support the manager in the transfer window?
We will have to see what the position is at the time. This is where attendances, pitch rental income, patron scheme and support for our fundraisers come in. If they are doing well then we hopefully can do something but I am not going to commit to anything at this stage.

Would the club be willing to allow Dundalk supporters to see the most recent set of club accounts?
Yes I would have no problem with that. We would have to work out a mechanism to do so. Also, accounts are complicated documents so while people can look at them I probably would not be able to explain what they mean!

(Subsequent to this interview, Gerry has agreed to allow supporters to see the accounts at a DFC Trust fans forum next month)

Moving to match night issues…what are the club doing to combat the issue of crowd trouble at our matches?
We are reviewing this situation at the moment. It’s a difficult problem to solve but we are taking it seriously.

Are you considering employing a professional security firm?
Not at the moment. Would a professional security firm have stopped the supporter who threw a firelighter at a referee last season that cost us €500? A professional firm might come in and demand 50 people to cover a match. The reality is that it boils down to finance. Should I reduce the playing budget to cover this cost? Again, people need to appreciate our position. But I am in no way underplaying the issue. With all we are trying to achieve at the club it is incredibly disheartening that we have this element. We have banned some individuals from Oriel Park. Other clubs have a group of supporters to call upon that will perform this function for their club. We have a severe lack of numbers willing to help us. For example, I bring in eight of my employees from other companies to work on match nights. I’ve often put on a steward’s jacket myself on match night we have been so low on numbers willing to help. It’s something that I have struggled to understand since I have came to the club. We have people who work very hard for us at different levels but very few people who we can call upon to carry out work like this. We need an additional 40/50 people involved in the club who we can call upon on busy match nights or help organise other events.