Dundalk FC manager reveals "we haven’t been paid"

Dundalk FC's season has been anything but smooth. With a string of disappointing performances and a mounting sense of unease surrounding the club, tensions reached a new height after their latest loss.

As the final whistle blew on a 2-1 defeat against St Patrick’s Athletic last night, noise grew louder about what was happening behind the scenes. 

Manager Jon Daly spoke to LMFM after the match addressing the issue that had been weighing heavily on everyone’s minds.
“I’m not going to stand here and tell lies to you. We haven’t been paid, but we’ve been informed that we will be paid, just there’s going to be a bit of a delay on it,” Daly admitted.

Earlier that day, he had spoken with Brian Ainscough, the US-based businessman who had taken over Dundalk FC last November. While Ainscough was optimistic, the delay in payment remained a concern for all involved.

The stress wasn’t just professional—it was personal for many players. The manager elaborated on the broader impact this uncertainty was having on his squad, whose livelihoods depended on timely wages.

“It’s not easy,” he said. “Footballers, especially in the League of Ireland, aren’t on huge money and will have bills like everyone else.”

The delay in payments had left many worried about mortgages and other essential financial commitments. 
With no immediate resolution in sight, Daly stressed that they had little choice but to trust the reassurances given to them.

The hope was that everything would be sorted within a few days, but that didn’t make the waiting any easier. Daly also touched on the bigger picture, hinting at financial struggles at the ownership level.

“The owner is looking for investment or was looking for investment and that’s kind of where I’m led to believe that it’s at.”

The ongoing rumours surrounding the club’s finances weren’t helping the situation, only adding to the mounting pressure. 
Despite the uncertainties, Daly praised his squad for maintaining their professionalism throughout the ordeal.

“Credit to the players, they’ve held themselves to high standards. Hopefully, over the next few days, there’s a bit more clarity for everyone.”

The manager was quick to highlight the contributions of Dundalk’s CEO, Peter Halpin, who had been doing his best to keep everyone in the loop, though there was little information to go on.

“The hardest part is the uncertainty and not knowing. I have to be upfront with the players on what I do know. 

“We’re disappointed to come away with nothing from the game, it compounds the bad week that we’ve had,” Daly concluded.