Dundalk FC owner Temple says he wont be “bullied out of the club”

New Dundalk FC owner, John Temple, held an open discussion with local media on Monday afternoon to address the future of the club and some recent controversies.

He made it clear that he is committed to staying with the Lilywhites for the long haul and won’t be forced out by negative influences. 

Temple took control of the club earlier this year and was blunt about his plans to remain involved with the club for the foreseeable future.

He said: "I’m going to be there. I don’t have any plans to move out anytime soon." The conversation turned to recent incidents surrounding Friday night's game against Derry City when trouble broke out during post match interviews.

Temple stated that some individuals who had caused trouble at Oriel Park were now permanently banned.

"In relation to Friday night, I am not going to be bullied out of the club because certain people have egos and attitudes towards how I’m going to run it.

"They’ll never be appearing at Oriel Park for any games ever again. They have no business there," he said. 

"What they bring me is violence, that’s what they want to resort to. Anybody who wants to instil violence will also face the same, they’ll be barred from Oriel Park."

He went on to explain that anyone who promotes violence would face the same consequences and made it clear that Dundalk FC’s home is a place for football and community.

He said: "It’s a football event, it’s a family event, it’s a friends event. It’s not one for violence, it’s not a ground for violence."

Temple remains optimistic about Dundalk’s future despite the challenges and he believes the best days for the club are still ahead.

While getting back into the Premier Division may not happen overnight he’s confident it can be achieved in the near future. He said: "I want to be there to see the club grow and to develop. The club’s had great memories and great days, but I still think it has better days ahead of it.

“It’d be remarkable if we got back into the Premier Division this time next year. I’m not living in fantasy land here. I know that’s not going to happen straight away."

In finishing Temple hinted that there will be a point when he steps away but only after feeling he’s done all he can for the club. He concluded: "Certainly I would like to think that at some point there’s a good time for me to walk away and say that’s it, I’ve done my part."