FORAS withdraw support for Coughlan

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And so it ended. Today, a press statement released by FORAS ended their support for Tom Coughlan's Cork City Investments FC Ltd and therefore pushed Coughlan to a state of isolation without the support of the largest group organisation of Cork City supporters.

The group cited the “recent actions by CCIFL in regard to non-payment of employee wages and the apparent lack of urgency by the owner to meet these obligations” as the reason for their withdrawal of support and stated that they “can no longer support the current management structure in CCIFL which has created crisis after crisis resulting in the very future of our beloved club being put in repeated peril.”

This statement spells bad news for Coughlan, who is depending on the support of everyone possible in order to keep his company afloat. The partnership process between trust and owner, which was deemed vital in the steps to building a sustainable future after the recent spells in the country's courts, is now dead.

FORAS stated their continuing support for the club, players and staff but not for Mr. Coughlan when in the statement they outlined “FORAS wish to reiterate our support for Cork City Football Club, our loyal players and staff in these trying times. The players and staff have our full support as they fight to get their legal entitlements from the club. We again want to put on record our admiration and respect for the employees of the club who have always put the best of interests of the club to the fore, often at great personal loss.”

The interesting pieces of the statement are at the end, where FORAS state that they will be looking into taking ownership of the club's youth structure, which the trust deem to be “deplorable”. They will also be looking into “strengthening the Trust and exploring alternative avenues through which we can contribute to the Cork City Football Club”, heightening speculation that they will look to step into the breach a la Shamrock Rovers 400 Club.