As we approach what we all hope will be our last game of the season I would like to make a personal statement.
I have been Financial Director of the Club for the last 22 years and honoured to be Chairman for 14 of these and, with most of you, have shared some great highs and some terrible lows but I would like it to be known that I intend on stepping down from both of these these roles at the end of this current season/financial year (November.)
Meeting Ollie Byrne 22 years ago and him asking me to come onto the Board as Finance Director was an exciting prospect but it came with a cost.
Nevertheless, if the truth be known I probably wouldn’t have had it any other way. It gave me the opportunity to meet some wonderful people and make some great friends and although it was a rollercoaster journey its one I thoroughly enjoyed.
There were times over the course of the years that we didn’t always see eye to eye and no doubt some of you disagreed with decisions I myself and the Board made but rest assured we made all those decisions with the best interests of Shelbourne Football Club in mind and on occasions did not have any alternative even though you the Supporters may have seen things differently.
When Ollie passed away and I took over as Chairman, and , with the help of the then nine members of the Board of Management we managed to steer the Club back to a level of existence that some thought we may not have been possible.
To those people I give a special word of thanks for their support and help.
We all played our part in this and it would not have happened without hard work and sacrifice from everyone.
When we eventually removed the shackles that were left behind we set about the task of looking for new investors. Myself and other Directors of the Club met a number of people, one of whom was Andrew Doyle. We immediately had a great rapport and it wasn’t long before we came to an agreement. It was my intention at that stage to step away and let someone else take up the reins but Andrew asked me to stay on in my role and oversee things for a couple of years which I was happy to do.
As we have now reached a strong level of stability I feel its the right time to take this course of action and pass the responsibilities over to new people. Andrew is putting together a lot of new blood brimming with enthusiasm and raring to go and I have no doubt that I pass over the keys of this great club to very safe hands. Shelbourne FC is bigger than any one of us and will remain an institution long after myself and all the rest of us have moved on.
I will be remaining on the Board of Management and am available to offer any advice and support that I can in that capacity but for the time being I just want to reiterate my thanks to all the supporters of the club for your help and loyalty over the last 22 years, thank you for your friendship and look forward to sitting in the stands with you to watch the Mighty Reds go from strength to strength.
Joe Casey, Chairman
It’s been great.
See you around Tolka (hopefully!!!!)
