Shelbourne FC pays tax bill

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The eircom League Premier Division club released a statement on April 2 stating that it would pay the Revenue Commissioners in full for a tax bill due the next day. If the club had failed to pay, tax authorities could have ordered a winding up order in High Court.

The threatened winding up order came after the club missed a monthly tax repayment of EUR 12,000 last December. The amount was part of a total tax debt of EUR 250,000. There was a penalty for missing the payment, but it would be waived if the amount past due is paid in full.

In the statement, the club said. “Shelbourne FC wishes to inform their fans, supporters and sponsors that the outstanding arrears in tax due to the Revenue Commissioners, will be paid in full on Monday morning 3rd of April 2006. The club would also like to thank all those who have rallied around the club in the past few weeks during this difficult period.”

Ollie Byrne, the club’s chief executive, said: “As promised, the tax bill will be discharged in full. It’s unfortunate that we ended up in this position, because it’s difficult enough to survive in Irish football, let alone make the great advances that we have achieved at Tolka Park in the past fifteen years. We need all the help we can get if we are to make the vital breakthrough at European level that the eircom League is capable of. Now that this episode is closed, we would like to get back to the real business in hand – which is football. We’re playing our final group match in the Setanta Sports Cup on (April 3) against Derry City with an excellent chance of making it to the semi-finals. To help achieve this, we need as much support as possible on the night in Tolka Park. I would like to invite all those who have shown so much interest in the club over the last three weeks, to come along and see what this club is really all about and to enjoy another great night in Irish football.”

Should the club win the Sports Cup, it would go a long way toward helping it pay its tax bill, with a first-place prize of EUR 150,000.