Cork City owner Tom Coughlan has received a second offer for the club that could see the club’s supporters share in ownership of the Leesiders.
Finance group Quintas revealed this evening that it had facilitated an offer from a local consortium headed up by businessmen Peter Gray and Michael O’Connell.
It insisted the offer was completely separate from a previous approach overseen by the company, though O’Connell was involved in that as well.
“This offer is led by locally based businessmen Peter Gray and Michael O’Connell. The consortium has offered Foras, the Cork City FC supporters’ trust, the opportunity to share in the ownership and management of the club,” a statement from Quintas read this evening.
Gray is a semi-retired property developer from the UK, based between London and Kinsale, who has previous experience in football having been a sponsor of Millwall FC.
“I have a genuine love of football and believe that Cork has the potential to be a really successful club,” he said today.
O’Connell owns Mocad Golf and was previously chief executive of Adidas Ireland.
The pair's approach and offer of part-ownership for the fans has been welcomed by Foras.
“We support this move,” said chairman of Foras John O’Sullivan today. “This is a really exciting offer made by individuals who have the best interests of the club at heart.
"We sincerely hope that the bid will succeed and we will put the chance to share in this new opportunity to our membership as soon as possible.”
On Monday, February 1st, the club was granted two weeks to stave off a winding-up order by finding new owners. It also has to have it's footballing finances in order for a meeting with the licensing committee on Monday.
Proceedings were brought by the Revenue Commisioners to wind up the club over an outstanding Vat, PAYE and PRSI bill of €115,906.