With the chances of Cork City surviving until the end of the week looking increasingly remote, the entire playing staff at Turner’s Cross have been told they can start looking for new clubs. City will be wound up by the High Court on Friday unless they can meet a €439,658 tax bill.
And although the owners remain hopeful of a last-minute reprieve in their ongoing dispute with the Revenue Commissioners, they will not stand in the way any player who wishes to leave the club.
As it stands, City are pressing ahead with preparations for Friday night’s home game with Bray Wanderers but it seems unlikely this match will proceed as planned.
In the interim, the players are free to seek alternative employment following a meeting of the PFAI Stephen McGuinness general secretary and City owner Tom Coughlan this morning.
“Mr Coughlan confirmed that every player at the club is a free agent and can leave the club if they so wish,” the PFAI announced this evening. “Stephen McGuinness then met the players of Cork City and confirmed that they are free agents.”
The statement added that the players had agreed to defer wages due to them today until next Wednesday and remain “fully behind the efforts of Mr Coughlan and the club at this difficult time and they hope that every effort is made by all the stakeholders to keep Cork City in League of Ireland football”.
