Dermot Desmond shines a spotlight behind the scenes at Shamrock Rovers

18 Apr 2025, 06:45 by David Sneyd · The42

JUST AS THINGS began to settle down and take shape in the Premier Division, Dermot Desmond comes along and shines a great big spotlight behind the scenes at Shamrock Rovers.

The League of Ireland revolution may now be televised but this was a bombshell delivered in a letter.

The minority owner detailed accusations against some of those non-executive directors appointed to represent the Members’ Club on the board, bringing an even more intense focus on Tallaght Stadium.

There had been comfortable back-to-back wins against Waterford and Cork City on Friday and Monday, respectively. Scoring six goals in the process and almost recording the biggest margin of victory of the season to date before conceding a late consolation in the 4-1 triumph over the Leesiders, it was all smooth sailing going into tonight’s Dublin derby with St Patrick’s Athletic at Richmond Park.

The rivals are both on 17 points with the Saints only above the Hoops in the table on goal difference. From one six-pointer to another, then, as Desmond laid out his half dozen claims, ranging from “persistently seeking to have the first team management replaced” to “a divisive and untrue campaign of ‘takeover’ innuendo against Ray Wilson and I…”

For context, Desmond and Wilson are the two individual backers who each have a 25% share of the club with the other 50% in the hands of the Members’ Club.

The 42 reported details of the letter on Wednesday evening, along with other media outlets, and a spokesperson for the Members’ Club refuted Desmond’s claims in the Irish Independent.

Separately, it is understood that there wasn’t any legitimate chance of head coach Stephen Bradley being replaced as manager at a time of delivering domestic glory and qualification for the group/league phase of European competition on two occasions.

While surprising for Desmond to go public in such a manner, it was not a shock given the acrimony that has developed over the last few years between the different factions involved within the ownership structure.

As cited by Desmond in the letter, he and Wilson proposed an amendment at December’s AGM that would “remove any perceived ambiguity or concern about dilution of the Members’ Club shareholding.”

This feeling of unease from some in the Members’ Club was because it emerged that a bank loan was required last year (repaid due to player sales/add-ons received) at a time when they also dipped into their own reserve of funds to provide money for the first-team budget.

Added to that, there were initial takeover talks with the group that has Bournemouth as part of its portfolio that never got off the ground.

With regards this fractured set-up behind the scenes, it felt like matters were coming to a head when Rovers completed the four-in-a-row of Premier Division titles in 2023. “Off the pitch was difficult. We had people coming for us. From within and outside, which is not nice,” Bradley said at the time.

More recently, in December last year, as Rovers qualified to the knockout stages of the UEFA Conference League, Bradley delivered this message. “I’m happy with the support I’ve had from a lot of people around the club.

“There’s no doubt that there’s aspects that can definitely improve. If the club want to keep evolving and getting better, that needs to sort itself out – and sort itself out pretty quickly.

“What these players are doing right now is giving the club some of the best nights that they’ve ever had. If you’re involved in Shamrock Rovers as a fan, as a director or shareholder, and you can’t enjoy that, then you shouldn’t be around the football club.”

So why did Desmond make his feelings known now? Given the timing of the letter, just a week after the club’s chief executive, John Martin, announced his departure for later this summer, it’s logical to assume losing a third CEO in five years played a part in compelling Desmond into such action.

Indeed, he cited “baseless whispering campaigns against departing and former executives” and described Martin’s exit as “a significant setback and damaging to the club.”

Well, given Desmond’s anger at learning that Martin informed the board that he was stepping down, the very public response might well have come even sooner had he not been convinced to hold fire.