A Message To The Fans From Jamie Pilley

Friday’s victory in the relegation play-off was a moment of immense relief and pride for everyone connected with Waterford FC. We are delighted to have secured our place in the League of Ireland Premier Division for next season, and we want to thank each and every one of you who stood with the team through a difficult campaign. Your support mattered. It always does.

We want to pay tribute to Matt Lawlor, who once again stepped in during a crucial moment and helped guide the club to safety. Matt’s impact on this club will always be remembered. His professionalism, leadership and connection to the players and supporters have been outstanding. While his family commitments mean he cannot continue in the role long-term, he will always be welcome back at the RSC. We also want to acknowledge Mark Yeates, whose work alongside Matt was invaluable during this period. Both played a significant part in securing our Premier Division status. As well as the two interims, we must also thank the rest of the first team staff, led by David Breen and Brian Murphy, who helped hold everything together under the radar during difficult periods of the season.

While we ended on a high, we must also be honest. This has been a poor season. It did not meet the standards we set for ourselves, or the standards that you rightly expect.

After conducting a detailed review, it is clear the issues on the pitch stemmed largely from recruitment decisions which did not deliver the right balance for the squad – mistakes were made across the board. We accept that, and we are already working to put those mistakes right.

There were successes and, despite external criticism at times, the link with Fleetwood Town offered a positive once again. We were delighted to see the likes of Stevie McMullan, Sam Glenfield, Kyle White and Tommy Lonergan successfully make moves over to Waterford. We are also seeing huge rewards with the young Blues Academy players who have spent time with Fleetwood’s U21 squad – with Ronan Mansfield returning to be part of our first team while Zak O’Sullivan and Callum Costello are growing all the time over at Poolfoot Farm. As I write Zak is currently away with Ireland’s U19 squad which is a fantastic achievement.

We once again plan to utilise this link during the coming season, but would like to stress the importance of us finding a balance of young exciting players and those with the vital LOI know how to help us achieve our goals.

Looking forward we feel this represents a natural point to draw a line, reset, and move forward with renewed determination. We are currently working hard to recruit a new First Team Manager who has the experience and vision to lead the club forward. Our focus is on building a squad capable not just of surviving in the Premier Division, but of looking upward in the seasons ahead. European football remains an ambition of ours and I firmly believe this is achievable in the future.

Despite the challenges on the pitch this year, there is much to be positive about off it. The club continues to strengthen its foundations through increased community engagement, growing partnerships with local businesses, improvements to club infrastructure, and long-term plans to enhance our academy system so that more talented local players can progress to the First Team. These are vital steps in developing a stronger, more sustainable Waterford FC.

We are determined to make the future brighter than the season just passed – and we will do it together.

In the coming weeks we plan to unveil a new manager, a new Waterford FC badge and a brand new kit for the coming season. We will also launch season tickets for the 2026 and look forward to those again being snapped up in large numbers.

Thank you, once again, for your unwavering support – we couldn’t do it without you!

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