Temple's Dundalk stake acquired by US backers

Chris Clinton has acquired John Temple's stake and will take over as the Dundalk FC chairperson, the club has confirmed.

Mediation had been ongoing between the club's US-based shareholders and Temple for a couple of weeks after they called on him to step back from the club, something he called "not a reasonable offer."

But that process has now concluded with Clinton confirming that discussions are ongoing with the FAI around a Premier Division licence for the club next season.

The Lilywhites have endured a rocky road since confirming promotion back to the top flight of the SSE Airtricity League last month.

Rumours that manager Ciarán Kilduff would leave proved to be unfounded as the 37-year-old signed a two-year deal with the Louth club.

That episode followed news that the pitch at Oriel Park, as well as its floodlights, might hamper the 14-time League of Ireland champions from getting a licence, with proposals being put together, including moving games to Saturday evenings, to guarantee the club's top flight status for 2026.

Their quest for a licence may also be hampered by a legal action launched by kit supplier Playr-Fit, who claim to be owed €130,000 by the club.

And while today's news that Temple's 65% share in the club will now go to Clinton, the new chairperson does accept that things are far from perfect at Oriel Park.

"I am delighted to take control of Dundalk FC and look forward to progressing the club onto solid foundations, on and off the field," he said.

"Having won promotion to the League of Ireland Premier Division and having committed to first-team manager Ciarán Kilduff on a two-year deal, we have already taken some steps to secure our coaching staff.

"However, we also need to address how the club is organised off the field of play, and a primary task in the days ahead will be to assemble a new management board that represents Dundalk FC. In addition, there are various discussions ongoing with several potential new partners to attract income and investment to the club to help stabilise the current financial situation and to build for the longer term.

"I can confirm that we are engaged with the Football Association of Ireland in relation to our Premier Division licence, and we are making progress on the new playing surface and the floodlights upgrade at Oriel Park. Regarding the pitch and lights, I expect that orders for new materials will also be made in the coming days.

Clinton added: "On top of changes that are coming at Oriel Park, another priority will be to ensure there is both a better communication with and a better offering for our fanbase. I would also like to thank the fans of the club for both their patience and support.

"These are the immediate tasks to hand, and I also understand that there are many other issues to tackle, but these will be addressed as soon as the management board is appointed and tasked with engaging with our fans, commercial partners and other stakeholders that are part of our wider community."

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