Dundalk players were prepared to go on strike and boycott last August’s Europa Conference League clash with Dutch giants Vitesse.
Brian Gartland reveals in his upcoming autobiography, One Last Shot, how close the squad was to refusing to fulfil the fixture, as relations between the players and the club’s then-owners reached their lowest point.
And he discusses his role in ending the stand-off - as he continued his recovery from a cruciate knee ligament injury.
For the third year running, preparations for Europe were overshadowed by wrangling's over bonuses.
But this particular row was the final straw - and they were ready to risk the wrath of Lilywhites fans and UEFA by staying away from the Tallaght Stadium tie.
Gartland writes: “Strike! That was the threat from the dressing-room ahead of our first-leg against Vitesse Arnhem in August, 2021.
“We were due to face the Dutch side in the Europa Conference League and, for the third year running, the issue of bonuses was causing huge friction between the players and owners.
“This time the lads were ready to press the nuclear button.
“I had stepped away from bonus negotiations... But as I was still recovering from injury, and so the rest of the lads could concentrate on preparing for the game, I said I’d help out.
“The issue this time was that the club wanted to make the bonuses a percentage of net income – and they wanted to include every last expense in their calculations.
“On the list were hotels, buses, plans, meals... literally anything that had them dipping into their pocket.
“On top of that, they wanted to reduce the percentage again. It meant the lads were in line to collect a fraction of past European bonuses.
“The Vitesse game was on the horizon and talks were going nowhere. So the lads decided that the only way to get people to listen was to threaten a strike.
“I put in a call to Bill.”
It was a busy time for Gartland in his personal life, as well as in rehab.
“It was two days before the game,” he continues. “I was on my way to hospital to collect Bronagh and our new baby, Jesse.
“It was a 30-minute drive. I chose this time because Bill was always a hard man to get off the phone. But with my drive-time deadline, I was focused, aggressive and to the point.
“I said I was trying to help him, that the whole thing had become a shitshow.
“Bill wouldn’t budge. He told me he was waiting on information from the club.
“I told him that wouldn’t sit well with the players, that they needed assurances on a better deal... ASAP.
“Forget the half-hour drive, I spent a full hour on the phone with Bill, including half-an-hour in the hospital car park, while Bronagh was waiting inside with Jesse, all packed and eager to get home.
“Bronagh never found out that I was outside for so long. I hope she’s not reading!
“I kept the pressure on Bill. I said the lads needed information first thing the next morning – the eve of the game.
“Still nothing. I texted Bill that afternoon. The players were going mad. We were so close to calling the PFAI. The plan was to ask them to draft a letter, which we would then show to the club.
“I have been on the PFAI Committee and I’ve done a lot of work with them – I was chair of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, when we hoped to get initial rules signed off, like a minimum wage and other things to offer a basic standard of living for our members.
“The PFAI has done great work over the last few years for players.
“I took part in the first ever ‘Out of Contract’ players’ camps in 2010, and I have sat at meetings with government over matters too.
“I said to Bill in the text that it was now or never, that the players felt they had no other choice at this point but to down tools.
“They knew the fans might turn on them, but it was the only leverage they had. It wasn’t something they took lightly, because they felt they could beat Vitesse.
“Simply put, the players had enough from the club at this stage!
“Luckily, Bill got back to me. The bonuses would still be calculated on net income, but what the club could count as expenses would be capped. And the percentage was upped too.
“When the lads came off the training pitch that evening I told them it was sorted, that they could focus on the game.
“We came close to beating Vitesse. We were brilliant over there.”
***ONE LAST SHOT is an autobiography that charts Dundalk legend Brian Gartland's life and career, which took him from Bray Wanderers to Shelbourne and Monaghan United to Portadown, before Stephen Kenny swooped to bring him to Oriel Park.
Brian chronicles the highs and lows at Oriel Park, from the glory days under Kenny to the turbulent period under the club's American owners - and much more.
One Last Shot will hit the bookshelves next week - and can be pre-ordered now at all good bookshops.
And fans can register for free to attend the book launch on Tuesday April 26 at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Dundalk by logging onto www.eventbrite.ie/e/one-last-shot-brian-gartland-an-autobiography-tickets-313685510807
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