Larne owner Kenny Bruce has hit back at suggestions the club is a “f**cking shambles” and "an absolute disgrace" following the latest player departure from Inver Park.
Versatile forward Lee Lynch, who joined Coleraine for an undisclosed fee on Monday night, was the fifth player to head for the exit door this summer.
Striker Ronan Hale recently joined Cliftonville while goalkeeper Mike Argyrides, who parted company with the club at the end of his contract in May, was unveiled by Glentoran last night.
Read more: Coleraine make their second signing of the summer with capture of Larne forward Lee Lynch
Goalkeeper Conor Devlin and left-back Dean Jarvis also said their farewells in May while striker Davy McDaid is weighing up his options with Ballymena United and Glentoran chasing his signature.
Bruce, who has invested heavily in his hometown club since a successful takeover in 2017, reacted after some supporters questioned the rationale behind Lynch’s surprise departure on social media.
On Twitter, one fan branded the move "absolute madness" while another wrote: "Top players leaving Inver quicker than rain falls! Is there a storm brewing?"
Inver Park Loyal tweeted: “F*cking shambles Larne FC. Good luck Lee but this is an absolute disgrace from Larne to even consider letting him go.”
Bruce was quick to respond to the “shambles” charge and offered to meet the fan in question to have a "constructive" face-to-face conversation.
The online businessman wrote: “One thing for sure is we aren’t a shambles or a disgrace. Please meet me when I am over so you can ask me any questions and offer a constructive view.”
That prompted Inver Park Loyal to state that supporters are allowed a different opinion to the owner and claimed Larne risk being “very light” in attacking options next season.
Bruce replied: “Where did I say you can’t have an opinion different to mine? I was simply pointing out we and this situation are not a shambles or a disgrace.
“I offered you the opportunity to meet me to air your concerns and ask any question you might have. I will always challenge those comments.”
On suggestions Larne risked tumbling out of the top-six next season, Bruce tweeted: “There are established clubs in the Premier League that have finished once in the top six in 30 seasons.
“We have finished in the top six in all three seasons with more to come. What do you want or expect?”
During Bruce’s ownership and the managership of Tiernan Lynch, who was appointed in the summer of 2017, Larne earned promotion to the top flight for the first time in over a decade in 2019.
Since then they have gone on to win back-to-back County Antrim Shields and finished sixth, fourth and fifth in the Danske Bank Premiership respectively over the past three campaigns.
The East Antrim club also featured in Europe for the first time in its history last year, progressing to the third qualifying round of the Europa Conference League.
Qualification for this season’s Europa Conference League was secured via a dramatic 4-2 win over Glentoran in the end-of-season play-off.
While a number of players have left, boss Lynch secured one of his main summer targets, Ballymena United captain Leroy Millar, a fortnight ago.
Versatile Cliftonville defender Aaron Donnelly also joined the Inver Park club as part of the deal that took Hale to Solitude.
Other major moves in the transfer market are expected as the Inver Reds bid to go toe-to-toe with Linfield, Cliftonville and Glentoran at the top end of the Danske Bank Premiership next season.
Read more: Glentoran confirm signing of former Larne goalkeeper Mike Argyrides
Read more: Glentoran star Conor McMenamin deserves more Northern Ireland caps, says Tommy Wright
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