Struggling Limerick FC seek Greek bailout

LIMERICK FC Chairman Pat O’Sullivan is looking to Greece to help bolster the playing squad during their Premier Division relegation battle.

O’Sullivan is hoping top flight strugglers Limerick will be able to sign a number of out-of-work Greek players during the on-going transfer window.

O’Sullivan said he had the idea for the novel approach to player recruitment while watching the 1989 British romantic comedy-drama film Shirley Valentine on TV recently.

Chairman O’Sullivan said: “I need to bring in quality players now to help us get out of where we are at. I don’t see them in Ireland, so I am looking around. We can’t get them from England, I would love to see the English windows match in Ireland because there is an awful lot of young players that come free in England at the end of their season and we can’t sign them until July.

“I’m watching Shirley Valentine the other night with my wife Helen and I’m saying the Greeks are technically very good at football, austerity has to (have) had (an impact) and football must be suffering. So why not look at that?

“They are Europeans so why not look at them as regards looking at any other country. So, what we did was I got my daughter Pam to Google and find the Players Union in Greece and e-mailed them and told them what we were looking for. They have sent us details of certain players.

“We have spoken to the individual players and the terms and conditions we have agreed. Now we have to look at bringing them for trials when we are ready to do that which has to be done and in place by the end of this month. If I can find players do a job for me in Limerick, particularly in the short-term and possibly in the long-term, the Irish go to England and different countries so why can’t the Greeks come here?”

O’Sullivan told RTE Radio that some of the Greek players had international experience, and said that if manager Martin Russell was satisfied, the players would be signing .

“They have to be a quality of a player that will give us what we need in our team and that the manager has to be happy with,” he added.