Finn Harps members approve Freddy Gonzalez takeover

Finn Harps members have given overwhelming support to a proposed takeover by Filipino entrepreneur Freddy Gonzalez.

At a special general meeting of the Finn Harps Co‑Operative Society held in Jackson’s Hotel, Ballybofey, 397 of the 400 members who voted backed a special resolution that will see Gonzalez acquire the club.

The result, announced after a brief technical delay, was met with a standing ovation in a packed room. A further meeting is scheduled for 3 November to finalise the deal, with completion expected by 4 December.

Gonzalez told the assembled members, which included former manager Patsy McGowan and past board volunteers, that the transaction is intended to protect the club’s identity while providing the financial and organisational foundations needed for the future. He pledged to invest millions into the ailing Donegal side and to address running costs, outstanding creditors, and improvements to Finn Park.

Chairman Ian Harkin warned that without the takeover the club would face immediate cost‑cutting and a risk to its survival, noting that the society’s most recent accounts show negative reserves of €725,538 and a net current liability of €170,127, raising a material uncertainty over its ability to continue as a going concern.

The club had previously engaged Tom Markham of Markham Capital and Sports Advisory to seek an external investment partner and circulated a prospectus to prospective buyers.

Source: Donegal Daily. Photo: Lajos Kristóf Kántor / Pexels.