Athlone Town manager exposes the shockingly low wages paid to some of his squad

Life in the League of Ireland is not a picnic for players at the lower end of the scale.

There are improvements being made all the time, both on and off the pitch, but the harsh reality of trying to be a professional footballer in Ireland, or even semi-pro, makes it a slog for many talented players. Several clubs have had temporary issues with wages over the years, but thankfully players have almost always been sorted out according to the PFAI. However, at troubled Athlone Town, the situation seems dire. Alan Mathews' side were one of the most high-profile teams to suffer financial woes last year, and comments from the manager over the weekend paint a bleak picture for the coming months. He was interviewed by local radio station Shannonside on Friday night after the 2-1 loss to Drogheda United. The manager explained to the reporter that some players were earning less than €50 euro per week.

"You have Limerick who can offer full-time contracts but then you come down to the norm. The norm, in the First Division, is minimal payments. There are guys on our roster who would  be getting €20 or €30 a week. That's not unique to Athlone. There are guys getting the same at other clubs, covering expenses and that sort of stuff."

Athlone, who are the oldest football club in the league, suffered financial issues in March, when an unpaid ESB bill meant they needed to use a generator for their home game with Shelbourne. Unfortunately, the generator failed, and the game did not go ahead.