COMMENT: Parents uneasy over Mayo soccer club registration levy

Life never runs smoothly. Rarely a day passes without some stream of challenges coming down the track at great speed.

However, being immersed in sport at work and at home doesn't shield one from any of this.

Let me begin this by stating that over the years I've spent time as a player, coach, club officer, parent, supporter and any other label one can think of.

My native and beloved GAA club is one of the smallest in the land, my daughters played for one of the biggest in the province and we've been immersed in boxing, soccer, rugby, basketball, athletics and anything else that moves.

Therefore, our clan has experienced the many positives, negatives, intricacies, personalities, negatives and nuances that sporting clubs throw up.

Of course, that's just family life. Throw in my day job and sport and sportspeople occupy the vast majority of space between the ears.

Some time is spent in the office, a lot of hours are spent in the car and countless periods of life are, thankfully, spent on sidelines.

In recent weeks, time spent in the office has been challenging. We've been contacted by a  number of parents complaining about the challenges they're facing when registering their sons with Westport United.

Some of them have come and sat in the office and told their story. We've spoken to the club and heard their side of things. Passions have run high – and it has been an interesting few weeks to say the least.

Personally, I can understand the angst of the parents, but I can also see why the club took the action they did. However, the implementation seems to have been where the problem arose.

What's this all about?

At the start of the season, Westport United announced their registration fees and also added that to help meet increasing costs associated with facilities, insurance, utilities and general club operations, they were introducing an annual €80 Club Levy per membership for the 2026 season.

The club added that the levy was fully rebateable, subject to a parent/guardian completing two club lotto duties per year (two hours total). Rebates of €40 would be paid in June and November.

Therein, lies the problem for the parents who contacted The Mayo News. The addition of the levy and its imposition, which they say was done without any consultation, hasn't gone down well with them at all.

“We were shocked by the imposition of the levy and see it as almost unaffordable in this day and age.

"Our lads love playing for the club – it's a huge part of their lives, but having to pay €255 to register is a huge shock,” one mother stated.

The €255 she quotes is made up of the levy and the €175 registration fee.

“I went to register my son online, as I do every year and I saw the fee had risen to €175, but when I went to complete the registration the computer told me the fee was €255.

"I thought I had done something wrong and repeated the whole thing, but the total came to €255 again.

“Nobody had told me about the levy. I honestly can't afford it. I know I'd get the money back in June and November, but I'd have to pay it out first.

"I just hadn't the money and had to go and ask my parents for it,” she added while also saying that the issue has left her son feeling emotionally marginalised.

Another parent said the issue could have been easily prevented.

“We are as much part of the club as anyone and want to see all our children enjoying playing football together, but this levy has been imposed without any consultation whatsoever. Asking for a compulsory-voluntary levy contribution has upset so many of us.

"We would gladly have raised €80 each in other ways without a rebate at all, but this was just imposed and if we didn't pay it we couldn't register our lads,” another stated.

However, the club refutes this and says they only got two complaints 'specifically about the levy.'

They also say there is a direct-debit option for registration which would spread the payments and mean that parents who take part in the lotto collection would get their rebate back before they had fully paid the levy.

A representative of the club explained that United have three facilities to maintain, The Sports Park, The Point and Abbvie United Park and said there is no agenda other than keeping the club solvent.

“The cost of running the club will be over €300,000 this year and we're not here to make money, we're here to make sure the club is on an even keel. The club has to be sustainable.

“Our registration isn't out of line at all with clubs of the same size. Salthill Devon, a similar club are €200 for U-6 to U-9, €220 for U-10 and U-11 and 12-18 is €240 whereas our academy is €120.

"The levy is separate but it is fully refundable and most people realise that,” the club representative explained before explaining why the club needed assistance with the lotto.

“We didn't decide all this on a whim. We had a very small number of people carrying the lotto last year and the club needs the lotto. We're asking people to do two hours over the course of a year, that's all.”

However, some of the parents say they would have gladly fundraised the €80 for the club if given the opportunity, but going into pubs doing the lotto isn't ideal.

“A number of parents don't want to go into pubs for numerous personal reasons; others will have to arrange baby-sitters in order to go out and do the lotto which puts more cost on them.”

Westport United say they empathise with this and there is a simple solution.

“We fully understand there are people who may not want to go into pubs and we can give them tickets to sell to family and friends instead,” the club representative stated before adding that the vast majority of parents are fully on board with the new requirements.

“We have approximately 30 parents out on the lotto over the past few weeks and feedback has been exceptional. They've come back and said 'that was easier than I thought' and they got their money (levy) straight back.”

The club representative also said Westport United has always, and will continue to use discretion when it comes to families in financial difficulties.

“I don't think we've ever stopped anyone playing football over a finance issue. There have been many times when we've waived fees and dealt with things discreetly.”