THE Cliftonville board met once again on Monday evening to discuss further the potential takeover from a group of Canadian investors.
The meeting took place in the Lansdowne Hotel in North Belfast but in its wake fans have been left frustrated to hear that there has been no further decision one way or another regarding the club takeover.
Cliftonville fan and social media influencer Barry McCann spoke with Belfast Media regarding the frustration and growing concern that is held by fans over the lack of progress on the issue.
📋 Cliftonville Chair Kieran Harding has provided the wider support with a further update from Monday's Extraordinary General Meeting.
➡️ https://t.co/WUExWi0UIk pic.twitter.com/it0oMhrMEc— Cliftonville FC (@cliftonvillefc) September 3, 2025
"I think the majority of Reds fans are feeling frustration, both at the lack of progress with the takeover and lack of communication from the club. Fair enough, with the latter, they seem to have listened and at least provided an update recently.
"Cliftonville are a proud members' owned club and for us to hand over control to an outside force, even if their intentions seem pure and true, takes a lot for people. So to agree to this, see things stagnate with no updates, has led to scurrilous rumour and conjecture."
Barry also commented on the annoyance that media rumours and speculation have caused the fanbase.
"We are also seeing it play out in the media which does no one any favours at all. I think uncertainty off the field definitely effects on the pitch issues. At the very least our transfer approach this season has been scattergun with loans and short term deals."
The life-long Reds supporter believes that the uncertainty has impacted negatively on the pitch with Cliftonville's transfer activity being less than impressive.
"It's hard not to think our budget hasn't been impacted by such things. With the transfer window closed now and a resolution due within the next eight weeks, hopefully we can unify and get a settled team going forward."
A Cliftonville season ticket holder, who has asked to remain anonymous, has aired their frustration over the club's continuous failings in the transfer market.
"Its frustrating that it hasn't been resolved yet," we were told. "It is clear to see that the the club has been falling behind other teams in the league like the Crues, Linfield and Larne. And with the amount of players let go over the last two years and they've been replaced with cheaper options, we really need investment.
"I can understand why it has maybe taken this length of time, men in better positions can make those decisions and if it is clear issues are ongoing with the consortium then I know the board have the club's best interests at heart, but we need a resolution quickly."
Cliftonville Chairman Kieran Harding pleads for patience within the support
Commenting on Monday's meeting, Cliftonville Chairman Kieran Harding revealed in a statement that there are some issues to be resolved with the Canadian firm.
"To impart further detail on the outcome from this week’s Extraordinary General Meeting, I would like to provide our wider support base with an update," he said. "The meeting on Monday evening discussed the current situation in relation to the proposal from the Toronto Investment Group (TIG). It became evident that there remained clear gaps and outstanding issues still to be resolved."
He added: "As a result, it was agreed that the board appoint an additional legal representative who would engage with TIG’s lawyers to explore whether a resolution to those issues could be found.
"In addition, a new board subgroup was appointed involving the Chair, two newly co-opted board members together with two representatives from the Membership of Cliftonville FC. The subgroup will provide oversight on the discussions and guidance to the legal representative."
The Cliftonville Chairman expressed his gratitude for patience throughout the process and hopes that a final decision will be made in the coming months.
"The subgroup will report findings to the board before a final decision on the investment is made by the members. We hope that any final decision will be made within the next two months."
"I want to thank members and supporters for their patience throughout, and reassure you that the board remain focused on protecting the long-term interests of Cliftonville Football Club and our supporters."
