Just to say, if any of you are interested in the DIT Collingwood Cup story I can PM it to you.
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Extratime.ie
Yo te quiero, mi querida. Sin tus besos, yo soy nada.
Abri o portão de ouro, da maquina do tempo.
Mi mamá me hizo guapo, listo y antimadridista. -
For those interested in the DIT story, this is an article that I helped write for the DIT News on it:
DIT SOCCER CLUB BOOTED OUT OF COLLINGWOOD CUP
After losing an appeal to the FAI on October 22nd, the DIT soccer club have been kicked out of the Collingwood Cup. The move by the IUFU (Irish Universities Football Union) to evict the DIT team came as a huge blow to the team and managers.
DIT have played in the Collingwood Cup, a competition run by the IUFU, since 1999 when they were invited to join.
The Cup is for university teams, but DIT was always the exception to this rule. "Year after year they would send us correspondence regarding the summer meeting, the draw for the Collingwood Cup, emails about fees etc. The same as every other team in the competition," recalls DIT soccer club manager, Tony O'Connor.
However leading up to and during the competition last February, rumours were spreading that DIT's place in the cup was not certain.
On September 5th Pádraig Murray, secretary of the IUFU sent an email to the DIT manager informing them of their changed status: "In order to compete in the Collingwood Cup in future they [DIT] would have to apply for guest status on a yearly basis."
The email went on to suggest that to avoid this, the team could apply for full membership, allowing them to compete in all IUFU competitions but only on the condition that they first resign from the CFAI.
Having talked unofficially to various managers of other university members of the IUFU, O'Connor found out that DIT were later voted out of the Collingwood Cup by a majority of 6-3 in a secret ballot in a meeting held in September this year. This annual meeting, which DIT had always attended before, went ahead without their knowledge.
As the vote to kick them out of the contest was taken at tis meeting in their absence, co-manager O'Brien feels it was against natural justice, while the very fact that they were not informed shows that the decision to evict them had been made in advance of the meeting.
"We were always invited every other year. They had already decided to kick us out by not inviting us," he says.
DIT soccer has an excellent reputation for discipline and have never received a red card during a Collingwood Cup match. O'Brien doesn't tolerate bad behaviour. "We are very strong on discipline. The team has the best record on and off the field. The players never cause any trouble where we go to stay."
As well as having a great reputation for discipline, DIT are als one of the top three college teams in the country.
There are several youth internationals on the side, and the IUFU brought three DIT players (Paul Whelan, Killian Gallagher and Stephen Roche) to Thailand for the World University games.
"They [IUFU] should be protecting a member like us, not discriminating against us," says O'Connor. O'Brien accuses the IUFU of "trying to move the goalposts," in their treatment of DIT this year.
The players are very upset by the decisionas DIT have done well in the tournament and feel they should be in it.
Captain of the DIT team and Monaghan United player, Paul Whelan says it should be about the football, not intervarsity politics. " A lot of the players are disgusted as the Collingwood Cup is the tournament they want to be in. No one can believe what's happening," says Whelan.
He suggests other teams may have been wary of how well DIT were playing. Trinity, one of the founders of the Collingwood Cup, are believed to have been highly vociferous against the acceptance of DIT into the 2008 Collingwood Cup, which is organised by the IUFU and run on an invitational basis. DIT were the only CFAI to participate in 2007.
Whelan believes DIT earned a place on merit after their fine performances in 2007. A 4-1 victory over Trinity on October 17th proves this form.
After the unsuccessul appeal to the FAI, DIT management are considering their next move.Extratime.ie
Yo te quiero, mi querida. Sin tus besos, yo soy nada.
Abri o portão de ouro, da maquina do tempo.
Mi mamá me hizo guapo, listo y antimadridista.Comment
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superfrank
If DIT have been turned down by the IUFU and FAI then logically the next step is to appeal to UEFA and that will be a very costly exercise. I would counsel getting a legal opinion before taking it on that far.Comment
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Extratime.ie
Yo te quiero, mi querida. Sin tus besos, yo soy nada.
Abri o portão de ouro, da maquina do tempo.
Mi mamá me hizo guapo, listo y antimadridista.Comment
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Beat DIT 2-1 After extra time today. I missed the first 70 minutes we were 1-0 down and Evan missed a pen with about 10 mins to go before Ronan Finn equalised in stoppage time. We scored about 5 mins into the extra time to win it. Dont know the lad who scored but he came on as a sub Paul Someone I think.Comment
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Disappointing loss today (to Coláiste Íde, I think) - pointless match though - just to finish the group - both teams go through.Comment
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JR_Ewing... It's still disappointing to lose to Finglas Tech
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great win 3-1 after extra time in letterkenny today - a long way to go to win.Comment
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won league semi on penalties against athlone it in tullamore - 2-2 aet
UCD 2-0 down with 10 mins to go to 2 poor goals before pulling it back late.Comment
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Who was playing?Comment
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UCD v Athlone
not sure of the line ups. will find out..Comment
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make of this as you will:
Billy
Stan
Rory
Ev
Bourkey
Whealo
Hartey
Finner
Ger
Fran
Davey
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Billy Brennan
Stanley Rojack
Rory
Evan McMillan
Whealo
Kieran Harte
Ronan Finn
Ger O'Calaghan
Fran Moran
Davey
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Billy Brennan
Stanley Rojack (Pat Mullins)
Rory Keavney (Mick Leahy)
Evan McMillan
John Bourke
Mark Whealan (Connor McEvoy)
Kieran Harte
Ronan Finn
Ger O'Calaghan
Fran Moran
David McMillan (Paul Curtain)
McEvoy scored 2 of the bench i believeComment
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