Pike Rovers will Learn their Fate on Wednesday Afternoon

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10/05/2010, 10:09 AM
lfc at heart

Pike Rovers will Learn their Fate on Wednesday Afternoon

PIKE Rovers will learn their FAI Junior Cup fate on Wednesday afternoon when the District League club takes part in an arbitration hearing which could have a dramatic effect on their entire 2009-10 campaign.
The Hoops opted to go to arbitration following the FAI's decision to throw them out of the FAI Junior Cup.
Three weeks ago the defending District League champions were left reeling when news reached the club that the Football Association of Ireland
ADVERTISEMENThad ruled against them and denied the Hoops their chance to reach a first-ever FAI Junior Cup final.
Pike Rovers beat St. Michael's 4-2 in the quarter-finals at Cooke Park, but the Tipperary club then lodged objections against six of the Pike players on the grounds that they were ineligible to take part in the competition.
The objection concerned the movement of players from League of Ireland clubs back to junior football.
Originally, the FAI Junior Council heard that appeal and ordered a replay of the game. However, both Pike Rovers and St. Michael's appealed that decision to the senior body.
The FAI's decision effectively means that St. Michael's will now take on Clonmel Town in the FAI Junior Cup semi-finals with a place in the final against Limerick's Fairview Rangers up for grabs.
Prominent members of the Pike Rovers club are furious that the FAI made their decision based on the ineligibility of a player during the earlier rounds of the competition.
St. Michael's lodged an objection concerning their quarter-final clash, but the player in question was eligible for that particular game.
Effectively the Football Association of Ireland made their decision based on the fact that the player was illegal during the earlier rounds of the competition even though no objection was lodged concerning those particular games.
The Pike Rovers players were devastated by the FAI's decision and their suffering was made all the more acute when the club learned that their Munster Junior Cup semi-final against Carrick United (scheduled for Sunday, April 18) would be postponed.
The Munster Junior Council have decided to await the result of the arbitration process before deciding on what action to take in relation to Pike Rovers' involvement in that competition. To make matters worse for Pike Rovers there is also the possibility that the FAI decision could affect their Kilmurry Lodge Premier League campaign.
The Hoops are chasing a third consecutive Limerick District League title, but following the recent FAI decision it is understood that at least two local clubs have approached the LDMC requesting that they be awarded the points from their encounters with Pike Rovers this season

thank god we need an end to this,
10/05/2010, 10:16 AM
leather

will it end on wednesday...?
10/05/2010, 10:23 AM
joeSoap

Quote:

Originally Posted by leather

will it end on wednesday...?

I doubt it very much. Pike should win their case, but their case does not involve St.Michaels who will have the option to bring it to the high court if necessary. This will not go away for a while.
10/05/2010, 10:30 AM
Monster

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeSoap

I doubt it very much. Pike should win their case, but their case does not involve St.Michaels who will have the option to bring it to the high court if necessary. This will not go away for a while.

Can i ask why you say that??I dont know whats going on here as there are so many stories going around i dont know what to believe.
I know Pike are confident but on the other hand would the FAI senior council leave themselves open to the possibility of being overturned??
10/05/2010, 12:43 PM
Spot Kick

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monster

I know Pike are confident but on the other hand would the FAI senior council leave themselves open to the possibility of being overturned??

I understand that people are selected on a panel at the start of each season to go go on Appeals Board. It may not even be people that are on Senior Council that hear the appeals. I know that legal people have been involved in the past on such decisions. In other words the decision is only as good as the individuals hearing the case. The Arbitrator is an independant person that will make a decision based on the evidence provided and the rules governing the competition. I do not claim to be an expert on this, but that is my reading of the situation. It is hard to see therefore that Senior Council or the Executive of the FAI have a role in the matter at all.
10/05/2010, 1:03 PM
joeSoap

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monster

Can i ask why you say that??I dont know whats going on here as there are so many stories going around i dont know what to believe.
I know Pike are confident but on the other hand would the FAI senior council leave themselves open to the possibility of being overturned??

Firstly, its only my opinion that Pike should win their case, and I'm basing it on the facts as I've heard them to be. I just believe that they got screwed over and had done nothing at all wrong.
10/05/2010, 1:24 PM
saintsfan

here we go again, he said, she said!!!!
10/05/2010, 1:39 PM
serpico

Quote:

Originally Posted by saintsfan

here we go again, he said, she said!!!!

hopefully it will be all over wednesday.will ye take it further if ye lose??
10/05/2010, 1:46 PM
saintsfan

I don't really know to be honest, I know Saints are pencilled in on Saturday to go to Dublin to take on Bluebell in FAI Senior Cup if Pike lose their Appeal on Wednesday, but I do think the whole thing has had a negative effect on the way the Saints are playing at the moment. They are not playing well. That said, they will have the support of everyone in Tipp Town if they do decide to go further. A lot depends on how much it will cost, I think. Having said that, Town took their case to Arbitration a couple of years ago and lost. As someone said above, I cannot see the FAI decision being over turned but who knows. I think it is not fair to whoever is left in FAI/Munster Competition to let this matter go into June/July, as a lot of players want a break at that stage and would have holidays booked etc, before the new season kicks off again in August. I thought Arbitration was to be the last stand to end this unfortunate row.
10/05/2010, 2:02 PM
saintsfan

see what I mean, you can't say anything but you get picked up wrong, I said Saints are playing if Pike lose their appeal on Wednesday. chill out.
10/05/2010, 2:04 PM
saintsfan

Actually, the Arbitration has nothing at all to do with St Michaels on Wednesday, you say all Parties, this is Pike's row for now - as far as St. Michaels are concerned, the matter is over.
10/05/2010, 2:25 PM
saintsfan

FAI Thread all over again, not saying anything myself on the matter until it's over.
Only to say why did Pike lose their Appeal against FAI and get a fine to boot. Saints have nothing at all to do on Wednesday, as you well know, this row is now between Pike Rovers AFC and the Arbitrator of Sport.
10/05/2010, 2:33 PM
blackjack

this tread is only five and a half hours old and already we have bitching going on.it should be closed down till we know for def who is in the semi final.
10/05/2010, 3:04 PM
the 12 th man

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackjack

this tread is only five and a half hours old and already we have bitching going on.it should be closed down till we know for def who is in the semi final.

Agreed,this thread has no hope of survival,let's wait and see what happens.