Full Eircom League Statement

Full eircom League Statement


Statement by Roy Dooney, eircom League Commissioner
in relation to St Patrick’s Athletic

Friday 22nd March, 9:45 pm


At 3:30 pm this afternoon the eircom League received an eight page letter with appendices from St Patrick’s Athletic’s solicitors, Maurice Lyons & Co, in response to my request on Tuesday last for information relating to the registration of a player.

This morning the League officers had sought a meeting this afternoon with St Patrick’s Athletic but the club was unavailable to attend.

The officers of the eircom League (Michael Hyland, Chairman and Declan O’Luanaigh, Treasurer) met this afternoon and this evening to consider the St Patrick’s Athletic response. In view of my previous knowledge of this case, I did not consider it appropriate to participate in the meeting and my place was taken by Donal Crowther, Executive Secretary of the eircom League.

The officers issued the following statement:

The Officers of the Eircom League met today, 22nd March 2002, at 80 Merrion Square to consider the position of Charles Mbabazi Livingstone and his eligibility to play in certain games.

St Patricks Athletic were formally invited to send their representatives to this meeting and they chose to make their representations by way of correspondence from their Legal Advisor.

The rules of the Eircom League specifically provide procedures for registration of players.

In the absence of a registration form a player is not entitled to play in Eircom League matches.

St. Patricks Athletic F.C. in registering the player, Charles Mbabazi Livingstone, for the season 2001/02 only on the 12/09/01 while having played that player in the following games;

10/08/01 v Galway Utd.
17/08/01 v Shelbourne
24/08/01 v Derry City
30/08/01 v UCD
07/09/01 V Cork City

clearly breached Rule 16(a).

The Officers of the Eircom League have therefore in the circumstances implemented the provisions of Rule 16(a)(vi) and fined St Patricks Athletic €1,270 and forfeit fifteen points.

The Officers of the Eircom League have also requested the Board of Control to immediately organise an investigation of all player registrations for the current season and where it is found that any player who has played in any Eircom League match in violation of Rule 16(a) then the Rules in full shall be applied accordingly.



Michael Hyland Declan O’Luanaigh Donal Crowther.