What the FAI thinks of progressive clubs:

**Lim till i die** · 31/01/2011, 3:32 PM

Originally Posted by Magicme

At least we now have someone to blame when the Irish team dont qualify.....

I look forward to dancing on their qualification grave.

**athloneman** · 31/01/2011, 4:05 PM

Mark

This just in from the FAI:

FAI Statement

Monday, January 31, 2010

The Football Association of Ireland today (Jan 31) confirmed to the High Court that it and Limerick FC have agreed to enter mediation. The FAI regrets that money spent on this course of action will be lost to the sport. What is decided during the mediation process with Limerick FC could have broader ramifications for the funding and development of football at all levels.

ENDS

the absolute cheek of the FAIlure to say that limerick taking this action may effect soccer is this country, if they let limerick play the friendly last july, soccer in munster would have got a huge boost, therefore the FAI would have got a boost instead they made up every excuse under the sun as to why the game couldnt go ahead while resulted in the fai damaging there own name!!

there is absolutely no one to blame for this mess other than the fai,they made there own bed by not allowing this game to go ahead and now they have to lie in it!! i really hope the high court screws the fai to the wall!!it might actually wake up the barstoolers and make them realise that the fai only cares about money and not football!!

**Jofspring** · 31/01/2011, 6:02 PM

That is one of the funniest things the FAI have come out with in a long time.

**SkStu** · 31/01/2011, 6:37 PM

go get em Limerick!!

This one could be a lot of fun!

**Schumi** · 31/01/2011, 8:13 PM

Originally Posted by Mark

The FAI regrets that money spent on this course of action will be lost to the sport.

Is this an apology?

**Ezeikial** · 31/01/2011, 10:35 PM

The truth should emerge soon enough - a Transition Year student on work experience was in temporary charge of the FAI during this period, and no one noticed the difference in the signatures on the memos coming from John Delaney's office.

**athloneman** · 31/01/2011, 10:56 PM

The truth should emerge soon enough - a Transition Year student on work experience was in temporary charge of the FAI during this period, and no one noticed the difference in the signatures on the memos coming from John Delaney's office.

well to be quiet honest the majority of statements that come from the FAI seem like they were taken from a random child who hasnt a clue whats going on!! there is often very little sense to anything that comes from the FAI!!

**athloneman** · 31/01/2011, 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by Mark

The FAI regrets that money spent on this course of action will be lost to the sport.

Is this an apology?

hahaha its most definitely not an apology, the FAI will not appologise untill they are forced too through the courts!!!and i for one cannot wait to laugh at delaney and his cronies when they do eventually admit it was all there fault!!

**osarusan** · 31/01/2011, 11:25 PM

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...288693589.html

SOCCER: THE FAI were obliged yesterday to agree to arbitration with Limerick over its decision last May to refuse the club permission for a fund-raising friendly game against Barcelona at Thomond Park.

The association had sought to keep the dispute in-house but finally agreed to go to arbitration under the 2010 Act after the club, which claimed its attempts to progress the case had previously been ignored, had sought to have the High Court direct it to do so.

Maurice Collins SC, who overruled the league when asked to consider its handling of a dispute which arose when Bohemians fielded a player who should have been suspended in 2006, will oversee the process.

Limerick, it is believed, will contend the FAI should be prohibited under competition law from banning the playing of friendly games in venues with a capacity of 15,000 or more. This effectively leaves it in control of the only ground in the country where such games could be played.

Full article available on link.

The bit about seeking to keep the dispute in-house is nonsense as the FAI did not respond to Limerick's requests for any kind of mediation until the last 48 hours. By keeping it in-house they must mean that the FAI just hoped it would all go away.

**peadar1987** · 31/01/2011, 11:27 PM

Originally Posted by osarusan

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...288693589.html

Full article available on link.

The bit about seeking to keep the dispute in-house is nonsense as the FAI did not respond to Limerick's requests for any kind of mediation until the last 48 hours. By keeping it in-house they must mean that the FAI just hoped it would all go away.

In-house, in a small, locked box, in the cupboard under the stairs in the dark.

**Jofspring** · 01/02/2011, 12:15 AM

The FAI last night issued a statement acknowledging it had agreed to the arbitration process but warning that the outcome of the process could have implications for its ability to generate and distribute funds. It has previously put the value to it of the annual Endemol run tournament at €1 million a year.

The only way Limerick and the case could affect the ability to generate and distribute funds is if Limerick win the arbitration meaning the FAI where in the wrong. They are definitely getting more worried now.

It sums the FAI up that a LOI club has to go to the high court just to get some correspondence and acknowledgment from them.

**Charlie Darwin** · 01/02/2011, 12:44 AM

Originally Posted by Jofspring

The only way Limerick and the case could affect the ability to generate and distribute funds is if Limerick win the arbitration meaning the FAI where in the wrong. They are definitely getting more worried now.

It sums the FAI up that a LOI club has to go to the high court just to get some correspondence and acknowledgment from them.

Mediation is a form of no-fault conflict resolution. Both parties would usually agree to pay their own costs or, I suspect in this case, the FAI will pay the full cost regardless of the outcome.

**thischarmingman** · 01/02/2011, 7:05 AM

Originally Posted by Mark

This just in from the FAI:

FAI Statement

Monday, January 31, 2010

The Football Association of Ireland today (Jan 31) confirmed to the High Court that it and Limerick FC have agreed to enter mediation. The FAI regrets that money spent on this course of action will be lost to the sport. What is decided during the mediation process with Limerick FC could have broader ramifications for the funding and development of football at all levels.

ENDS

Oh. My. God.

**John83** · 01/02/2011, 9:41 AM

Originally Posted by athloneman

the absolute cheek of the FAIlure to say that limerick taking this action may effect soccer is this country...

Yeah, the FAI are the only ones supposed to effect soccer in this country.

**osarusan** · 01/02/2011, 3:32 PM

Bits in quite a few papers about this - the Star has a full page devoted to it with a picture of the naughty , arbitration-seeking Limerick money-grabbers who are hell-bent on ruining the FAI and football in this country. Disappointing to see nothing about it on extratime.ie. Nothing on RTE about it, unsurprisingly.

The papers generally reported it quite well - I thought they made Limerick's case seem quite reasonable.

**CuanaD** · 01/02/2011, 10:50 PM

Please please please, if there is a god, etc.

Limerick will win (hopefully)
& Delaney will be gone (wishful thinking)

for the good of

**R�iteoir** · 04/02/2011, 3:24 PM

Originally Posted by Mark

The FAI regrets that money spent on this course of action will be lost to the sport.

Correct - it means that the FAI can now only afford just the two Executive Boxes at Old Trafford for next season

**Charlie Darwin** · 04/02/2011, 4:04 PM

Little tidbit from the Times yesterday:

Endemol Sport, whose parent company brought the world the television show Big Brother, were the reason Limerick City were prevented from hosting Barcelona last summer.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sports/soc...288961953.html