Confirm or Deny...Pats..

**dahamsta** · 07/01/2002, 4:26 PM

Any truth in the rumour the prize is a glass hammer?

Actually it's a wedgie, administered in person by Noelle. Miss Cork was busy.

adam

**wws** · 07/01/2002, 4:34 PM

SO, FOR THE SECOND TIME JUSTICE IS DONE AND THE ORIGINAL DECISION HAS BEEN REINSTATED

REMEMBER THAT 3 DECISIONS WERE MADE

2 BY PEOPLE CONNECTED TO EIRCOM LEAGUE FOOTBALL
1 by 3 people unconnected with league football

no prizes for guessing which group decided to dock points.....FOOTBALL HAS WON AND ANY EEJIT WHO WOULD ACCEPT HIS CLUB AS CHAMPIONS IN A YEAR WHEN THE BEST TEAM WAS DOCKED 9 FULL POINTS FOR A MERE RED TAPE INCIDENT IS A GOBBER WHO HASNT A CLUE ABOUT FOOTBALL

SAINTS FOR THE LEAGUE - WINNERS ON THE PITCH - NOT THE COURTS

Neil · 07/01/2002, 4:39 PM

If Pats win the League now it will be a tainted and unpopular victory...

**Jim Smith** · 07/01/2002, 4:40 PM

If st pats win the league we will have a new classic pub-quiz question:

"In which league and in what year were the champions of that league unable to use the postal services correctly?"

**pete** · 07/01/2002, 4:49 PM

I accept Pats are the best team this season (due in no small part to a certain Ugandan) & would be favourites even if got probablt only 2 points back.

The only thing that gets to me is the Pats claiming they had a cert of posting. I just can't understand why they decided to get one of these as they are worthless. I could go down to the local post office & post a letter to say the FAI & get a cert of posting saying I was posting the letter to the moon. I doubt An Post value them & I doubt the staff ever look at the address to check if its the same as the letter.

What this decision has ensured is every rule that is broken can be appealed against on compassionate grounds. Pats didn't get the points back cos Marney was registered as an u-21 player last year, they appear to have been left off on the basis the letter got "lost" somewhere. Looks like the FAI seem to saying they lost the letter but then how come the fine? Didn't Dolan complain about the fine 1000 originally? Come to think of it the fine has been reduced by 27 quid.

If Pats got 6 points back i believe only $hel$ would have pursued.

**Jim Smith** · 07/01/2002, 5:00 PM

would be that Pats keep the 9 points and finish in the Intertoto spot 10 points clear of the pack. That way nobody can say the result is tainted. This is probably impossible and I can't be bothered to check the table. I can hear the barstool brigade laughing at me already...

**SÓC** · 07/01/2002, 5:05 PM

The reason they bring up the fact that they have a Postal Cert is a legal one. There is a longstanding legal rule called the Postal rule. As soon as you put the letter into the post box the contract is made, it's one of the first things they teach you in Law.

The Abritrator was a SC so all he has to do is think back to the days when he was in college first, and heypresto the postal rule, Pats have evidence of postage and tada....they win or so one would think, but no. If he made his decision on that basis you might agree with him. This man of the Law instead decided that they can break the rules "in the spirt of the game".

Pats played an un-registered player in 3 games. The FAI should have noticed after the 1st game. Pats should lose 3 points. Simple! City lost 3 in '94 I think for the same reason.

I can hear the chants when City beat Pats. "Your cheats but we're beating you, your cheats but we're beating you"

**Dodge** · 07/01/2002, 5:07 PM

A couple of things.

1) The FAI don't record any post that comes into them that isn't by registered post. They may have received the players registration and lost it.

2) According to dalo's reasoning. Pats had no intention of sending in Marney's registration and decided to get a certificate of posting (on the day the didn't send it in!) saying it was posted to the FAI. Why did they do this? Just in case something like this happened. An inexperienced member of staff was sent to the post office and misunderstood the directions of the club officials

3) If Pats win the league, they would become unpopular. Fair enough, but how could a team live with itself knowing that they won due to an admin error

**mouldymurphy** · 07/01/2002, 5:08 PM

i wouldnt blame ollie ! if i was gunter or any other manager id be giving out too this means if we slip up we could be out of europe because of the dirty cheating scum from dublin!

they should have the 9 points taken off em it happened to us so why not them?just cos the fat **** of a manager does brunch with the big ****s of the fai why one rule for the dubs and one rule for the rest of the league they get away with it !!

**James** · 07/01/2002, 5:11 PM

thats a tad insulting there Mouldy

**SÓC** · 07/01/2002, 5:16 PM

Originally posted by Dodge
3) If Pats win the league, they would become unpopular. Fair enough, but how could a team live with itself knowing that they won due to an admin error

Just like how could a team live with itself if they knew they won the league because a player clearly cheated and handled the ball in the box but some how a ref missed it????????

Sorry bud you walked into that one

**Dodge** · 07/01/2002, 5:20 PM

Mouldy if you knew anything about Dolan you'd know how deeply UNpopular he is with the FAI due to his constant criticism of their lack of interest in our league.

You'd also know the arbritrator is not involved in the FAI or the league's hierarchy.

If Longford had nine points deducted and reinstated not one Shels, Rovers or Cork fan would have complained

**Dodge** · 07/01/2002, 5:31 PM

...about handball. I'd class that as a refereeing mistake and would go along with the theory that they balance out over the season. I know that we've been knocked out of enough cups by these but it is nothing as bad as having nine points deducted for an admin error.

No one in their right mind can honestly say Pats were cheating by playing Marney

**Éanna** · 07/01/2002, 5:35 PM

a few points:
1. I think the idea of deducting points is fundamentally wrong and stupid. punishments should be thru fines except in exceptional circumstances.

2. BUT: rules are rules. pats broke the rules, therefore they must abide by the punishment stipulated in the rules.

3. the FAI can't blame pats if they took 3 games to see it.

1+2+3= deduct 3 points, not 9 and everyone should be happy.

ALSO: the fact that shels hijacked this to have a go at the rest of the league AGAIN is a disgrace. typical shels, and i'd rather pats win it than them.

**pete** · 07/01/2002, 5:35 PM

1) Completely unreasonable for the FAI to have to check every team sheet in every game to see if an unregistered player playing. If anyone would like to suggest how this could be done let me know.... Theres no way also the FAI could make a record of all post comes through their doors.

2) The rule is there in the rule book apparently. It would appear to be one of the few clear rules in the book.

3) Pats just like every other club agrees to the rule book every season. If any club had a problem with they could challenge beefore the season starts or at any management meeting.

Essentially the FAI/Arbitrator/league have admitted Pats broke the rule (registered post), the accept some possibility they could have received & lost & giving them a nominally reduced fine.

Because registration is such an important thing clubs are required to use registered post for a reason!

**James** · 07/01/2002, 5:36 PM

no but still nobody can fairly say that the rules are there with the 3 points per game deduction per offence and they have now not been followed

if the rules are there then shouldnt they be followed

pats should be deducted at least 3 points irrespective of anything

they played an inelligable player...end of story

**Éanna** · 07/01/2002, 5:37 PM

good point pete. if the rule says registered post than pats claims of having a postal cert is irrelevant. registered post is registered post. end of story.

**SÓC** · 07/01/2002, 5:40 PM

Originally posted by Dodge
I'd class that as a refereeing mistake and would go along with the theory that they balance out over the season

Just as non-player registration balances itself out from season to season. City played an unregistered play and lost 3 points a few years back.

Pats palyed an unregistered player and should lose 3 points 9 is out of the question. I wouldnt honestly call them cheats but they broke the rules, there is a punishment laid out for that, it has been used before, why stop now.

You dont allow a player to get away with a foul even though he fouls in the spirt of the game.

kev · 07/01/2002, 5:42 PM

can cork city now get back the points we lost a few seasons ago!!!!!!!!!!? Same old dublin always cheating.

**James** · 07/01/2002, 5:44 PM

exactly and you cant go changing the rules no matter how stupid they are mid-season

its like the year city won the league when 3 teams finished level on points..and bohs fans arued they should have won because they had the better goals diff, and another club had most wins etc etc and city had the best defence..

******..the rules were at the start of that season that if u are level on points then you playoff..

just like this year , you had the register players by registered post.this wasnt followed so the outcome has to be the stipulated points deduction

this reversal is a fooking joke and makes a farce of the league

SACK THE FAI