Problems for intermediate clubs in the FAI Cup?

[Schumi]

From The Irish Times:

Leinster Senior League club Cherry Orchard continue to be frustrated by the FAI's refusal to legally allow them field a full side in their FAI Senior Cup second round tie with fellow non-league side St Mochta's on Saturday, July 26th.

The complication is such that the Ballyfermot club may pull out of the competition.

The famous nursery club are particularly affected by the FAI's insistence that players who played for other clubs in last season's FAI Intermediate Cup are cup-tied for this season's FAI Senior Cup as the Intermediate Cup is a pre-qualifying tournament for the non-National League teams.

Fellow intermediate side Belgrove are also heavily affected by the ruling while National League Premier Division side St Patrick's Athletic are unhappy that three of their pre-season signings - Keith Dunne, Keith Fahy and Anthony Murphy, who played in the Intermediate Cup last season - are also ineligible.

Cherry Orchard make the valid point that this is a new season and that the rule is particularly unfair on them because players from their second team, whom they could use, would then be ineligible to play in the FAI Junior Cup next season.

As Cherry Orchard have made eight new signings from other intermediate clubs during their close season, manager Paul O'Brien has only eight eligible players, according to the FAI Senior Cup ruling.

"We have been backed into a corner by this," said O'Brien. "We have three options open to us. One is to simply pull out of the competition which is something we don't want to do as it's the blue riband and a great opportunity for players to play in the FAI Senior Cup, an opportunity they may never have again.

"The second option is to play St Mochta's with just eight players. In that situation I would have to play an outfield player in goal as my new 'keeper is cup-tied.

"The third option is to draft seven of our Saturday side into the first team squad and play them and wait and see what action the FAI take on that.

"We are an amateur club and released all our players at the end of last season. To make players available for the FAI Cup 2003 we had to re-register players at the end of May, which we did.

"We were told that the only stipulation regarding new signings was that they had to be signed 14 days before the FAI Cup match.

"We replaced players and are now told that if we go by the FAI ruling in regard to the FAI Senior Cup we have only eight eligible players.

"The logical step for us is to pick seven players from our second team to make up a squad. But that has also been taken out of our hands as we've been told by the FAI that if we play our junior players they will lose their junior status and will not be eligible to play in the FAI Junior Cup and Leinster Junior Cup this coming season.

"That ruling only affects intermediate clubs and doesn't affect Portmarnock, for example, who are a junior club.

"As the only junior club in the FAI Senior Cup, Portmarnock have been given special dispensation on that particular ruling.

"All the FAI have said to us in relation to us possibly pulling out of the competition is that if that is what we have to do then go ahead and do it."

[Dodge]

Was there not a frist round tie a few weeks ago? What team did they play in that?

[The Sheliban]

"All the FAI have said to us in relation to us possibly pulling out of the competition is that if that is what we have to do then go ahead and do it."


Er, hello?? This is the new, improved post-Genesis, ultra-professional FAI? The Fran Rooney-inspired, can-do, hands-on, problem-solving new kids on the block?

Plus ca change.......

[Macy]

seems far enough to me, if they can't field a team then thats their problem... As Dodge says, they played a first round tie, presumably against someone who potentially was similarly affected so why kick up a fuss now? They'll be senior teams (including Pats) that will also have players ruled out....

[Macy]

Rooney praises clubs for agreeing FAI Cup “amnesty”

32 club unanimous agreement achieved

Dublin, 23rd July

FAI Chief Executive Officer, Fran Rooney said he was delighted that all 32 clubs in the FAI Senior Cup had agreed to the proposed amnesty enabling players cup-tied through their participation in the Intermediate Cup 2002/3 to now participate in the Senior competition.

He thanked all eircom League, Intermediate and Junior clubs for their efforts in working with the initiative, proposed last weekend, to address the anomaly in this year’s FAI Senior Cup. The proposal asked that a once-off amnesty be granted to players cup-tied as a result of the move to summer soccer of the eircom League.

“We asked all clubs to agree to park the rule-book, on a once-off basis, in favour of a common sense approach in solving a problem regarding eligibility of players arising from the successful switch to summer soccer”, Mr Rooney said today.

“I would like to thank all the club chairmen, secretaries, managers and officials along with Charlie Cahill, Noel Kennelly and the FAI team who worked right through the weekend and up until today in an effort to gain full consensus for the proposal to grant a once-off amnesty”, the CEO added.

The strict application of Rule 7 of the FAI Cup provides that players who had competed in the Intermediate Cup of 2002/3 were not eligible to play in the Senior Cup ties commencing this week.

The CEO had asked for approval for the proposed amnesty last Saturday from the FAI’s Domestic Committee, chaired by Milo Corcoran. Following its agreement to the proposal, Rooney wrote to all 32 clubs on Sunday asking for their co-operation.

With a formal rule amendment not possible before the next EGM, all clubs have now agreed not to object to another club playing specified cup-tied players in this week’s Senior Cup matches.

“When looking at the issue at the end of last week, it became clear that while it is critical that rules are upheld, the impact of applying the letter of the law would be severe. We asked for everyone’s co-operation to arrive at a solution which would be fair to all”, Mr Rooney added.

“It is great to see the football community come together collectively to find a solution which is in the interest and spirit of the game”, he said.

[TommyT]

Originally posted by Dodge
Was there not a frist round tie a few weeks ago? What team did they play in that?

Last week in May Dodge, before their close season so players hadn't moved clubs.

Macy I think Tolka have a settled side so they'd have been largely unaffected. I was at their game in the previous round (a local derby with Ballymun Utd) so I'm quite looking forward toseeing how they get on on Sun.

[Dodge]

Yeah forgot the registration's would've finished on July 1st...

[noby]

Of course, the other problem for intermediate clubs in the FAI cup is the fact that the cup is now being held in their close season.
With the eL playing summer footie, and becoming more and more professional, fitness wise etc, will we see less and less 'cup upsets' in the years to come.

p.s. its nice to see Rooney make descisions to keep things moving, but agreeing to ignore a rule?? is this progress?

[Dodge]

Well the Agm is a couple of weeks ago and they couldn't change the rule until then. He has said that this agreement is a once off