If...

[Gerry Desmond]

...CCFC had used an unregistered player in three games would they have been fined £1,000 as St Pat's have been this morning, or docked full points as they were in 1995-96? What do you all think?

Gerry

[Citymark]

Seems a bit unusual. They broke the rules and rules state that 3 points deducted for every match the player played in. St Pats should be deduced 9 points. However to be honest I think that would have been harsh, maybe a 3 point deduction and fine would have been better.

[pete]

Remind me of the exact circumstances of the previous City oversight?

[Citymark]

Actually this does set an unusual precident. If in the future any team plays an 'unregistered player', they may only have to pay a fine, as they can use the example of St Pats getting away with it. Be interesting to see come the end of the season where St Pats finish and how much a points reduction wouold have affected the standings. What happens if a club misses out on Europe due to St Pats position, can they appeal?

[Schumi]

It didn't help Dundalk much last year.

[Gerry Desmond]

Originally posted by rebel
Remind me of the exact circumstances of the previous City oversight?

November 1995 v UCD @ Belfield. It was the season City played a bucket load of English players in dribs and drabs, went bust, Bishopstown collapsed, and the club was close enough to being relegated.
One or two of the imports - I forget who exactly, but Paul Mattison comes to mind - were signed shortly before the UCD game which City won 1:0. Tony O'Neill of UCD realised the player(s) may not have been properly registered and flagged it. The club was docked 3 points and I'm sure (but not certain now) that there was a fine also. I couldn't say if it was a genuine oversight by the club secretary or not, but it's hard to imagine any club in those circumstances being dim enough to deliberately play unregistered players in midseason and hope to get away with it. Maybe it was an 'unregistered letter' case similar to St Pats, I don't know. If anybody from UCD can throw any light on it, it would be great.

That's about all I can remember about it now.

Gerry

[pete]

Don't particularily remember that event too much but then again an altogether forgetable year in CCFC's history. Might have been last year in college so probably lapsed from the City cause too.

I think the thing that would set the Pats episode apart is that Marney was register for them last year (probably just played u-21) & the FAI just didn't have him registered for this year. So a bit different from parachuting a player in mid-season.

People are blaming the Commish but i've a feeling he didn't have the last word on this matter & was meerly part of a Disciplinary Committee.

I think in fairness to the FAI would be very hard to deduct 9 points & it seemed to be either 9 or zero. Saying all that 1k is a pitiful fine.

[Leonard]

Wasn't Wimpleton one of the unregistered players?

Unfortunate when this type of thing happens, really. It's not like Pats would delibretly do something like this. What really annoys me is the Shels chairman mouthing off in the Times. He should keep his mouth shut and let the FAI deal with it, or the next time they try to re-organise a Leinster Cup game to get players off suspension they might be in for a nice surprise.

[Gerry Desmond]

Originally posted by Leonard
Wasn't Wimpleton one of the unregistered players?

You might be right about Paul Wimbleton, Leonard. Can't recall if it was him or Mattison. Maybe it was both!

I think at the time the FAI/League had absolutely no compassion for City as they had been messing around for a couple of seasons with a string of games postponed and Bishopstown turning into a pure embarrassment. Pats this morning, by contrast, seem to have got a sympathetic hearing. I think in City's case it was probably one mess up too many. But still, the rules are the rules and it shouldn't come down to whether you are liked or not in high places.

Gerry