FAI hit back at Farrelly claims

The FAI has hit back at claims made by former Cork City midfielder Gareth Farrelly in a national newspaper today that the association has failed to support him in his bid to recover unpaid wages from the Cork club.

Farrelly has initiated legal proceedings against Cork City after having his contract annulled by the club in October last year. The midfielder had not played for the club since the previous May after he was admitted to hospital with a life-threatening stomach injury. Farrelly, who is now back in full training, claims that the club stopped paying him on August 12 after the club applied for examinership. He is now taking Cork City to court, in a bid to have his wages paid up in full, arguing he is entitled to the money under the terms of his contract.

The former Bolton and Bohemians player claims in today's Irish Sun that he has not heard a word from City despite repeated letters from his solicitor. He also claims that the FAI has "refused to get involved", with Farrelly claiming that it falls under the FAI's remit through Club Licensing. The FAI has reacted to the claims by saying in a press release this afternoon that: "Gareth Farrelly’s claim that he could not trust the FAI to resolve the issue of his unpaid wages is unfounded. All players who were due outstanding monies by Cork City FC and followed the club licensing process have received payment in full accordance with the agreements reached between the players, the PFAI and the club. This outcome was achieved following insistence by the FAI club licensing department that Cork City FC deal with these matters."

The FAI statement also adds that: "Gareth Farrelly’s decision to take his dispute over the payment of wages by Cork City FC last season to a national legislative body precluded the Independent Club Licensing Committee from including his case in their decision to award a license to Cork City FC. (FIN 1.04, FAI Club licensing manual)."

The Irish Sun states that Farrelly complained to the Rights Commissioner last month after concluding that the FAI would not act. Farrelly is quoted by the newspaper as saying: “They stopped paying me on August 12 right until the end of my contract. I was let go because they classified me as a non-essential playing member, I had been sick. I wanted to play, I made three attempts to come back and each attempt was declined by the club. The examiner was saying: ‘you’re not being paid so you can’t come back’. When they went back to the High Court to come out of examinership, the examiner appeared to state that my case should be held and heard under the terms of the FAI, which resorted back to the licensing issue.

“Within the High Court, I was classified as a contingent creditor and that, I believe, should be looked upon and covered under the rules of the FAI. But the FAI have not acted on that. As far as I am aware, Cork have ignored all correspondence — they haven’t acknowledged it at all.”

The Irish Sun says Farrelly claims that Cork have stated the problem should be dealt with by the examiner.

Cork City were have been awarded a licence to compete in the Premier Division for the 2009 season - providing that the club pays back wages to three other players — not including Farrelly. Farrelly added to the Irish Sun: "From where I sit now, how can Cork be given a licence? I felt I couldn’t trust the FAI to get it right. And that’s why I had to look at possibly taking legal action.”

It's not known whether Cork City will make a statement with reference to the matter.