Harps awaiting final league structure
Credit: Extratime Team (ETPhotos)
Finn Harps received good news from the meeting of the Independent Club Licensing Committee of the Football Association of Ireland on Monday when they were granted a First Division licence for the new campaign.
The Ballybofey club will have to wait until the end of the week at the latest to hear just what the composition of the First Division will be. With Sporting Fingal ceasing to exist last week, their place in the Premier Division will be taken by Drogheda United.
However, the surprise of the day came when Galway United were refused a Premier Licence for failure to fulfil the financial criteria. The club were awarded an A Championship Licence.
Galway have five days to appeal the decision, but if they are unsuccessful, Monaghan United are expected to take their place in the top-flight, which would leave Harps and as little as six other teams in the First Division.
Limerick FC were awarded a conditional First Division Licence. The committee requested the club to provide security regarding the financial commitments outlined in their budget as presented and must comply with this request by close of business on Thursday in order to receive a licence.
Harps will be represented at a meeting in Abbotstown on Friday with the Football Association of Ireland and representatives from the Airtricity League. Club chairman Joey O’Leary expects things to be made clearer by then.
“We’re glad to have obtained the licence as it’s a long and arduous task that starts in November and runs through until February,” he said. “We were reasonably confident, but glad to have received positive confirmation. Of course, we sympathise with the plight of Galway United and wish them the best as they try and get this matter resolved and also would like to congratulate Fanad United on their licence.
“Licensing has its critics and every year the process seems to get more and more difficult, but in the long term it is a good idea. If it had’ve been implemented before it was the league would be better for it.
“Of course it’s awkward not knowing the lie of the land three weeks before the season starts, but when the fixtures were given out in December, there were done so subject to licensing. It’s not ideal of course, but we expect to know a bit more after Friday’s meeting.”
Article originally appeared in the Donegal Democrat newspaper
The Ballybofey club will have to wait until the end of the week at the latest to hear just what the composition of the First Division will be. With Sporting Fingal ceasing to exist last week, their place in the Premier Division will be taken by Drogheda United.
However, the surprise of the day came when Galway United were refused a Premier Licence for failure to fulfil the financial criteria. The club were awarded an A Championship Licence.
Galway have five days to appeal the decision, but if they are unsuccessful, Monaghan United are expected to take their place in the top-flight, which would leave Harps and as little as six other teams in the First Division.
Limerick FC were awarded a conditional First Division Licence. The committee requested the club to provide security regarding the financial commitments outlined in their budget as presented and must comply with this request by close of business on Thursday in order to receive a licence.
Harps will be represented at a meeting in Abbotstown on Friday with the Football Association of Ireland and representatives from the Airtricity League. Club chairman Joey O’Leary expects things to be made clearer by then.
“We’re glad to have obtained the licence as it’s a long and arduous task that starts in November and runs through until February,” he said. “We were reasonably confident, but glad to have received positive confirmation. Of course, we sympathise with the plight of Galway United and wish them the best as they try and get this matter resolved and also would like to congratulate Fanad United on their licence.
“Licensing has its critics and every year the process seems to get more and more difficult, but in the long term it is a good idea. If it had’ve been implemented before it was the league would be better for it.
“Of course it’s awkward not knowing the lie of the land three weeks before the season starts, but when the fixtures were given out in December, there were done so subject to licensing. It’s not ideal of course, but we expect to know a bit more after Friday’s meeting.”
Article originally appeared in the Donegal Democrat newspaper
