Irish League registration sagas. You’re always guaranteed one or two over the course of a season these days.
The latest has just been resolved; in the Irish Cup, Ards lodged an appeal following their Sixth Round defeat to Institute regarding the eligibility of Oisin Devlin for the fixture and, as it happened, there was merit behind their cause.
The 17-year-old ‘Stute midfielder, who Larne signed in the January window on a three-and-a-half-year deal but will remain with the north west club until the end of the campaign, was the subject of protestations after he was added to the substitutes’ bench having not initially been named in the submitted matchday squad.
Ards claimed their boss John Bailie had not been informed of the change and, after Mikhail Kennedy’s eighth-minute strike that won the tie for Institute to tee up a big quarter-final date with Linfield at the Brandywell, passed on their protest to the Irish FA’s Challenge Cup Committee.
However, despite Rule 7c – “Any amendments to the team sheet in accordance with points a) and b) above (relating to changes in the line-up) must be communicated to the opposing team manager in the presence of one of the Match Officials as soon as possible prior to the commencement of the match” – having been found to have been breached, the appeal was rejected on the grounds that Devlin’s eligibility was unaffected and that Institute had heeded the protocol correctly when the teenager was installed into Kevin Deery’s matchday panel.
Ards lodged a counter-appeal which was to be heard by the IFA Appeals Committee and, on Wednesday, learned that this was also unsuccessful, meaning Institute will play the Blues on Sunday, March 3 in the Irish Cup last-eight.
The main sticking point on this occasion seemed to centre more on communication rather than the Comet registration system itself, which has come under fire at intermittent points.
And it follows earlier appeals in 2023/24 by Ballymacash Rangers, who booked a County Antrim Shield semi-final place after a successful protest when Knockbreda swapped goalkeepers Marc Matthews and Ben Fry pre-match before introducing Matthews to the fray in their penalty shoot-out success, and Coleraine, whose appeal surrounding ex-Cliftonville star Chris Gallagher’s eligibility for the Irish Cup Fifth Round clash that they lost 3-0 in January was swiftly dismissed by the IFA.
Previously, Portadown lost the three points to Newry City despite a 3-1 success in December 2022 when, similar to Knockbreda, Alberto Balde was benched after being first named in the starting XI before coming on as a first-half sub – the rules stipulate ‘physical incapacity’ is the only reason such a switch can be made – while, famously, Glentoran were kicked out of the Irish Cup earlier that year after fielding the suspended Joe Crowe in their quarter-final clash, also against Newry, that sparked a messy and outspoken saga.
These registration debates have grown wearisome for many Irish League fans, and Comet has been regularly targeted as a root cause of the problem.
But it’s easy to point the finger when developing methods is what really needs to be done to enhance the model.
Yes, precedents are set by these rulings, and improved clarity is often an objective positive to come out of these sorts of situations.
Fanbases are always going to be unhappy when an appeal doesn’t go their way, and Ards supporters have vented frustration that a protest laid on legitimate grounds has not resulted in success.
Institute, who are fourth in the Playr-Fit Championship and chasing promotion to the top-flight, will motor on as planned and prepare to host a Sunday service when Linfield visit.
But – and to stress, this is not to apportion blame on either club concerned – these cases must be what drives the improvement of the registration system in Northern Ireland football.
If there are flaws with Comet itself, appeals should be the platform from which improvements are applied to make it more streamlined, while there’s also an onus on club administrators to know the rules as well as the IFA to deliver clarity where required.
How much longer can it go on? How many protests will be submitted before we see them subside for good as a result of the rules regarding registration appeals being crystal clear? If there is a case to answer, certainly it should be heard, but in an era of improving professionalism in the Irish League, surely this is an area which needs to get up to speed?
There is work to be done, because these matters really should be settled on the pitch rather than inside four walls.
Featured image from Stephen Hamilton/INPHO.
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