Saint Patrick's Athletic have escaped with a fine and a warning from the Paul Marney fiasco.
The Saints met with the eircom League today to discuss how the player had played three games for St Pat's this season while he was not registered.
St Pat's sent the player's registration to the FAI by unregistered post and it never reached Merrion Square, which was a breach of League rules. It was feared that the club would be deducted three points for each game that Marney played in and so a total of nine points was at stake, a setback which would have ruined the season for Saint Pat's and the Eircom League.
However, the FAI has decided to make a decision in the spirit of football. The Saints have not been deducted any points but they have received a £1,000 fine and a strong warning from the League.
Last night, Kilkenny City general manager Jim Rhatigan called on the FAI not to take points away from the Saints, even though some of the club's supporters were actually accepting a deduction.
Relieved Pat's boss Pat Dolan criticised the manner in which the story originally appeared in the media afterwards and he suggested that someone within the FAI had deliberately leaked details of the episode to the media. Other Eircom League clubs and fans are up in arms tonight that the league's decision to abandon the rule book in this case may open up an administrative and legal can of worms that could have far reaching consequences.
The FAI statement on the Marney case
Thursday 6th September 2001
The officers of the eircom League met this morning with St Patrick’s Athletic. The meeting was held to discuss the breach by the club of Rule 16 (a) of the League Rules in playing an unregistered player, Paul Marney, in three League games this season.
The League was represented by Michael Hyland (Chairman), Declan O’Luanaigh (Treasurer) and Roy Dooney (Commissioner). St Patrick’s Athletic were represented by Phil Mooney (Secretary), Gary Branigan (General Manager) and Alan Duncan (Director)
St Patrick’s Athletic detailed the circumstances under which they had failed to register the player.
Following careful consideration of all relevant documents and oral submissions the officers of the League decided that as an inadvertent breach of the Rules only had occurred that St Patrick’s Athletic be fined IR£1,000 and warned about its future administration.
Michael Hyland Declan O’Luanaigh
Chairman Treasurer Roy Dooney
Commissioner
