Prospect of having no Dublin side in Leinster SFC more likely

THE High Court adjourned yet again yesterday evening with the prospect of Dublin having no representative in the Leinster SFC becoming more likely by the day.

Dublin champions Na Fianna were due to have their appeal against the county board's decision to dismiss them from the Dublin SFC heard last Monday. The court adjourned then to allow the county board prepare their own affidavits and gather witnesses for yesterday's session. However, both parties once again went home frustrated and were told to meet up this morning when the county board's affidavits will be read out. The High Court listened yesterday as Na Fianna's extensive affidavits were recited verbatim.

The big worry now is that if a definitive ruling is not reached by this evening, Sunday week's Leinster SFC tie against Wicklow champions Rathnew will be placed seriously in doubt.

The Dublin champions are due to play Rathnew in Aughrim. As it is, the Dublin SFC semi-final between UCD and Raheny is still outstanding along with the final, originally due to take place this Sunday against St Vincent's.

If the court today lifts the injunction against UCD playing Raheny, which was laid down ahead of their tie last weekend, then the match may be played off this weekend with the final likely to be played-off a day before the Rathnew tie.

However, should Na Fianna be reinstated, then a fixture pile-up could well ensue with Raheny's place in the competition being thrown into doubt, too. UCD manager Dave Billings last night hinted, however, that the college side may be prepared to extend the olive branch and even withdraw themselves from the championship to facilitate the tight schedule.

Billings originally mooted the idea privately at a meeting of the Dublin county board earlier in the week.

But he confirmed last night that he hadn't altered his stance. He said: "I stated, in a much broader context, earlier in the week at the county board meeting, that if it had to be done UCD would pull out of the championship to allow the competition to be run-off in time.

"I've always felt games should be settled on the grass rather than in the court, but what I'm saying is if that can't happen, then it's wrong for the county to suffer and to have no representative in the Leinster championship.

" It wasn't a glib remark or a show of disrespect for the championship that I made, there's a greater good involved in all of this."