Cork City finish top of Fair Play League

Cork City may have been pipped to the top spot in the eircom League this year but they finished top of the Fair Play League, it was revealed today.

In the Premier Division, Pat Dolan's City side topped the table with 1,195 points with Drogheda United second on 1,187 points. In the First Division, UCD came first with 1,107 points while Finn Harps were second with 1,083 points.

Cork City will receive €4,500 in prize money while Drogheda United will receive €1,900. In the First Division, UCD will receive €2,500 while Finn Harps will receive €1,300.

Each year, three European teams qualify for the First Qualifying Round of the UEFA Cup by way of the Fair Play competition. The representative team of the national association that tops the UEFA Fair Play competition automatically receives a place and a further two teams are drawn from those Associations whose fair play co-efficient equals or exceeds 8.00.

The winners of the eircom League Premier Division Fair Play League are entitled to, at a minimum, represent the Republic of Ireland in that UEFA fair play draw for one of the places on offer in the First Qualifying Round of the UEFA Cup should the Republic of Ireland's fair play co-efficient be equal to or greater than 8.00.

However, if the Republic of Ireland top the UEFA Fair Play table then its representatives will automatically receive a place in the First Qualifying Round of the UEFA Cup.

As Cork City have already qualified for that stage of the competition as a result of their second-place finish in the Premier Division in 2004, Drogheda United will be the Republic of Ireland's nomination for either the automatic place in the UEFA Cup or in the draw next year should the criteria as outlined above be fulfilled.