Rovers keep license

Shamrock Rovers were granted a stay of execution by the FAI Club Licensing Committee when it decided against taking back the club’s Premier Division Licence.

As Rovers had gone into examinership, the Club Licensing Committee could, under Club Licensing guidelines, have withdrawn the Premier Division Licence and forced the club out of the eircom League – a potentially fatal step for the cash-strapped club.

However, after a hastily-arranged meeting yesterday evening, the committee decided to allow the club and court-appointed examiner Neil Hughes time to begin the business-saving process.

Shamrock Rovers’ chairman Tony Maguire welcomed the news, saying: “The FAI has acted very responsibly.”