FAI U14 national league publishes fixture list - without approval of governing body

A decision in November by the FAI board to defer the start of the league’s kick-off from March until July caused rancour in the League’s ranks

Fri, 14 Jan, 2022 - 21:39

John Fallon

There’s been another twist in the dispute over the delayed FAI’s U14 national league with the publication of fixtures without approval of the national body.

A decision in November by the FAI board to defer the start of the league’s kick-off from March until July, primarily to facilitate the completion of the Kennedy Cup tournament in Limerick, caused rancour in the League’s ranks.

Now, the circulation of fixtures to 16 clubs, 15 League of Ireland plus Klub Kildare, has further polarised the traditional factions in Irish football of schoolboys and national league. Only Bohemians, Treaty United, Bray Wanderers and Wexford of the 19 League clubs are not included on the schedule, due to kick off weekly from March 5.

Amid the heightened tensions, the Schoolboys FAI (SFAI) have discouraged their 31 leagues across the country from publicly reacting to "the disruption caused by national league clubs recruiting players in the 2008 age group.”

They added in their circular: “We are currently engaged with the FAI on this and in the meantime we ask that all concerned refrain from issuing or making statements publicly or to the media, or on social media, while we await the outcome from the FAI who have been apprised of the urgency of this matter.”

The FAI have been contacted for comment.