| New club in showdown with the County
Board  By
Graham Clifford
The first new GAA club in London for almost three years have had their
league plans thrown into disarray following a dispute with the County
Board.
The recently-founded Fulham Irish club has clashed with officials over
the issue of player transfers. Now representatives of the club say they
are going to take the board to the Disputes Resolution Authority (DRA)
unless they allow players who want to move and who did not play in last
year’s league to join up.
The club based in West London has had attempts to register a number of
players blocked and feel aggrieved by the County board’s stance
on the matter.
A club source said they feel they are left with no other option but to
take legal action as the league begins on Sunday, April 9.
He said: “All we are trying to do is facilitate players who haven’t
played in last year’s championship. Most of these players have the
backings of their clubs to move but the County board are just stifling
us at every move.”
County Board Chairman Larry O’Leary says there is no intentional
policy to hamper Fulham Irish’s progress but that precedence has
to be followed and other clubs protected.
A number of players have received letters from the Disciplinary Committee
saying they are not allowed to move since Fulham cannot receive inter-club
transferees in their first year.
However club officials say they did not agree to such a condition on registration
as the move would be unpractical.
The club source added: “Surely if we get new players in London they’re
going to have to have played with some club or other in the past.
“We would not have agreed to such a move as it would mean the club
was operating with a smaller squad. Fulham Irish is not attempting to
get players who played in the last 48 weeks but rather re-introduce players
back to Gaelic football.”
The County Board are now believed to be re-considering the player’s
transfer requests with a meeting scheduled for April 10 at which the issue
of Fulham Irish’s plight is to be addressed and initial refusals
of transfers possibly overturned. However Fulham Irish say they want the
situation sorted immediately.
“The league begins on April 9 but we have this meeting on April
10. How as a club are we supposed to prepare for the league if we don’t
know what players we can play by the time the competition starts?”
added a Fulham official.
Fulham Irish is now drawing up a draft application to be sent to the DRA.
The process should it go ahead could be costly and drawn out but the club
feel they have to get to the bottom of the matter.
Fulham Irish say they are ready to particiapte in the league and said
the club should prosper.
The official said: “We have good financial backing, a professional
trainer and enthusiastic organisers. All we need now is for the London
County Board to allow us to have these players. None of them will be especially
missed from their old clubs.
“Most of them haven’t played for two or three years and if
they are not allowed to join they will never play Gaelic football with
a club in London again. Is this what’s best for the GAA here?”
Explaining the County Board’s caution in relation to transfers Larry
O’Leary said: “We wish Fulham Irish all the best and hopefully
we can iron out these issues. However it’s our responsibility to
ensure all clubs are protected when it comes to transfers.
“There’s no point in having one new club when three others
are left without players. But if those seeking transfers did not play
in last year’s league and have the approval of their own club to
move then hopefully we’ll be able to give them the all-clear. We
can have movement on the issue once all sides step back and look at how
best to resolve the problems.”
Time is not on Fulham Irish’s side though and unless an emergency
meeting can be called in the next week then it seems legal action will
defintely take place.
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