Swilly Rovers Football Club have lost their appeal to have sanctions and a €1,000 fine lifted by the FAI in the aftermath of racist allegations at Swilly Park.
The club will now consider other avenues of appeal to have the sanctions overturned in the controversy involving an Under 15 SFAI Cup game against Castlebar Celtic played on March 1st.
A player, Thierry Baba and his club alleged that he was racially abused at the game – a claim strenuously denied by the Donegal club.
The Tirconail Tribune reports the appeal was heard on Tuesday on the decision of the Schoolboys Football Association of Ireland to hit Swilly with a €1,000 fine and ban from playing any more home matches this season in national underage cup competitions.
On Wednesday morning Swilly Chairperson Edward Diver confirmed news of the FAI’s decision not to overturn the sanctions. He added that it would now be a matter for the club to decide whether to explore other possible appeal avenues or legal options in relation to their case.
Mr Diver declined to make any further comment on the matter until after a formal club meeting was held to discuss the FAI decision.
Swilly officials including Chairperson Edward Diver, Secretary Mick Geever, Schoolboys Secretary P.J. Kavanagh and U-15 managers Tony McNamee and Brian Harte attended the appeal hearing at the FAI Headquarters in Abbottstown on Tuesday and were accompanied by solicitor Seamus Gunn.
While Mr Diver said he was pleased with the way their case had been heard by the FAI Appeals Committee there is understandable disappointment within the club that at least some of the sanctions were not lifted.
The only minor alteration to the initial punishment handed down is that €500 of the original €1,000 fine is to be paid to a national anti-racism programme.
The appeal was heard on Tuesday after Swilly had sought a deferral of the hearing, which was originally scheduled for last Friday in order to deal with a large volume of documentation that was been received in relation to the alleged racist chanting towards Thierry Baba during an U-15 cup game against Castlebar Celtic at the beginning of March in Ramelton.
The original sanctions were handed down by the Schoolboys Football Association of Ireland (SFAI) following a disciplinary meeting in Dublin three weeks ago.
Swilly has also been ordered to undertake an FAI Intercultural Racism programme.
As a result of the appeal the Ramelton side’s U-15 SFAI Cup quarter-final game against Kerry’s Kingdom Boys scheduled for March 22nd at a neutral venue in Lucan, Dublin did not go ahead.
The match had originally been a home game for Swilly until the disciplinary sanctions were handed down. The rescheduling of that game will depend on what course of action the Swilly Rovers Club now decide upon after their appeal was turned down.
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