PFAI meets again Sunday - March 8,
2001
The Professional Footballers Association of Ireland has called an urgent meeting of its members for this Sunday to discuss matters arising out of yesterday's meeting with Eircom League officials.
Yesterday's meeting was arranged to discuss the postponement of games and the non-payment of players because of the foot-and-mouth disease crisis - but the players say they are not happy with some of the League's proposals, while other important issues were deferred to another meeting next week.
Now the PFAI wants players from al of the 22 league clubs to be represented at Sunday's meeting in Dublin.
"There are a number of issues on the table and we see where the League are coming from," said PFAI rep Pat Fenlon, the Shelbourne midfielder. "There are three or four issues we would have no problems with but there are a couple that we are not too happy about.
"The matches that are presently being postponed are not a problem because they will be played whenever they are fixed for but the problems lie in the fact that the season is likely to be delayed but nothing is insurmountable.
"We will discuss the proposals with our members and I would imagine that we will have some amendments to make but we are all looking for a satisfactory solution to the matter and hopefully that is achievable."
PFAI chairman Fran Gavin said: "At the moment, no one knows what to do to alleviate the situation but the first thing to consider is the full time players in our League.
"There are players who have already taken two pay cuts this season. We want to know how clubs pay their players in the off season. If there is an extended break in football now, it will be pushed into the off season.
"We're all in this together players, managers, referees, officials, even the media. Everyone's affected and we'll do our best to resolve this situation."