Portmarnock appeal halts match - February 8,
2001
Dundalk were furious yesterday after making the tip to Dublin for their FAI Cup third-round match against Portmarnock - only to be told just 45 minutes before kick-off that the match was off.
The match officials had inspected the Baldonnel pitch at 9.30 am and were also present and ready to start - but the game had to be called off after Portmarnock lodged a formal appeal against the fixture.
Portmarnock were known to be unhappy at having to play the game at short notice - the original fixture at the AUL Complex on Saturday was called off because of a waterlogged pitch and the decision to refix for yesterday was taken only on Tuesday.
The junior side immediately announced that they would appeal the refixture, claiming that the short notice would cause major problems at work for their amateur players.
The FAI sought to circumvent the Portmarnock appeal by having it heard early yesterday morning - but Portmarnock got around that by the simple expedient of waiting until 1.25 pm to lodge the appeal!
Once the appeal was lodged and found to be in order, the FAI had no option but to postpone the game pending the hearing, which must be within fourteen days.
Dundalk, for whom about 60 supporters also made the fruitless trip yesterday, are facing into a fixture logjam, with three Eircom League first division games over the next ten days, not to mention this up-in-the-air cup match.
"We regret that the Dundalk officials and supporters were on their way to the game along with the match officials when the decision was made," an FAI statement said, "but the association could not take a decision to call off the game until we received the Portmarnock appeal."