Shels frozen out of Atlantic - December 13, 2000
Eleven clubs from Scotland and Scandinavia - including Celtic and Rangers - will today lobby UEFA with their proposals for an 'Atlantic League'. But Ireland's Shelbourne will not be among them.
The eleven banded together amidst fears that clubs from unfashionable countries like Scotland and Norway would be frozen out in moves towards a European club 'Superleague' of Dutch, Spanish and Italian stars - and Shelbourne immediately made a bid for inclusion.
But the Atlantic League clubs will make a formal presentation to UEFA today without the Irish double champions.
The eleven did announce yesterday that there would be room for others to join them "on merit" - but they did not specify whether their plans included an Irish representative.
Shelbourne chairman Gary Browne said: "Of course I am conscious that we may not get in at all. But having said that I am convinced that we have the structures at this club to fulfil the necessary criteria."