Bray Wanderers were left feeling like second-hand citizens of the Eircom League as the suspensions for the start of the season were announced.

Bray had to do without the services of Jason Byrne in last season's FAI Cup semi-final - even though they felt he had served out his suspension when Bray played St. Francis in the Leinster Senior Cup. The FAI disagreed and Byrne missed out, which caused a serious stink throughout the game.

Now Bray have to do without the services of Mick Doohan and Alan Byrne for their opening game of the season against Shelbourne, while Shels pair Pat Scully and Pat Fenlon have been adjudged to have served suspensions during last weekend's President's Cup game against Bohemians!

It all smacks of favouritism - or so Bray will feel. Why is the President's Cup any more important than the Leinster Senior Cup?

Spare a thought for poor old St. Francis. They have to do without the services of four of the players for their first league game. Glen Smart got a three-match ban while Ross McNally got a two-match ban and John Scott and John Donnelly have both been banned for one match.

Suspensions: 4 games - James Impey (Drogheda United); 3 games - Glen Smart (St. Francis), Dave Whittle and Alan Reynolds (Waterford United); 2 games - Conor Frawley and Adrian Carberry (Athlone Town), Trevor Molloy and Davie Nicholl (Bohemians), Greg O'Halloran (Cork City), Donal Golden (Cobh), John Connolly (Dundalk), Darragh Sheridan (Galway United), Brain Byrne (Shamrock Rovers), Donal Broughan (St. Pat's), Ross McNally (St. Francis) Jody Byrne (Waterford); 1 game - Mick Doohan and Alan Byrne (Bray Wanderers), Keith Dalton (Cobh), Liam Coyle, Eddie McCallion and James Quigley (Derry City), Mark Reid and Noel Melvin (Dundalk), Gareth Byrne and Tom McNulty (Drogheda), Billy Clery (Galway), Chris Malone and Anthony Duggan (Home Farm), Mark Kearns, David Walsh and Trevor Vaughan (Kilkenny City), Gareth Ryan and Derek Whyte (Limerick), Vinny Perth (Longford), Paul Hall (Monaghan), Jon Prizeman (Shelbourne), Keith Doyle and Paul Osam (St. Pat's), John Scott and John Donnelly (St. Francis), Anthony McDonnell (UCD), Brendan Rea (Waterford).