THE SSE AIRTRICITY League First Division will proceed as a 10-team league this season — featuring Shamrock Rovers II but without Limerick FC.
The FAI confirmed on Wednesday evening that “all applicants have been awarded licences” for the 2020 campaign following the club licencing process.
All 10 top-flight clubs have been awarded the required Premier Division licences, with Shamrock Rovers II green-lit as one of the 10 First Division teams.
But Limerick FC do not feature among the list of approved clubs despite reaching a settlement in their legal action against the FAI last month.
Limerick took a High Court case against the FAI, claiming that they had not been invited to submit an licencing application and were therefore being excluded from the league.
The case was formally settled and struck out after the FAI accepted that the club had come out of examinership in December 2019 and confirmed that they were eligible to submit an application for First Division and underage licencing.
Limerick’s legal challenge left the FAI in the highly unusual position of releasing two sets of draft fixture lists for the First Division — a 10-team schedule including Rovers II, and an 11-team schedule featuring both Rovers II and Limerick FC.
Limerick club chairperson Pat O’Sullivan was unavailable for comment when contacted by The42 on Wednesday evening.
The new Premier Division season kicks off on Friday evening with the First Division getting under way on Friday 21 February.
Premier Division Licences
Bohemian FC, Cork City, Derry City, Dundalk, Finn Harps, Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne, Sligo Rovers, St. Patrick’s Athletic, Waterford FC.
First Division Licences
Athlone Town, Bray Wanderers, Cabinteely, Cobh Ramblers, Drogheda United, Galway United, Longford Town, Shamrock Rovers II, UCD AFC, Wexford FC.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
A complete utter farce. Is the U19 league scrapped or do Shamrock Rovers also have a team for that league?. The FAI should have brought in a Kerry, Tipp and a Monaghan team to the First Division.
@Padraig: Why? A lot of teams in Europe have a B team, if it makes the league more competitive, attracts more revenue and sponsorship, then I say, why not, best of luck to them.
@Padraig: Healy Rae United yeah sounds great instead of playing in a great stadium in Tallaght
@Ciarán Seosamh: so why just Rovers second team. Why not include Dundalk and Cork city’s second team’s?. What happens if Rovers 2 win the first division, do they play themselves next year?. It’s completely ridiculous.
@Ciarán Seosamh: It does none of those things. Plus empty stadiums.
@Padraig: They can’t be promoted if they win the league .
@Padraig: what’s completely ridiculous is your total lack of knowledge on the subject. Neither dundalk or cork applied to put a team in. And rovers can’t win the division even if they won every game and finished top. Was part of the agreement.
@William Bambrick: rovers B team will bring a bigger crowd than most of the first division teams do now.
@Kevin: surely they can win the division but they can’t be promoted?
@Patrick O’Sullivan: what would happen if Rovers 1st team were relegated?
@Padraig: if it is not sustainable to have a league of Ireland team in Limerick then there isn’t much hope for it to work in Kerry, Tipperary or Monaghan. To the best of my knowledge none of these counties submitted an application for a license in any case. Rovers have great facilities available to them and this will give lots of young players league experience which is never a bad thing.
What’s new ? Same problems that have decimated Limerick for years , wrong people involved.Two different bodies involved this time , one involving pat o Sullivan who has the naming rights for “Limerick “ . All a terrible mess . Where they were going to get players from is another story altogether .Limerick city need a top team ran by soccer people and all ran with transparency .
Mon the Hoops x2
Pat O’Sullivan should never be allowed near the league again. How injured players were treated in Limerick was disgraceful