Registration row brewing as Slane game to be replayed

It would never be a proper season in local football without a good old registration debacle.
Ritchie Nesbitt.Ritchie Nesbitt.
Ritchie Nesbitt.

Well, it has arrived.

It didn’t take long either as Moneyslane’s new signing Ritchie Nesbitt fell foul of the officials after just one game.

Slane thrashed Laurelvale 9-2 in their opening game of the season, Nesbitt starting and scoring.

However, in a bizarre move, the Mid-Ulster FA have ruled that game must be replayed.

“We can confirm that Ritchie Nesbitt has been handed a six game ban and that we have been told our match against Laurelvale must be replayed,” said Moneyslane.

The club also stated that they have lodged an appeal with the IFA but declined to comment any further on an active case.

Under the Mid-Ulster Football League rule 9A, “any team playing an ineligible player will be fined a minimum of £50 for each ineligible player and shall forfeit the points.”

When asked why this game is to be replayed and the points not awarded to Laurelvale as indicated above, the Mid-Ulster FA offered ‘no comment.’

They also declined to make any comment on whether or not Moneyslane followed procedure with a Request for Information form before signing the player.

However, the club have not received an automatic warning for failing to carry out the procedure, as is outlined in the Mid-Ulster Football League’s rule 7A.

Now the ball is in the Irish Football Association’s court with Moneyslane’s appeal.