Mayo soccer club receive update on counter-appeal in FAI Junior Cup

After a lengthy series of appeals, Mayo soccer side Castlebar Celtic can finally start preparing for the FAI Junior Cup quarter-final.

The men from Celtic Park travelled to Waterford in mid-February to take on Villa FC in the competition’s last-16 phase, losing 3-0.

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However, the Elverys Sports Super League champions appealed the result of the tie on the basis that Villa FC were alleged to have fielded a player who was ineligible to play due to playing in the League of Ireland after the FAI Junior Cup had begun.

On March 10, it was revealed that Castlebar Celtic were successful in their appeal, and the result was overturned, allowing them to progress to the last-eight.

Since then, Villa FC since launched a counter-appeal. That counter-appeal was heard by the FAI Disciplinary Control Unit on Thursday afternoon on Zoom.

Villa were unsuccessful in their counter-appeal and have since exited the competition. The club now has the option of escalating the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport

The hearing result means that, after a series of lengthy delays, the quarter-final between Castlebar Celtic and Salthill Devon will be played on the weekend of April 12/13.

Rule 13.2 of the Football Association of Ireland Junior Challenge Cup Competition Rules 2024/2025 states that ‘A player who has played in the FAI Senior Cup with a League of Ireland Premier or First Division team during the season of this competition is not eligible to participate in the FAI Junior Cup’.

Rule 2(f.) from the FAI Junior Challenge Cup 2022/23 rulebook states the following:

“If the Competition Manager/Area Manager has any doubt as to the qualification of any player taking part in the Competition they shall have the of power to call upon such player or team to which he belongs, or for which he has played , to prove he is a qualified according to the rules and failing satisfactory proof, the disciplinary committee may disqualify such player and may remove the team from the competition.”