Play-off plan looks dead in water

National League: Hopes that the eventual destination of the league title might have been resolved on football pitches rather than in courts receded severely yesterday as St Patrick's Athletic officials denied that any deal had been done with Shelbourne to stage a two- legged play-off and several other clubs reacted coolly to the idea.

Despite strong indications from other quarters that there was broad agreement between St Patrick's president Tim O'Flaherty and Shelbourne chairman Finbarr Flood on the issue. O'Flaherty said yesterday that the pair had only explored a variety of ways in which the relations between the two clubs might be repaired. He specifically denied that talks over a play-off had taken place.

There was some speculation that the Richmond Park line was aimed at preventing a full-scale debate breaking out on the proposals before they had properly taken shape or received the blessing of the FAI. Others said they had simply been taken aback by the speed at which word of the talks had leaked out.

Privately, however, there were rumblings from Dundalk, who feared that the deal would leave St Patrick's facing into the prospect of two crucial games when they take the field against Longford - Dundalk's relegation rivals - tomorrow.

At Shamrock Rovers the attitude of chairman Joe Colwell also seemed to have hardened considerably. "We would be against it," he said.

"Wherever we finish we will stay there, if we finish third then we will go into the Intertoto Cup and if we finish second we will go into the UEFA Cup. Those are the rules and that is the way it should be."

Even the reported enthusiasm of Shelbourne officials for the plan may have been dampened somewhat by the news that the financial implications might have been severe for the club.

Apparently, the club effectively insures itself against having to pay out the bonuses its players would be entitled to in the event that they win the league. These are believed to run to something in the region of €100,000.

It seems the company involved has made it known that the money would not be paid if the title was won other than in strict accordance with the rule book. The potential deficit could cancel out the bulk of the monetary gain from winning the title in the first place.

Shelbourne manager Dermot Keely also admits to having been against the idea of the play-off, on the basis, he says, that "it condones the mistakes that have been made". The current situation is "far from nice" he says, but he insists, "from the age of seven upwards having all your players properly registered is part of what's involved in winning a league and I don't see why that should change now".

Still, he admits that there will be precious little sense of celebration at Dalymount Park tomorrow where Shelbourne will arrive as champions elect, despite the fact that St Patrick's will finish the 33 games played by both clubs with a better record.

"To all intents and purposes," he says, "we're champions and you'd expect there to be a carnival atmosphere. But there won't be anything really, you can't really be happy about winning the league in what has been such a bad year for football."

His rivals at St Patrick's, needless to say, are still some way off conceding that Shelbourne have won the title at all. Having celebrated their own achievement of ensuring that their record on the pitch will be superior to Shelbourne's, they are bound to carry themselves about with a certain swagger pending the result of their appeal against the 15-point deduction and, no doubt, beyond it.

Tomorrow, though, they go to Flancare Park knowing that, with that appeal not due to be heard until next week, they must win and hope Rovers drop points against Galway if they are to be sure of at least second place in the official table and UEFA Cup football next season.

Longford also have plenty to play for. A point at home or Dundalk failing to win in Monaghan would guarantee Longford's place in the relegation play-offs rather than seeing them relegated automatically.

Martin Lawlor's side would even survive the combination of a home defeat and a Dundalk win as long as the winning margin in either game doesn't exceed a single goal.