TIME finally ran out for St James's Gate yesterday when they were removed from the First Division of the National League after failing to provide guarantees of their viability.
The end of an increasingly forlorn struggle for one of the country's oldest clubs came when a crisis meeting with National League officials failed to materialise.
On Monday they had been given a further 24 hours to clarify points of a proposed new sponsorship deal which, they claimed, would guarantee their solvency for the season.
Later it transpired that the sponsorship had been withdrawn and with insufficient funds available to sustain them even on a temporary basis, the announcement that their membership had been lapsed became a formality.
A statement issued by the league's press officer, Tony Sheehan, read: "Following a meeting with Brendan O'Regan, representing the St James's Gate club, the FAI Harp National League concluded that the club could not operate on a viable basis in the League this season.
"Accordingly, they were informed that they were being removed as members of the League. This will be formally verified at a meeting of the management committee of the League next Monday. The League Cup games involving the club have been cancelled."
St James's Gate, the club from which Jackie Carey transferred to Manchester United in 1937 in one of the most successful of all deals involving an Irish player, was founded in 1902 but lapsed from senior competition in 1944.
They returned in 1990 as a replacement for Newcastle West, but they failed to make an impact in the First Division despite liberal sponsorship last season.
Their demise at this stage of the season presents league officials with a difficult problem and will make for some animated discussion when applications to fill the vacancy are heard next Monday.
With the promotion of Bray Wanderers and Home Farm Everton to Premier status this season, St James's Gate were the only Dublin club involved in the First Division and that may prove an important factor in choosing a replacement.
The counter argument is that there are already too many clubs in the capital and that the removal of St James's Gate provides an ideal opportunity to redress the imbalance.
On the face of it, however, there is no provincial club geared to fill the vacancy immediately. Limerick United have a long standing application in place for readmission to the league, but given the problems Limerick City are encountering in attracting supporters to their home games it is scarcely conceivable that the city is in a position to sustain two senior clubs.
Donegal Celtic, the Belfast intermediate club, have applied for membership in the past But each time they were rejected on the grounds that as they come within the jurisdiction of the IFA it would require a special dispensation from UEFA to enable them to compete in the National League.
Newbridge Town, a club which Chelsea chairman Ken Bates is involved in, also made inquiries about being admitted to membership of the National League. However, it was stressed that their interest was for admission in the long term.
Among the front runners in the Dublin area are TEK Utd, an intermediate club based at Stradbrook, who have had applications for admission turned down for each of the last two years.
Less fancied but equally ambitious are St Francis, who reached the FAI Cup final against Bray Wanderers some years ago, and Tolka Rovers, a club with impressive facilities in the east Finglas area.
