Ground ban for Byrne

Kilkenny City manager Pat Byrne has been banned by the National League from any ground in which his side are playing until the end of the season. Now Byrne has insisted that he will retire from football rather than abide by or appeal the latest sanctions taken against him.

Byrne has already received a series of fines and suspensions from the technical area this season and yesterday's move came after he failed to pay an outstanding £400 fine and following his latest altercation with a match official, in Cobh earlier this month.

"The best thing I can do now is go off and play golf," said the former Ireland international "because this is not fair on Kilkenny City. If I can't do my job then they should get somebody else in who can get a run at it before next season, but, whatever happens, I'd retire before I'd appeal it," he said.

Directors at the club will meet at the weekend to discuss the situation. However it is clear that they believe their current problems, which also include a legal action over the three points deducted by the league in a dispute over the eligibility of Fran Carter when he made his debut for City, have their origins in the decision last season not to play an FAI Cup match against Finn Harps after an attempt to have the game postponed was rejected.

Whatever may happen between the club and Merrion Square, Byrne remains defiant. "I wouldn't even bother sitting down with them. And as for the ban from grounds, what are they going to do, have a league official on every turnstile making sure that Pat Byrne is kept outside?"

Meanwhile, Brian Kerr has named a strong squad for next month's UEFA Youth Championship play-off game against France in Brest, despite the loss of West Ham's influential young midfielder Shaun Byrne. Byrne, as well as Dwayne Matthis of Huddersfield and Gavin Melough, miss out on the trip to Brittany because of injury, but Tranmere's outstanding goalkeeper Joe Murphy is available again.

Kerr has included a couple of players about whom there are still fitness doubts, in particular Sunderland's Thomas Butler, who is scheduled to have a scan on his ankle. Other prominent players travelling for the first leg of the playoff on April 5th are John O'Shea, currently on loan to Bournemouth from Manchester United, Graham Barrett of Arsenal and Newcastle's Dave McMahon.

The Irish and French will be playing for a spot at this summer's European finals in Germany. The second leg will be at Tolka Park on April 19th.