Waterford United have expressed their shock at how poorly they fared in the ratings of clubs' various off-field activities leading to their failure to secure a Premier League spot earlier this week.

Waterford were among the clubs to miss out as Galway United and Shamrock Rovers returned to the top flight of the League of Ireland but their poor showing in the off-field category has baffled club officials who are seeking immediate clarification of the results.

The decisions to allocated Premier League status were based on a system that ranked clubs on the basis of their achievements both on and off the pitch by an Independent Assessment Group (IAG).

A total of 1,000 points were available with half being awarded on the basis of the club's performance on the pitch over the last five seasons and half awarded at the discretion of the four-man IAG which assessed clubs in terms of structures, facilities and business plans.
 
In the off-field criteria, Waterford received just 295 points - the average was approximately 350 - leading the club to question the process in a statement released today.

"The club's administration has worked tirelessly over the past six months to assemble the documentation and evidence to support its case for inclusion in the new Premier league," read the statement.

"In light of such effort, the club finds it difficult to understand the disparity in the scores that resulted from the IAG's deliberations and will be seeking clarification of these results immediately."