St James's Gate brief FIFA

ST JAMES'S GATE altered their tactics slightly in their attempt to stay in the National League when they informed FlFA and UEFA yesterday of their current plight.

The club hope to pursue the issue through the international footballing bodies rather that through the courts.

Representatives of FlFA have asked to be kept informed of the situation in which, so far, the club claim that they are still awaiting written confirmation that they have actually been thrown out of the league.

The club have called for their case to be referred to arbitration, a process which is laid down under FlFA rules and they say that if the FAI refuse to this then it would open itself up to the imposition of sanctions by the game's world governing body.

Taking the FIFA route has meant, however, that the new board at St James Gate is less likely to head for the courts here as under the international organisation's rules, such action is prohibited.

So far the club have received no indication that the FAI are willing to reconsider their appeal against expulsion and it is the manner in which this appeal was originally dealt with that has upset St James's Gate's representatives.

A letter sent from Merrion Square on August 27th informed the club that your appeal was before a meeting of the FAI Appeals committee on the 26th of August. The committee considered the documentation supplied and determined that the appeal was out of order as it did not comply with FAI rule 22".

This rule refers to the lodgement appeals and, according to the club's legal adviser Maurice Lyons it seems that the appeal was not considered on the grounds that the letter of appeal was hand delivered to the National League rather than sent by registered post.

"It seems very harsh and we're still awaiting a reply to the letter we sent seeking clarification but if we don't get things sorted out here then we'll let FIFA handle the matter," he said yesterday.