The consortium of local football interests behind the proposed establishment of a new senior club in Limerick has confirmed that it will formally submit their application for membership of the new League of Ireland on Monday.
The Soccer Limerick consortium, backed by the organisers of junior, schoolboy and women's football in the city, has also extended an invitation to players from Limerick FC to join the new club which they see as representing an historic breakthrough for the game locally.
"It's a major departure for the game here," said the group's spokesman Ger Finnin yesterday. "It will establish a seamless structure which will allow us to bring heroes back into the Limerick game with everyone from 10-year-old kids who play for their local team upwards feeling that they are part of the city's one football family."
However, the plan to incorporate the Limerick FC players, who Finnin points out achieved the team's best league finish for four years last season, into the new club is starkly at odds with the position of the established club's chairman Danny Drew who has suggested that he will take legal action against the FAI over that club's exclusion from the league. He also says that Limerick FC will be fielding a team in the Munster Senior Cup which the club won last year.
Seán Dillon goes straight into Dundee United's squad for this weekend's game against Rangers after completing his move from Shelbourne to Scottish Premier League side Dundee United for a fee of around £15,000.
"Seán hasn't played competitive football since Shelbourne won the league some weeks ago, but he has kept fit and will be included in the squad for this Saturday's trip to Ibrox," said United boss Craig Levein yesterday. "He's at the right age to develop, with his best years ahead of him and I'm sure that SPL football will allow him to keep on improving."
The defender, meanwhile, was enthusiastic about the move. "I see this as a big step up from playing in the League of Ireland, both on and off the park," he said. "SPL football is very competitive and challenging and the facilities and stadia are very impressive."
Shelbourne have lodged an appeal against Owen Heary's attempt to declare himself a free agent with a view to joining Bohemians. The full back is exercising what he - and the Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland - believes is his right to leave Tolka Park under the terms of a written guarantee provided by Ollie Byrne in relation to the payment of wages last season.
Byrne said yesterday that he hopes the club will be in a position to make an announcement regarding the finances of the club over the coming days and that, in the meantime, his priority is to stabilise matters in relation to the playing staff. The club has also said that no announcement will be made with regard to the vacant manager's position until next week although Pete Mahon remains the firm front-runner for the post. Having had talks with Byrne on Wednesday, the former St Francis and Bohemians boss was meeting with members of the UCD board last night.
Stephen Ward is expected to complete his move from Bohemians to Wolves today after the Dublin club confirmed that it had accepted an offer believed to be roughly €175,000 plus the same again in add ons for the under-21 international.
