Institute look set to be hit by NIFL fine

Only a few weeks ago the Drumahoe club fielded Eugene Ferry in goals against Coleraine, however because the ex-Derry City net-minder is on-loan at Stute from the Bannsiders for the season, new rules this season means now league regulations do not allow on-loan players to oppose their parents clubs.

Unfortunately the Waterside men did not know about the rule change and because of this they are likely to receive a fine from the governing body.

“Before the game we sought advice from the league and that advice we got from the league was that if Coleraine didn’t object to Eugene playing then it was OK,” stated Chairman Keith
McElhinney.

“The rule states that he shouldn’t have played and we understand that but we did try to get a bit of clarification before kick-off.

“We also understand that we as a club should have known the rules, but hopefully the fact that we tried to get advice before the kick off will be taken into consideration.”

The IFA’s registration regulations clearly states that no player on loan can play against his parent club - A player whose registration is temporarily transferred shall be permitted to play only for the borrowing club during the period of such transfer and shall not be permitted to play in matches against the parent club.

Because of this rule the Waterside men are likely to receive a fine, however if they had not played Ferry against the Bannsiders, they probably would have received the points, as Oran Kearney’s side played Ruairi Harkin.

Kearney says he now hopes the Bannsiders will be absolved of any blame after allegations that Harkin played against Stute when he should have been serving a one-match ban – a claim that Coleraine deny, stating that no date for a suspension was mentioned in any correspondence from the IFA.

“Even when you do go on the website, there are 32 players on that list, 31 of them are explicitly told when they’re suspended but there’s one player (Harkin) who isn’t explicitly told.

“As much as we’re not the biggest club in Northern Ireland, Ruairi is high enough profile and well-enough known and with all the social media that goes along with Irish League football these days, nothing was said in the build-up to the game, during it, after it, in the Press, or in the referee’s report.

“We believe that with the system that has been introduced this year, there are issues in relation to how players find that information out. I think this has shown that up and hopefully the league can make changes as to how it’s done in the future.

“It’s in the hands of where it needs to be and I would hope that common sense would prevail.”

A decision on both matters has been deferred by the NIFL as they await clarification from the Irish FA on the Harkin issue.