SML dinner - call made to re-write Junior Shield rulebook

Pride of place at Friday’s league dinner in the Leighinmohr House Hotel should have gone to the County Antrim Junior Shield, the final of which was scheduled to be between SML rivals Carniny Rangers and Harryville Homers.

However, both teams fell foul of what has become known as the ‘five year rule’ – they both played players who had taken part in an intermediate level cup final within the past five seasons – and were both dismissed from the competition.

Several weeks later and that sad end to what had promised to be one of the biggest footballing occasions in Ballymena in a generation was still a hot topic of debate at the league dinner.

And league officials have vowed to leave no stone unturned in order to overturn the current rule, with SML chiefs submitting a proposal to that effect ahead of next season’s competition, when they will push for a similar rule to that which exists in the IFA Junior Cup, where players are only precluded from playing if they have played in an intermediate final the previous season.

“We’re all very disappointed that the Junior Shield final didn’t take place,” league chairman Davy King told guests.

“Anyone who saw the crowd at the Ace Cup final (between Carniny and Homers), there would have been two or three times that for the Junior Shield final.

“But we have to look at the positives and congratulate both teams for getting that far – it shows that the Saturday Morning League can stand up with any junior league in this province,” added Davy.

His view on the need for a rule change was backed up by league secretary Brian Montgomery, who added: “It’s a rule which is in the Junior Shield but not in the Junior Cup so you can see how teams can be caught out very easily.”

For a full report from Friday night’s dinner, along with a full list of awards and a picture special from the function, see this week’s Ballymena Times.