Willow Park's ADSL future in doubt after rule change
by Kevin O'Neill Updated: Wednesday, 14th September, 2011 5:30pm
THE involvement of Willow Park and Mullingar Athletic in this season's Athlone & District Schoolboy/Girl League has been thrown into jeopardy following a Special General Meeting of the league on Monday evening.
The Special General Meeting was called to discuss and vote on the possible implementation of a proposed alteration to Rule 5 of the ADSL's constitution. The rule change - passed following a vote by league members on Monday - doesn't allow clubs participating in the ADSL to enter a team, at any other underage level, in another league.
The passing of the motion leaves both Willow Park and Mullingar Athletic in a precarious position in relation to their continued involvement with the ADSL.
Earlier this summer, Willow Park entered an U-16 team in the Midlands Schoolboy League, and have already played two matches in that league, while Mullingar Athletic operate teams in several other leagues, including in Dublin and Meath.
At Monday's meeting in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel, representatives from Willow Park and Mullingar Athletic voted against the implementation of the rule, while some other clubs also questioned adapting the rule with immediate effect.
However, several other local clubs spoke in favour of the rule change, deeming it beneficial to the future development of the league. It's believed neither the ADSL, Willow Park and Mullingar Athletic, or the remaining ADSL clubs, are satisfied by the current state of play, with Willow Park and Mullingar Athletic technically no longer affiliated to the ADSL. And there is hope that an amicable solution could be reached over the coming days.
The league is due to begin this weekend (with Willow Park exempt from this weekend's fixture list, though Willow have been cleared to play Connaught Cup matches).
The ADSL said the rule change stands, and functions with immediate effect, after its member clubs passed it following a majority vote. They also said that club delegates had been mandated by its members how to vote, and were given due notice, from August 30, of the meeting and its agenda. Willow Park spokesperson, Tony O'Sullivan, said the club is currently in "a state of shock" after Monday's developments.
"We're disappointed by the way the rule change has come about, and feel let down as a club. Willow Park has always had a great relationship with the ADSL, but now there's a real fear Willow Park won't be competing in this year's ADSL," said O'Sullivan, who earlier this year managed the ADSL Kennedy Cup team.
O'Sullivan said Willow Park decided to move its under-16 team to the Midlands League "to play at a more competitive standard", at the request of their under-16 players and management.
O'Sullivan added that Willow Park now need to discuss the situation, but didn't rule out the possibility of the now moving all its underage teams to the Midlands League.
"Ideally, Willow Park don't want to move its teams out of the ADSL, it's our local league. I wouldn't rule out an amicable solution coming to pass over the next week or so."
