Mayo club receive important update on FAI Junior Cup appeal
Castlebar Celtic FC can begin preparations for an FAI Junior Cup quarter-final after a counter appeal by Villa FC was unsuccessful.
The Hoops were initially beaten 3-0 by Villa in the last 16 of the competition back in February but Celtic objected to the result on the grounds that Villa allegedly fielded a player that played in a League of Ireland competition after the FAI Junior Cup had begun, which would deem a player ineligible to play.
According to the Football Association of Ireland Junior Challenge Cup Competition Rules 2024/2025, on the grounds of eligibility, Rule 13.2 states that ‘A player who has played in the FAI Senior Cup with a League of Ireland Premier or First Division team during the season of this competition is not eligible to participate in the FAI Junior Cup’.
The club’s appeal was successful but Villa counter-appealed to the FAI Disciplinary Control Unit and the hearing took place via Zoom yesterday (Thursday) afternoon. However, the FAI have thrown out Villa’s appeal and as a result, the Waterford club have been thrown out of the competition.
Barring an appeal by Villa to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Celtic will play Salthill Devon in the FAI Junior Cup quarter-final on the weekend of April 12/13.
