Well known soccer club Aughanagh Celtic are requesting the Sligo Leitrim League to “re-consider its decision to remove Aughanagh Celtic FC from the league”.
In a lengthy statement, the club, whose members are mainly from the general Ballinafad area said:
“The club are writing this note to explain to all what is happening regarding our omission from the Sligo Leitrim league for this up coming 2022/23 season. Due to an unfortunate administrative error which occurred recently within our club and by us not completing the application form for entry into the 2022/23 season in time we are being thrown out of the league – A league which we have contested for 46 consecutive seasons, with us currently being the 4th longest consecutive serving member of the super league”.
“We as a club accept that we are in the wrong and did not submit our forms on time but we contacted the league just the next day after the deadline and explained that an error had been made and we apologised profusely. We also explained that for the last number of seasons we have asked to send any correspondence from the league to our PRO’s e-mail address as well as our secretary’s so a discrepancy like this would not occur which the league have duly done until now. We as a club feel that we are all being punished and that we cannot be held accountable for one genuine mistake. Especially when we have advised the league over the last few years to please send all e-mails to our secretary and our PRO”.
“Aughanagh Celtic FC have been in the league for 46 consecutive seasons in a row and we have never NOT ENTERED so why did the league think we weren’t going to enter this year and us just after completing a very successful FAI Soccer camp on our club’s facilities. We never contacted the league to say we were not entering the league so why has the league taken this drastic measure of removing us from the league? We also have to wonder Why – when No communication was being answered by our club secretary did the league not contact our PRO or our Chairman? Surely after 46 years of consecutive service and allegiance to the league we deserved a bit more respect than that and maybe any extra e-mail or phone call could have been forwarded to one of our members. Again I know the league has more to be doing than following up clubs in the league but we have been a consistent mainstay of the league for 46 years. As I began We as a club accept that we are in the wrong and did not submit our forms on time and are willing to accept whatever punishment the league administers to us and just allows us back into the league to play football and provide some sport, fun and daily release of everyday problems for our community. The Sligo Leitrim league talks of promoting the game and inclusion of teams and here it is removing our whole community from playing sports and giving us no inclusion. When we organised our soccer camp in the village of Ballinafad we contacted the FAI and asked if they would allow us to include some Ukraine Refugee children who are now residing in Ballinafad. While we were again late in submitting the forms, the FAI wholeheartedly backed us in including these Ukrainian children and making them feel welcomed in our community. We as a club felt proud of what we had done by including them and yet here we find ourselves being excluded. With numbers of Covid still rising, high living costs and people living with huge bills from mortgage increases to Gas and Fuel bills, Sport NOW MORE THAN EVER provides a great release for people especially our younger generation of adults. So how can we as a club explain to all these young people that this release from everyday life is being taken from them? Yet the Sligo Leitrim league are willing to take this from our community and jeopardies our young adults mental health? Is anyone looking at the news these days……”
“So yes our club made a mistake – a mistake which we as a Club fully accept was made and are willing to accept but surely a whole community cannot be held accountable for this ONE error in over 46 years service to the Sligo Leitrim league”.
“Thank you all for taking the time out to read this and please share it and by doing so maybe the League will re-consider its decision to remove Aughanagh Celtic FC from the league”.
