Release Date: 15/03/2006

AS part of the Irish FA’s continuing implementation of a UEFA club licensing policy the Club Licensing Committee agreed that they would meet on Monday 24th April 2006 to assess which clubs had met the necessary criteria to be awarded a UEFA Club License, allowing them to participate in UEFA competition.

Communication of these decisions will be made to clubs on this day and a press statement will be issued in such regard on Tuesday 25^th April 2006.

This will be the culmination of a process which commenced in September 2005 and required clubs to make submissions and undergo site inspections to ascertain their compliance with the criteria.

The Committee wish to re-emphasise that clubs must be in possession of a club license to participate in UEFA competition.

Furthermore, following a decision of the Setanta Cup Committee, clubs wishing to compete in future Setanta Cup competitions must also be in possession of a UEFA club license.

For information the clubs still participating in the scheme to date are: Ballymena United, Cliftonville, Dungannon Swifts, Glenavon, Glentoran, Limavady United, Linfield, Lisburn Distillery and Portadown.

For further clarity the Committee attach an extract from the current club licensing manual in relation to clubs outside the scheme (currently only for Carnegie Premier League clubs) who may qualify for a UEFA/Setanta Competition on sporting merit.

_{Extract from the current club licensing manual}

Clubs which have not gone through a National Licensing Process but which qualify for a UEFA competition on the basis of their sporting results.

_Principle

Ø If a club qualifies for a UEFA competition based on its sporting results but has not gone through a national licensing process because it belongs to a division not subject such a process, the national association of the club concerned may request the extraordinary application of the licensing system.

Ø In practice, such a club could be the winner or the runner-up of the Irish Challenge Cup.

Ø This situation and the procedure described below is distinct from any request for exceptional treatment submitted by national associations and evaluated by the UEFA Executive Committee.

_Procedure

Ø As a precautionary measure, the Irish Football Association must notify the UEFA Administration in writing by 15 April at the latest of the possibility of such extraordinary application, stating the name(s) of the club(s) concerned.

Ø The UEFA Administration will consult the Irish Football Association and, as a precautionary measure, establish the procedure for applying the national licensing system in the case(s) concerned.  In particular, immediate action must be taken with regard to the club(s) in question.

Ø If the club ultimately qualifies for a UEFA competition on the basis of its sporting results, it must submit a request to UEFA, via the Irish Football Association, for the extraordinary application of the licensing system if it wishes to compete in the competition in question.

Ø The UEFA Administration will establish the minimum criteria for the club concerned, as well as the necessary time frames. For this purpose, UEFA will take into account the requirements of the national licensing system for top-division clubs, as well as the status of the club in question.

Ø It is the responsibility of the Irish Football Association concerned to examine this criteria and to notify UEFA of the outcome.

Ø If the club provides the necessary documentary proof and fulfils the requirements established within the stipulated deadline it will be admitted to the UEFA club competition in question on an exceptional basis and without a national licence, but with special permission from UEFA.

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