Contentious proposal to youth AGM is defeated
Paul Cassidy on Thursday • Published 19 Jan 2012 09:30
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Ballinamallard's success such as their U14 League win last year prompted the controversial policy from Churchtown.
The Brendan Keogh Youth League (BKYL) AGM took place on Tuesday night in the Bawnacre Centre, Irvinestown.
The League Officers' reports indicated the enormous amount of work it takes to ensure that football is readily available for youngsters of every age. Secretary Davy McQuigg gave a detailed report on the previous season and generally felt that overall things were generally improving. In particular clubs who received punishment for transgressions were now accepting their fate as opposed to trying to exploit gaps in the rule book. The code of conduct for coaches and team officials was having a beneficial effect on behaviour and thanked his fellow officers for all their support.
These sentiments were echoed by Chairperson, Mervyn Smyth and he thanked all those people who supported the league, in particular the Fermanagh & Western who are the league's main sponsor. Sponsors are on board for every competition and Treasurer, Ced McAleer received great praise for his work in sourcing funding in such tough financial times. His report displayed that the league is on a sound financial footing. Various rule changes were then tabled but the most contentious one was submitted by Churchtown. It read:
"No team may play more than four recognised NIBFA National Youth League Players in any one fixture. A recognised NIBFA National Youth Player is one who has played more than four games for an acknowledged NIFBA National Youth League Club in the current or previous season."
This rule change would have massive implications for Ballinamallard in particular and the thinking behind the proposal was explained by Rory Lynch who stated that it was not a witch hunt after Ballinamallard but that he had the "good of the local league" in mind and that National League clubs are "elite" clubs, with a completely different agenda from "local clubs".
He added that Ballinamallard youth teams were demoralising other youth teams with their Under 13s and 14s being particularly strong and ran up victories such as 21 - 0, 9 - 0 and 10 - 1. He felt that Ballinmallard's policy was "only the best will do" while other cubs were providing football for all boys, no matter how good or bad they were.
He emphasised that this was not "sour grapes" but merely a genuine chance to "restructure and revitalise" the league. Other delegates thought that the league should provide football for everybody and would oppose the change, while some felt that there was some merit in the proposal as teams sometimes forfeited fixtures rather than play Ballinamallard and be on the end of a heavy defeat.
Another delegate thought that even if the proposal didn't go through, he felt Ballinamallard should do some "inward thinking" as they were creating resentment within the league.
Ballinamallard's response came from Mervyn Smyth who said that the proposal would effectively kick his club out of the BKYL, as all their players were National league players. He denied their players were "elite" players but merely players who have come through right from their Mini Soccer schools. He added to see Ballinamallard leave the league would leave "an artificial, watered down league".
Mervyn recalled that their existence in the local league was threatened in a similar fashion back in 2003 when it was proposed that membership in the Mid-Ulster league excluded you from membership of the BKYL. That proposal was defeated and he hoped that this new proposal would meet a similar fate. He felt that this rule change would penalise his club for their development over the years and it was up to other clubs to develop their own clubs to challenge Ballinamallard. He ended by reiterating that their philosophy was still "local football for local kids".
The proposal got a good airing and encouraged some healthy debate but after a vote the rule change was heavily defeated.
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