Finn Harps await outcome after appealing ineligible player ruling

Finn Harps are awaiting the outcome of an appeal against one of their players being ruled ineligible.

Gavin Hodgins was deemed ineligible after playing for Harps against Kerry in a 2-0 loss at Mounthawk Park in February.

A Kerry player, Stevan Stanic-Floody, was also ruled as ineligible from the same fixture and the League of Ireland annulled the fixture, meaning that the result is void and neither team received any points.

A paltry fine - just €1 - was also set down on Harps by the independent disciplinary committee involved in the case, something that Harps believed outlined that they have a strong case.

Harps, however, felt that they were harshly penalised and lodged an appeal.

The club was represented at an online hearing on Tuesday by Ian Harkin, Aidan McNelis and Shane Elliott at which their case was argued.

A decision on the appeal can be expected four days from the hearing.

The discrepancy over Hodgins arose from an international clearance certificate (ITC) that seemingly was not obtained by Shelbourne upon the player's return to Tolka Park from a six-month loan at Glenavon last summer. 

Hodgins played 12 times and scored one goal for Glenavon during his loan at Mourneview Park in the first six months of 2024.

After going back to Shels, Hodgins featured for the club’s under-20 team, who went on to win the U20 Shield - with Hodgins playing in the final against Sligo Rovers - and finished top of the LOI Academy MU20 Tier Two (South). 

The League of Ireland has not confirmed what sanctions have been imposed on Shelbourne under-20s for any fixtures that featured Hodgins.

At Tuesday’s hearing, Harps argued that Hodgins was signed on a domestic transfer from Shelbourne, who brought the player back into the League of Ireland jurisdiction and fielded him across five months of 2024.

Since the Kerry-Harps game, an ITC was processed for the player, but this seems to have been applied for by Shelbourne at a time when Hodgins was registered as a Harps player.

Harps are particularly aggrieved at being sanctioned given that their own processing of Hodgins’ transfer was above board and they vehemently argue that the onus is on the club bringing a player into the jurisdiction to ensure an ITC is obtained. 

In a statement issued in the days after the initial decision, Harps said: “It is entirely unreasonable that any club involved in a domestic transfer would have to check a players entire transfer history in case any previous club has made an error.

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“The precedent set in this ruling would lead to multiple clubs all being punished for an error by a single player’s previous club. This could have a significant impact on the competitive integrity of leagues across the country.”