16-05-2025
Walkover awarded after soccer semi-final refix due to referee "factual error"
There was consternation in the Tipperary Youth Cup as a chaotic semi-final was flagged to be replayed due to a refereeing error. However, in a twist, the original winners of the clash could not field a team and have been forced to hand their opponents a walkover.
Cahir Park Youths B won 3-2 against Two Mile Borris in the original fixture on the 9th of March, after beating their Youth A side 5-2 in the previous round of the U17 competition.
The controversy centres on the awarding of a late penalty after the Two Mile Borris goalkeeper was sent off for dissent towards the referee, but under the laws of the game, an indirect free-kick should have been awarded instead.
Law 12 of the IFAB Laws of the Game state that "An indirect free kick is awarded if a player... is guilty of dissent, using offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or action(s) or other verbal offences"
On the 17th of March, Cahir Park were informed of the decision of the TSDL (Tipperary South & District League) to re-fix the match due the refereeing error, saying "Two Mile Borris did not contravene any football rule and should not be punished for a factual error by the referee who should have known the rules."
This contravenes Law 5 of the IFAB's Laws, which reads: "The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play, including whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match, are final. The decisions of the referee, and all other match officials, must always be respected."
The issue rumbled on until April 17th, when Munster FA hosted a call with Cahir Park, with correspondence from the governing body saying, "The Munster FA Appeals committee are happy that the decision made by the TSDL in accordance with the laws of the game was the correct decision due to the factual error made by the referee in the game"
Cahir Park brought the matter to the FAI, but were rejected on the 8th of May due to the request falling outside the window of appeal.
A source told the Irish Mirror: "We appealed it to the FAI, but they threw it out on a technicality, saying the timings were wrong. But I think they're wrong there as well, because they sent out the message on Easter Sunday night before the Bank Holiday Monday."
"As the Munster FA said in their thing we're an amateur organisation, if I was the club secretary I wouldn't be coming in to the club here, checking my emails on Easter Sunday night, I'd be checking them on the Tuesday."
On the 9th of May, the TSDL notified Cahir Park of the decision to replay the game on the following day, May 10.
On the late announcement, a source said: "That was two weeks to the final. Once we were willing to go against the TSDL in the first place we were never going to win. That's how we feel."
Cahir could not field a team with such short notice and as such, were forced to forfeit the match.
The final of the Tipperary Youth Cup will now take place between Two Mile Borris and Shanbally United on the 24th of May.
