United to learn Irish Cup fate this week

An independent arbitration panel of legal experts will determine whether or not United’s expulsion from the cup in the wake of the Alan Davidson eligibility saga should be overturned.

To re-cap, Davidson scored the winning goal in Ballymena’s 2-1 quarter-final win over Newry City before the border club protested about his eligibility to play in the competition, having been signed outside the transfer window.

That protest was dismissed by the Irish Football Association’s Challenge Cup Committee, on the basis of legal advice, but that decision was reversed in Newry’s favour by the IFA Appeals Board.

The panel will meet today (Tuesday) at a Belfast hotel to hear submissions from all parties but no decision in the case is expected until Wednesday.

The Irish FA has engaged the services of a top London-based independent dispute service for the hearing of the case.

Times Sport understands the panel includes experts in the field of sports law, who have dealt with many high-profile football cases in recent years.

It is understood that taking the case to arbitration has cost Ballymena an initial £300, but the IFA’s Articles of Association state that in instances such as this: “The independent arbitration panel may apportion the full costs of the hearing between the parties as it sees fit.”

For whichever party the outcome goes against, the next potential step would be to take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland but the cost of such a move is likely to be prohibitive.