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| Brian
Adams |
Chairman
confident for new league
5th May 2008
Ards chairman Brian
Adams has told ardsfc.co.uk that he is confident of Ards being invited
into the new Premier Intermediate League next season.
Huge structural changes
are to take place in Irish League football in 2008/09 with a new 12 team
IFA Premier League forming and the Premier Intermediate League (PIL)
becoming a new second tier.
Membership of either
league has still not been announced but Brian Adams has told us that
Ards should be one of the participating teams. Entry to the PIL is based
on meeting a criteria, purely relating to facilities. Inspections of
each club's facilities have already been carried out.
The chairman told us, "At
the last meeting in relation to this we were told that nine teams
currently meet the criteria. Ards, using Clandeboye Park, are one if
these teams. The list also includes each of the four teams that will
drop out of the Premier League. There are also three or four other teams
close to making the grade."
An Irish FA statement
on 18th April proposed starting the new PIL in 2008/09 providing at
least ten teams had met the criteria by 31st May 2008. Other factors
concerning the new league, such as whether assistant referees will be
provided have not yet been decided.
Ards are also confident of
continuing to play at Clandeboye Park next season. The club hope to
re-new the deal with Bangor FC shortly. Bangor Football Club's own
position in relation to applying for the new Premier League is not
thought to change Ards' situation, with the re-vamped Reserve League for
Premier League sides set to change to a mid-week competition.
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