Aubrey Ralph says Premier clubs are running out of patience

Glentoran chairman Aubrey Ralph has said that Premier League clubs might consider leaving the Irish Football Association to form a breakaway league.

He was speaking in the aftermath of an IFA committee decision to ban Glentoran playing big rivals Linfield on public holidays following crowd trouble.

"We are not going to be dictated to by junior football any longer," he said.

"The Premier League clubs will have to consider their position within the IFA, and that is no idle threat."

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Several senior clubs are angry that major decisions like these can be taken by representatives of intermediate and junior clubs.

The chairman of the disciplinary committee, which imposed the ban, is David Martin who represents Amateur League Division 1B club Downshire from Hillsborough.

The vice-chairman is Robert Haworth from Annalong of the Newcastle and District League.

Glentoran supremo Ralph said it was time for IFA president Raymond Kennedy to "wake up and smell the coffee."

Ralph claimed: "This Irish League is going to hell in a handcart.

"The Premier League clubs have had enough and will act if we do not get the action we require."

As well as being banned from playing on a bank holiday, public holiday or in the period between 24 December and 2 January for the next two seasons, Glentoran and Linfield were fined �1,000 each.

The clubs claimed they would lose thousands of pounds in gate revenue because their traditional Boxing Day clash attracted by far the highest attendance of the year.

But IFA president Kennedy disputed this and said he hoped the clubs would not lose out at all.

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