IFA League to have ups and downs

Kennedy says the formation of the league was a robust process

Irish FA president Raymond Kennedy has said that the local football's new 12-team Invitational League will have promotion and relegation next season.

Donegal Celtic and Portadown are among the current Irish League clubs who have failed to make the new league.

There had been a belief that there would be no promotion and relegation over the opening two seasons.

"As far as I am concerned, there will be promotion and relegation right from the start," said the IFA president.

"We are sitting down within two days to work on the format. We will be deciding whether there will be three (series of) matches and if there is a split.

"The other item is what the promotion and relegation situation will be. That will be made clear within the next week."

However, Donegal Celtic manager Paddy Kelly described the Irish FA's handling of the new league as a "nonsense".

606: DEBATE Give your thoughts on Donegal Celtic's exclusion

"That (the promotion and relegation) should have been done before the 12 teams were announced," said Kelly.

"I know for a fact that Bangor knew they were in the league before it was announced."

However, Kennedy defended the formation of the new league as a "robust process".

"We have gone through a very thorough process of assessing teams on many, many criteria," said the IFA chief.

"Clubs were aware of this and it has been ongoing for two years and the independent assessment panel came up with a league table of points.

"It's unfortunate that Donegal Celtic find themselves in this position but other clubs are also in the same position."

Kennedy added that "there was going to be controversy no matter who the clubs were".

If we had got that grant we would be sitting fourth place in the rankings Donegal Celtic manager Paddy Kelly

Donegal Celtic boss Kelly said that the IFA also bore responsibility for the club's inability to upgrade its facilities.

The west Belfast club were earmarked a grant of £800,000 from a pot of £8m to upgrade grounds throughout Northern Ireland but the government then froze the money in order to force the IFA to streamline its executive committee.

"There was a grant which we were due to be handed to us but we didn't get it because the IFA wouldn't change its executive committee," said Kelly.

"If we had got that grant we would be sitting fourth place in the rankings."

In response, IFA chief Kennedy said that the government should shoulder "blame" for the club's delay in getting the grant.

"All the clubs have been held back in the same manner. There were some clubs that took the initiative and obviously didn't wait for a grant.

"I can only assume that Bangor used their own money to improve their facilities - just as other clubs did."