Glentoran boss Mick McDermott insists the Mersey Street club was “right to fight” their Irish Cup expulsion through the Irish FA’s arbitration process.
He also says the “threat" of substantial financial expense for pursuing an appeal shouldn’t be used as a potential deterrent to Irish League clubs seeking future rulings.
It was reported last week that the Glens face a hefty legal bill after losing their arbitration case over the Joe Crowe eligibility affair.
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A number of arguments made by the Mersey Street club, that the versatile midfielder was free to play Newry City in the quarter-final, were dismissed by arbitrator Jane Bickerstaff QC.
“Number one, we have to accept it (the ruling),” McDermott told Glentoran’s YouTube channel. “Secondly, we don’t have to agree with it and that’s why we believe we had a case.
“We thought it necessary to fight our case and unfortunately it hasn’t gone with us this time, but that doesn’t mean the right to fight shouldn’t be there.
“The right to fight is for every club in this league and there are certain things within the IFA processes that definitely need to be looked at.
“One of them is that no club should be limited to a challenge based on their inability to pay and I’m sure that’s something all clubs would agree on.
“No club should be held back by the threat of substantial costs. It didn’t work out for us this time, but we still believe we had valid facts and a legal argument.”
Glentoran were thrown out of the cup after Crowe played in a 1-0 win over Newry City in the last-eight of the blue riband competition on March 5.
It was subsequently found that Crowe should have been serving a suspension and was ineligible to feature against the Championship club.
McDermott said: “The arbitrator made her decision and we have to respect the decision. We have moved on from that now and I don’t want to keep talking about it.”
Newry were reinstated in the cup and went on to lose 1-0 to Ballymena United in Tuesday night’s rescheduled semi-final at Mourneview Park.
Ballymena will meet Crusaders in the showpiece at Windsor Park on May 7.
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