Appeal! Appeal!

When the I.F.A. published it's league table for next season various teams appealed against the ratings, two of which spring to mind, Crusaders and Donegal Celtic. Lo! and behold, the I.F.A. in it's wisdom (I just realised I've committed a major gaffe, wisdom and the I.F.A. are incompatible), have regraded both teams. In the case of Crusaders I can understand their being regraded, finishing in the top six of the Irish league last season and with if not a top ground for a base definitely one of the top six grounds in local football. When one considers some of the teams rated above them it's easy to understand why Irish football is in the mess it's in. Let's take Glentoran who were placed third in the rankings, for example. They have no toilet facilities for visiting fans (at least I've never found any except the exterior wall between the ground and the Sydenham by-pass), the view from the visiting stand is obscured by at least 8 supporting beams and it's a bottleneck to get out of and is a disaster waiting to happen. Dungannon Swifts placed 4th has only one toilet which must be used by both sets of fans, which could lead to trouble, the view from the terracing will give you a 'crick' in your neck and the exits are much too small leading to a potential disaster, if they ever get a big crowd (unlikely). How Coleraine are in fifth I have absolutely no idea, as for a start they shouldn't even have any points, having been in administration, while their ground with only a covered terrace behind one goal for visiting fans or a seat in a stand which is about 40 yards away from the playing surface, doesn't make for exciting viewing by any stretch of the imagination. The list goes on with such worthies as Cliftonville, only a temporary toilet for visiting fans, while Armagh City and Distillery's grounds have to be seen to be believed. Yes the Crues did have a case and they were rightly moved up the rankings, but Donegal Celtic, come on for Pete's sake, they have nothing going for them whatsoever, visiting fans don't even have a covered terracing, what am I saying, they don't even have terracing. Did the I.F.A. decide to just give more points to anybody who appealed? Where does this leave the likes of Ballyclare Comrades whose Dixon park ground would put many others to shame given that suddenly Donegal Celtic are even further ahead of them, even before they've had a chance to state their own case? As usual the I.F.A. (basically the same people who foolishly gave Linfield a 104 year contract), have made a complete balls-up of a straight forward procedure. I have said it before and I'll say it again, we will never get anywhere in football terms until we disband this useless organisation, time and again they've proved it, they couldn't even run a one-man business!