1 June 1921 - And Then There Were Two

On 1 June 1921, the clubs from the newly-created Irish Free State broke off from the Irish Football Association and formed their own separate association and national team.

Prior to the split, football in the whole of Ireland was governed by the IFA, formed in 1880 and headquartered in Belfast. But several clubs in the southern part of the island--partitioned off as the Irish Free State in 1920--felt that the IFA did not adequately represent their interests (the conflict predated the partition as evidenced by the formation of the southern Leinster Football Association in 1892).

Matters came to a head in 1921. Three Dublin-based clubs--Bohemians, St. James' Gate, and Shelbourne--withdrew from the IFA-controlled Irish League, but continued to play in the Irish Cup. Shelbourne reached the final that year, drawing with Belfast club Glenavon in Belfast, and asked for the replay to be held in Dublin. The IFA refused the request, so Shelbourne refused to play, forfeiting the cup.

That June, a group of representatives from several southern clubs met at Molesworth Hall in Dublin and agreed to form a separate governing body called the Football Association of Ireland and a new national team. Initially, both the FAI and the IFA claimed authority over the entire island, leading to the unusual situation in 1950 when four players played for both associations' national teams at that year's World Cup. That led FIFA to step in and limit the authority of the two groups, so the FAI governs the Republic of Ireland and the IFA controls Northern Ireland.

Since then, the FAI have gotten the better of their northern neighbors, compiling a record of four wins, two losses, and four draws. 

7 November 2009 - The FAI Might Have Had An Ulterior Motive Here

On 7 November 2009, the Football Association of Ireland expelled Derry City from the league. But their ban lasted less than a week.

The FAI action came one day after the club's last match of the season, a 2-1 win over Dundalk that secured fourth place in the Premier Division table, but it had nothing to do with Derry's performance on the pitch. Instead, the FAI had found the club guilty of breaking the league's financial rules by agreeing to illegal "secondary contracts" with several players.

While the club argued that the contracts merely replaced earlier, temporary agreements, the FAI discovered that Derry's secondary contracts avoided the league's wage restrictions and paid 22 players a total amount of €337,000 over the legal limits.In announcing the club's expulsion, FAI Chief Executive John Delaney said "[t]hat is why Derry City’s contract to play in the league has been terminated. Because [what they did is] unfair to the Brays and Galways and Droghedas who have gone about their business properly."

The ban also meant that Derry lost their claim to the €60,000 FAI bounty they had won with their fourth-place finish. When asked about it, Delaney stated "They can forget about it. That’s not on, absolutely not on."

Nevertheless, despite the speed and severity of the FAI's action, they five days later invited Derry City to reapply to the League of Ireland, albeit one division lower. They won the First Division the following season and returned to the Premier Division in 2011, where they qualified for European competition with a third-place finish.

19 February 2006 - Caught Playing A Shell Game

On 19 February 2006, the Football Association of Ireland relegated Shelbourne FC to the second tier, despite the club having just won the 2006 Premier League title.

Established in 1895, the Dublin club is one of Ireland's most successful teams, with thirteen league titles (only Shamrock Rovers have more, with 15). Under manager Pat Fenlon, Shels dominated the League of Ireland in the 2000s, winning the title in 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2004 before winning their thirteenth title overall in 2006 by edging second-place finishers Derry City on goal differential. Their success, however, was not cheap.

Shels had spent freely in the preceding seasons, bringing in several expensive transfers. By the 2006 season, the spending had begun to catch up to them and the club's finances began to show signs of strain and, by the end of the season, Shelbourne owed wages to seventeen players. The financial distress sparked an exodus of several players as well as Fenlon, who took over at Derry City.

The FAI investigated Shelbourne's financial state and, as a consequence, decided to drop the club out of the Premier Division and into the second-tier First Division. Shelbourne returned to the top flight in in 2012, but finished the 2013 season in last place and dropped back down to the First Division.

1 June 1921 - And Then There Were Two

On 1 June 1921, the clubs from the newly-created Irish Free State broke off from the Irish Football Association and formed their own separate association and national team.

Prior to the split, football in the whole of Ireland was governed by the IFA, formed in 1880 and headquartered in Belfast. But several clubs in the southern part of the island--partitioned off as the Irish Free State in 1920--felt that the IFA did not adequately represent their interests (the conflict predated the partition as evidenced by the formation of the southern Leinster Football Association in 1892).

Matters came to a head in 1921. Three Dublin-based clubs--Bohemians, St. James' Gate, and Shelbourne--withdrew from the IFA-controlled Irish League, but continued to play in the Irish Cup. Shelbourne reached the final that year, drawing with Belfast club Glenavon in Belfast, and asked for the replay to be held in Dublin. The IFA refused the request, so Shelbourne refused to play, forfeiting the cup.

That June, a group of representatives from several southern clubs met at Molesworth Hall in Dublin and agreed to form a separate governing body called the Football Association of Ireland and a new national team. Initially, both the FAI and the IFA claimed authority over the entire island, leading to the unusual situation in 1950 when four players played for both associations' national teams at that year's World Cup. That led FIFA to step in and limit the authority of the two groups, so the FAI governs the Republic of Ireland and the IFA controls Northern Ireland.

Since then, the FAI have gotten the better of their northern neighbors, compiling a record of four wins, two losses, and four draws.

7 November 2009 - The FAI Might Have Had An Ulterior Motive Here

On 7 November 2009, the Football Association of Ireland expelled Derry City from the league. But their ban lasted less than a week.

The FAI action came one day after the club's last match of the season, a 2-1 win over Dundalk that secured fourth place in the Premier Division table, but it had nothing to do with Derry's performance on the pitch. Instead, the FAI had found the club guilty of breaking the league's financial rules by agreeing to illegal "secondary contracts" with several players.

While the club argued that the contracts merely replaced earlier, temporary agreements, the FAI discovered that Derry's secondary contracts avoided the league's wage restrictions and paid 22 players a total amount of €337,000 over the legal limits.In announcing the club's expulsion, FAI Chief Executive John Delaney said "[t]hat is why Derry City’s contract to play in the league has been terminated. Because [what they did is] unfair to the Brays and Galways and Droghedas who have gone about their business properly."

The ban also meant that Derry lost their claim to the €60,000 FAI bounty they had won with their fourth-place finish. When asked about it, Delaney stated "They can forget about it. That’s not on, absolutely not on."

Nevertheless, despite the speed and severity of the FAI's action, they five days later invited Derry City to reapply to the League of Ireland, albeit one division lower. They won the First Division the following season and returned to the Premier Division in 2011, where they qualified for European competition with a third-place finish.

19 February 2006 - Caught Playing A Shell Game

On 19 February 2006, the Football Association of Ireland relegated Shelbourne FC to the second tier, despite the club having just won the 2006 Premier League title.

Established in 1895, the Dublin club is one of Ireland's most successful teams, with thirteen league titles (only Shamrock Rovers have more, with 15). Under manager Pat Fenlon, Shels dominated the League of Ireland in the 2000s, winning the title in 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2004 before winning their thirteenth title overall in 2006 by edging second-place finishers Derry City on goal differential. Their success, however, was not cheap.

Shels had spent freely in the preceding seasons, bringing in several expensive transfers. By the 2006 season, the spending had begun to catch up to them and the club's finances began to show signs of strain and, by the end of the season, Shelbourne owed wages to seventeen players. The financial distress sparked an exodus of several players as well as Fenlon, who took over at Derry City.

The FAI investigated Shelbourne's financial state and, as a consequence, decided to drop the club out of the Premier Division and into the second-tier First Division. Shelbourne has remained in the First Division ever since, finishing 5th in 2007, but has come close to promotion in 2008 and 2009, finishing second both years.