Coleraine hope Curtis Allen gets green light for Irish Cup semi-final
Colin McKendry says Coleraine will do “everything in their power” to try and keep Curtis Allen’s Irish Cup dream alive.
The striker looked set to miss the Bannsiders semi-final clash with Ballymena United on July 27 after Glentoran decided against extending his contract.
That in turn put paid to his loan deal with Coleraine, and the player is now technically a free agent despite already having agreed a permanent switch to The Showgrounds for next season.
The Bannsiders are looking to UEFA for guidance and hoping for some special dispensation given the current coronavirus pandemic.
“As a club we will do all we can to see if it is possible for Curtis to be available for the semi-final,” said McKendry.
“Things have obviously changed of late due to Covid-19 and we are looking into the special circumstance regarding player’s contracts, especially as his permanent deal was due to kick in for us.
“We will be asking the Irish Football Association to contact UEFA on our behalf to see if there is anything that can be done.
“Unfortunately Curtis has been caught up in all this and is probably the innocent victim in what has happened here over the last few weeks.
“It’s a short career being a footballer and occasions like Cup semi-finals don’t come around for everyone.
“It would be an absolute shame for him to miss out.
“We have had initial discussion and we would hope that we would hear something back from UEFA next week.
“We will certainly do all in our power for Curtis. He is a great professional, he is training hard at present, and I hope his Irish Cup dream for this season will still be alive.”
The two semi-finals will be played at Windsor Park on July 27. Coleraine will take on Ballymena United at 4pm with Cliftonville facing Glentoran at 8pm.
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