Warrenpoint Town provide update following Wednesday's meeting with IFA Licensing Appeals Committee

In what was the second meeting following last week’s adjournment, it still isn’t known if the Milltown outfit will be playing in a Premiership play-off against Dungannon Swifts or falling out of the Northern Ireland Football League pyramid completely ahead of next season.

“Warrenpoint Town FC met in person with the IFA Licensing Appeals Committee last night,” the club posted on social media. “The IFA Licensing Committee and WTFC concluded their respective submissions. We now await the decision of the LAC.”

Last month, Warrenpoint were denied both a promotion and Championship licence by the Irish FA – a decision the club say was centered around a ‘nominal sum of outstanding monies owed to HMRC’ which the club ‘moved quickly and effectively to settle’ on April 14th.

They said in a statement on May 5th: “As a club we understand that the Licensing Committee have offered discretion to bigger and more established teams in the league, where the facts of the case were similar to our own.

"However, because we are a smaller regional club, it can’t help but feel like we are being treated differently. Our club currently relies on the efforts of our volunteers, and we don’t have the full-time support of employees dedicated to regulatory oversight like some of the bigger clubs will have.

“The IFA’s Domestic Football Licensing Manual outlines a review period that runs from 1st to 15th April. This is in essence a period during which potential financial issues that might have an impact on licensing applications can be flagged up and, where possible, addressed.

“Having previously been unaware of it, during the review period the club was made aware of a nominal sum of outstanding monies owed to HMRC.

"Upon becoming aware, the club moved quickly and effectively to settle the liability in full on 14th April which was within the review period. We were given a verbal assurances by the Licensing Committee’s Independent Financial Expert that he was satisfied that we had provided him with everything he required – including proof of payment to HMRC to clear all outstanding monies – and he indicated that should be the end of the matter.

“Warrenpoint has worked tirelessly as a club – from top to bottom – to make itself a regional soccer success story and to encourage participation in the game throughout the South Down region across all ages.

"To be on the verge of a possible return to the Irish Premier division is something we see as a fitting reward for our supporters, officials, players and the wider Warrenpoint community. We cannot overstate how strongly we feel about this refusal, and we will not be taking this initial decision of the IFA lying down.”