Institute respond to Ards' Irish Cup protest as Challenge Cup Committee prepare decision

​Mikhail Kennedy's first half header at Brandywell last Saturday decided the match and sealed 'Stute's passage into the last eight. However, Ards later lodged an objection to the Irish Football Association about a change made to Institute's substitutes.

It's understood teenage midfielder Oisin Devlin - currently on loan from Larne - was a late addition to the substitutes' bench after originally being omitted from the squad when 'Stute updated the Comet Football Management System - the registration database used by the IFA.

Indeed, Ards' case centres around Devlin not being named on 'Stute's original team sheet and when assessing the Comet system after the game, club officials claim manager John Bailie was not informed of the change which breaches the Irish FA Challenge Cup Rule 7C.

While teams are expected to confirm their line-up via Comet 60 minutes prior to kick-off from round five to the final tie, Rule 7, which was first introduced for the 2023/24 season, states any replacement of players on the team sheet can be made if the match has yet to kick-off.

'Stute have until 2pm this afternoon [Thursday] to lodge an appeal and Russell revealed the club have already drawn up a statement-of-case in response to Ards' complaint.

"Ards have put in a protest about the fixture last Saturday and we have until 2pm Thursday [today] to respond and that's what we're currently doing, we're putting together our response to their protest," confirmed Russell.

The controversy has taken the shine off what should be a celebrated affair for Kevin Deery's NIFL Championship leaders but Russell insists they can't afford not to press ahead with plans to host Linfield in the next round given the logistical and security concerns surrounding that fixture.

A decision could be made as early as tonight but whichever way the Challenge Cup Committee rule, there is likely to be an appeal which would further delay the process and shorten the window before that March 2nd quarter-final date but Institute are hoping for a speedy resolution to the matter.

"When the decision will be made I don't know but I'm presuming they will be looking to resolve it as soon as possible because they know the implications if it drags on to next week," continued the 'Stute vice chairman.

"We have to organise the Linfield match in the meantime. We've still been in communication with the IFA about the Linfield match and we're still working on that. We would be keen on a swift resolution to this because of the work that has to go into organising the visit of Linfield to Brandywell.

"We have to continue on as if we're staying in the cup and we're continuing our meetings with Council, police and residents about the event.

"To go through all this work of planning the fixture and then to be thrown out of the competition, that would be devastating but we have to keep going, we have to continue with our plans of being in the quarter-finals of the cup because we won't' have enough time to prepare if we don't.

"So I would hope they make the decision sooner rather than later and I'd assume they will be trying to get an outcome very, very quickly. I don't see them dragging it on until next week," he predicted.

Institute's tie against Linfield is scheduled for the same day Derry host All Ireland champions Dublin in an Allianz Football League fixture at nearby Celtic Park. That fixture has a 5-m throw-in and is expected to attract more than 10,000 fans to the Lone Moor Road venue.

Given the close proximity of the two stadiums it is highly unlikely that the PSNI will permit both games taking place so close together but Institute are determined to host the fixture which is certain to bring in a bumper gate for the club.

Mr Russell is hoping the kick-off time for the game can be brought forward to 12 noon on March 2nd which, he believes, will allow adequate time for supporters to leave the venue before the arrival of supporters to Celtic Park. The match can't be moved to the Friday night as Derry City host St Patrick's Athletic. The IFA could also switch the game to Windsor Park but 'Stute would prefer to play earlier in the day on Foyleside.

"We probably have three possibilities," said Russell. "I don't see a 3pm kick-off happening. So our preferred option is 12 noon on the Saturday. We can't play in a night match there.

"The only other options could be to change the fixture to a Sunday or alternatively that we get another venue or switch to Linfield if we can't host it. Obviously we want to be holding this game at the Brandywell.

"We have a history now of being able to deliver these events safely. There's a lot of work down in the background by residents as well that people don't see. So we've delivered that safely. “Linfield were down twice that year and we've also had Crusaders, Glentoran, Ballymena, Coleraine. So they have all passed off peacefully. There could be 14,00 people coming and that's a lot of traffic in that area.

"I would think a 12 noon kickoff would allow enough time.”