The FAI may be called upon to adjudicate on a financial dispute between Waterford United and Kilkenny City following yesterday's FAI Cup first Round tie at Buckley Park.
Waterford, who were beaten by an injury-time winner, refused to accept the share of the gate receipts offered to them by the home side, claiming Kilkenny's estimate of the size of the crowd was too low and have asked the FAI to intervene. A source at Waterford told ireland.comthe club was offered £800, but believed the correct figure should have been more.
There is no official crowd counting mechanism applied by Irish clubs, but, for cup games, an FAI observer, plus representatives from the visiting club, are required to approve the home side's estimate. Yesterday's observer has yet to file his report.
Kilkenny General Manager, Jimmy Rhatigan, meanwhile, scoffed at Waterford's complaints, saying: "They had a man at every turnstile yesterday so could see exactly how many were coming in. What they may have failed to take account of was that we have 300 season ticket holders who can enter without paying on the day, though yesterday, probably due to the time of year, only 157 of them came."
"Furthermore, out of courtesy, we offered Waterford a number of tickets to sell themselves in Waterford the week before the match, and they declined so I don’t know why they’re complaining."
Waterford made similar complaints against Longford Town in last year's tournament, and a subsequent FAI investigation eventually awarded Waterford five times the amount originally offered by the Flancare Park outfit.
Waterford today called on the FAI to introduce penalties for underestimated gate receipts.