SOCCER:HAVING TAKEN the first steps yesterday in a legal action that could end with Bohemians being wound up over the coming weeks, the solicitor at the heart of the case, Stuart Gilhooley, has denied that one of the players in dispute with the club has already signed with Australian outfit Ballarat Red Devils.

Brian Shelley is believed to have talked with the club, which is located some 70 miles from Melbourne, about joining on a two-year deal that would also involve the defender being employed as a full-time development officer but Gilhooley yesterday issued a statement in which he insisted the player will not be concluding any move until his situation with the Dublin club is fully resolved.

“Contrary to media reports today, Brian has not agreed any deal to sign for Ballarat Red Devils,” he said. “He remains contracted to Bohemians Football Club and will remain at the club until his contract expires or until the club makes such offer of settlement of his contract that is acceptable to him. As things stand, this has not happened and he therefore remains a Bohemians player.

“In common with nearly all other Bohemians players,” the statement continues, “he has not been paid on foot of his contract in nearly seven weeks. As a result and without prejudice to the terms of his contract, Bohemians have given permission for him to speak to other clubs and indeed he is currently in Norway with the PFAI team.”

Gilhooley acknowledged yesterday that Bohemians had not reacted to the threat of legal action or to the criticism levelled at the club by the PFAI who has argued it should pay the roughly €4,500 that originally sparked the legal action before Christmas out of FAI prize money.

The club has declined to do so, insisting it remains determined to do a single deal with all of the players involved in the dispute, claiming that the funds paid to it by the FAI would not cover the global amount owed and insisting that the bulk of the €300,000 it has raised from supporters and other sources in recent weeks has to be earmarked for other commitments.

A meeting between the club and the players is expected to take place at the start of next week while the court action is likely to come to a head in around two to three weeks if it is not settled.

Meanwhile, Graham Carey, the Celtic player who was previously on loan with Bohemians, is returning to the Scottish club after a successful loan spell at Huddersfield Town.

The league One outfit had been keen to keep the Dubliner until the end of the season but talks about the terms on which he might stay apparently collapsed over the past 48 hours.

The FAI has appointed former Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians defender Dave Connell to take charge of the Republic of Ireland’s women’s under-19 team.

The winner of the Airtricity/Soccer Writers’ Association of Ireland Personality of the Year award will be named this evening. Paul Cook, Joseph Ndo and Richie Ryan of Sligo Rovers, Michael O’Neill and Gary Twigg of Shamrock Rovers as well as Bray’s Pat Devlin are all on the shortlist for the main award.