Phantoms owner Dave Lane was reportedly furious tonight over the failure of the EIHA to respond to the club’s recent appeal over what was in-effect a decision to throw them out of the NIHL National Cup for failing to secure a final qualifying fixture with Hull Pirates.
Despite Hull acknowledging they had failed to agree to any of the nine proposed fixtures submitted by Phantoms and despite accepting that the forfeit of the game in Phantoms favour would be the correct decision, the league’s Management Committee (LMC) decided to blame both sides and declare the fixture void thus leaving Phantoms a point short of qualification.
Phantoms appealed immediately to the governing EIHA but have never received a response despite acknowledging receipt of the appeal, “we sent a letter via our solicitors to appeal against the LMC’s decision to award our last game against Hull a ‘void game’ with no points awarded to either side and to also ask what the EIHA’s appeal process is? As of today we have only had an acknowledgment email of our letter and have still not received any response to our questions. We dont believe the LMC’s decision falls within the rules of competition.”
With tongue firmly in cheek, the Phantoms top man added “fans will be entered into a draw to win a Phantoms goody bag if they can identify the rule that allows the LMC to grant our last game against Hull as Void and with no points awarded !!!”
In the meantime, the quarter-final that should have seen Phantoms playing Solway Sharks this weekend has now completed, leaving Sheffield Steeldogs in the semi-finals despite never having actually qualified other than via the LMC’s bizarre decision !