Apropos of nothing bar googling lots of things about Michael Ring and Westport United, we learned about a rather interesting (or possibly completely dull) incident from the late 1990s involving both parties. It seems that Westport United had been fined, docked more than 10 points and suspended by the Mayo AFL over an incident involving registration of players. The dispute seemed intractable until Michael Ring - only an elected TD for three years - became a mediator between the two sides.
Here's how wikipedia reports the proceedings:
Westport were dealt a blow soon after, being fined £1,400 and having 13 points deducted for breaches in registration rules. The situation deteriorated when the standoff resulted in the fine being doubled, and the club suspended. Deputy Michael Ring intervened in the crisis, which resulted in the fine being reduced to £1,000. The points deduction stood; thus Westport United was relegated. Underage trophies continued to flow in at Under-16 level with back-to-back league titles.
Now the Westport United wikipedia entry is full of lies and slander, but I found an account of a similar-enough anecdote from a foot.ie thread about WUFC from 2007 written by poster Thunderblaster, who knows a hell of a lot about the club.
On analysis, the reference dates back to 1997, but the B team were never thrown out of the league. The club at the time got fined and points deducted, didn't pay the fine, got suspended, which meant that Ballinasloe Town got a walkover from Westport United at the time in the Connacht Cup. A meeting was called between Westport United and the Mayo AFL, mediated by Deputy Michael Ring TD and the result was that the fine was reduced but the points deduction remained. The club declined to field a B team in view of the events of November 1997.
And thus ends your yearly installment on random west-of-Ireland football disputes from two decades ago.
