Leinster votes to break away from Belfast-based Irish Football Association
Dublin, 2 June 1921 – Last night, at the annual meeting of the Leinster Football Association (LFA) in Dublin, an overwhelming majority of committee members voted to break away from the Belfast-based Irish Football Association (IFA), which until now has governed soccer in Ireland.
The meeting of the LFA, held in Molesworth Hall, was chaired by Harry Wigoder, who was re-elected president of the Leinster association.
The following resolution advocating for a split in Irish soccer administration, which had been sent to all clubs, was put to the meeting: ‘That the time has come when a new association should be formed independent of the Irish Football Association Ltd. That the newly elected Council of the Leinster Football Association should constitute themselves for the purpose of establishing a new body and report to a full meeting of the clubs when the draft constitution and rules have been considered.’
Proposing the resolution, Larry Sheridan insisted that ultimately this was a decision for the clubs, and was an unprecedented step that would cut Leinster adrift. Mr Sheridan noted that some of the Leinster clubs, including Shelbourne and St James’s Gate, had been victimised by the IFA and thought it would be in the interests of Leinster football if they took their courage in their hands and cut the connection to Belfast.
Urging delegates to strike out on their own, Mr Wigoder expressed confidence that they could make it work, but they would need to get a different class of officials and referees to look after their affairs.
The resolution was carried, with the only dissenting voice being that of Robert Richey, originally from Co. Antrim.
[Editor's note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]
