Cork City - Bray Wanderers Fixture Postponed
Last updated : 21 May 2007 By Tony Tighe
The FAI have confirmed that Fridays Eircom League of Ireland fixture between Cork City and Bray Wanderers has been postponed, due to the call-up of Joe Gamble to the Republic of Ireland squad for the matches against Bolivia and Ecuador.
According to the league's participation agreement, if one player is called up to the Ireland senior squad, his respective club has the right to call the game off, and after some short deliberation, Cork City boss Damien Richardson has followed that line of action.
The Rebel's boss has hailed the call-up for his combative midfielder, and praised Ireland boss Steve Staunton for not just concentrating on UK-based players.
"I'm delighted first of all for Joe because it is something that he has been working extraordinarily hard to get," said Richardson. "I'm also delighted for the football club because it's a vindication of what it stands for. Joe is in there on merit and everybody accepts that. Stephen Staunton spoke to me about the player and it shows that he hasn't made this decision lightly, and that players from the Eircom League are getting picked on merit."
Gamble, who played in Cork's 2-1 win over Bohemians on Friday night, joined up with his Ireland team-mates in New Jersey yesterday.
He will be available for Cork City's next game, versus Shamrock Rovers on Tuesday week.
