ConIFA offered to apologise to the Manx IFA and people, hours before dramatic expulsion

ConIFA offered to apologise to the Manx IFA and people, hours before dramatic expulsion

Yesterday was an extraordinary day even by ConIFA standards. Late last night, ConIFA issued a statement announcing the provisional expulsion of the ManxIFA from their organisation.

Their statement gave the following reasons:

“In its press release of Tuesday 5 June, Ellan Vannin made numerous inaccurate and offensive statements.

“These – and its withdrawal from the 2018 Paddy Power World Football Cup – are contrary to the Statement of Conduct, which form part of the tournament rules.

Ellan Vannin’s conduct also represents a breach of the tournament participation contract, executed between CONIFA and Ellan Vannin. CONIFA will consider whether, pursuant to the contract, it will require Ellan Vannin to indemnify CONIFA for any losses suffered as a result of Ellan Vannin’s conduct.”

The ManxIFA allege that they found out about the decision through social media and were not privately informed first. They have officially notified ConIFA that they not only reserve the right of appeal, but that they are exercising that right. The decision still has to be ratified by the ConIFA AGM in January.

However, the expulsion decision represented a remarkable turnaround from the situation just hours before. Prost can reveal that ConIFA was prepared to make an astonishing apology to not just the ManxIFA but to the entire population of the island.

ConIFA President Per Anders Blind sent a message to the ManxIFA which offered several conciliatory but concrete gestures including:

a) an admission an error was made and an apology to both the Football Association and the people of the Isle of Man

b) organising a friendly betweeen Ellan Vannin and the World Champions to be crowned on June 9

c) keeping a promise to refund a large part of the Manx IFA’s expenses.

The ManxIFA would have to pay a symbolic fine of just £1 ($1.35) which was agreed on Thursday morning.

Blind had agreed this with ConIFA VP Hungarian Kristof Wenczel (also President of the Szekely Land FA), but added the caveat that it had to go before the ‘Organising Committee and all the Directors of ConIFA Properties.’

It is highly possible that this is where the conciliatory gesture was overturned an the draconian expulsion was initiated. On Thursday morning, the ManxIFA still apparently believed that the conciliation was on offer and they claim only found out about the dramatic reversal on social media late last night.

What transpired internally over the course of Thursday is yet to come out, but it is hard to see how it doesn’t raise further questions about who speaks for ConIFA.