Sinn Fein has been accused of "destroying" Donegal Celtic in the controversy over the west Belfast soccer club's fixture with an RUC team which was cancelled amid widespread allegations of intimidation.
Club members had originally voted to go ahead with the match last Saturday at a neutral venue in Newtownards, Co Down, but this decision was reversed without a ballot. There were reports of threats to the club to call off the match. Sinn Fein said it had opposed the game but denied that this was a form of intimidation.
In repeated calls to the club yesterday, The Irish Times was told that no one was available for comment. However, a club committee member, Mr Martin McCullagh, had previously said members were "disgusted" they had been forced to cancel the match. He refused to outline details of the "unreasonable pressure", cited by club officials as the reason for withdrawing from the fixture.
A Workers' Party spokesman, Mr Jim McAlister, said that Sinn Fein had destroyed Donegal Celtic, which he referred to as one of the best amateur football teams in Belfast.
Sinn Fein Assembly member for the area Mr Alex Maskey described the reports of the intimidation of club members as "nonsense". He said there was a "backlash from within the club and from the wider community following the initial decision. People who had not made their views known to that point then came out against the match being played".
Sinn Fein and the pressure group, Relatives for Justice, campaigned for the match not to be played after club members voted 148 to 70 by secret ballot to play the fixture. The club's reversal on Friday was not put to a vote.
It is now thought that the club's future hangs in the balance and that members may leave at the end of the season, feeling that the controversy has destroyed any prospect of competing in the B division of the Irish League.
The RUC Chief Constable, Mr Ronnie Flanagan, said that "people will draw their own conclusions" on whether intimidation had taken place. An RUC spokesperson said that no formal complaints of intimidation had been made by club members.
The club's withdrawal means the RUC team will compete in the Christmas Day final of the Steel and Sons competition. Donegal Celtic had been favourites to win the junior soccer Cup.