The President of the Irish Football Association, Mr Jimmy Boyce, was awarded undisclosed libel damages in the High Court in Belfast yesterday. Mr Boyce, also chairman of Irish League leaders Cliftonville, sued the Daily Telegraph arising out of an article headed: "Soccer is more than a game in land of division."
But the action was settled out of court and the paper apologised to Mr Boyce (52), who began his association with Cliftonville as a ball boy at the age of six.
A statement read in court said the article attributed to Mr Boyce a statement that he was considering withdrawing Cliftonville from competitive football in Northern Ireland and switching to the League of Ireland.
The statement went on: "The defendants now accept that Mr Boyce did not suggest that he was considering such an option which was the result of a genuine misunderstanding . . .
"The defendants have agreed to pay Mr Boyce suitable compensation and his legal costs and are pleased to have this opportunity to put the record straight."