London will not get any special deviation from the Seanie Johnston ruling according to Croke Park officials.

When introduced by Congress in April the rule stipulated that before a player can complete an inter-county transfer, he must have played in the local club championship first.

As a result London football manager Paul Coggins faced the prospect of lining out without 12 first team regulars against Leitrim in the Connacht Championship - players who had not played in the previous county championship in London.

The County board were forced to bring the start of the championship forward to avoid the problem.

Given the turnover of players in London the Exiles' officials have argued that often players who played in a county championship have left the city by the time the national league or All-Ireland championship begins.

Also new players living and working in London would not be allowed represent the county unless they played in the county championship of the previous season.

This week Feargal McGill, the GAA's head of Games Administration, told Graham Clifford in the Irish Independent's UK GAA supplement that he did not envisage a situation whereby London would be treated differently to any other county with regards to the rule.

"I'd be very surprised if there was deviation from it for any county to be honest though of course that's a matter for Central Council" said Mr McGill.

"There were good and solid reasons for its introduction and consideration was given to GAA units outside of Ireland as well as inside it when the rule was formulated" he added.

London officials are considering bringing the county championship for 2013 forward to January so new players in the city can represent the side in the national league. Tweet

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