WOW

[Guvnor No1]

Non CCL but read this

 

The race for the Zamaretto League Central Division took a bizarre twist today when it was revealed that Arlesey Town have been penalised by a nine point deduction just days after “clinching” the championship.

 

The penalty means that Hitchin Town have leapfrogged Arlesey and go into the final game of the season two points ahead of their local rivals. The Bank Holiday Monday game between Hitchin and Arlesey at Top Field becomes a title decider, with the Canaries needing one point to lift their first championship since 1993. If Arlesey win, however, the Blues will end the campaign as champions.

 

Arlesey issued the following statement after their 3-1 win against Uxbridge:

 

“Arlesey Town Football Club has just had 9 points deducted by the league for fielding an ineligible player due to what was a technicality. We feel the league has been extremely harsh and that the penalty does not fit the crime. We put a great case forward which appeared in our view, to have been completely discounted. We have had a fantastic 120th year, filled with great results and as far as we are concerned, Gary King - Director of Football and manager; Zema Abbey - Assistant manager, Derek Brown - Captain and the whole team, have won the league fair and square. They have given us a year of entertainment and skill that has been second to none. They have brought something special back into our club, they have put the dreams back into our community.

 

 

How mad is that

[Eastside Urchin]

A bit harsh from what i understand.I did hear somewhere that arlesey and hitchin clubs get on well and someone from hitchin has already said that they don't feel it's fair on arlesey,wonder if they will throw the game???

[Guvnor No1]

Daventry were leading the league about 10 games ago and they got a 6 point deduction for an apparant same offence....cant see Hitchin throwing this game in front of a massive crowd

Edited April 23, 2011 by Guvnor No1

[Krooner]

We broke the rules but we didnt mean too !!!

[Chris Clapham]

Could be bad news for QPR!

[Big J R]

We broke the rules but we didnt mean too !!!

 

Sounds like a classic Sir Alexandria Funguson quote, Kroons !!

 

[VPCTFC]

Been reading the various forums regarding this.

It appears the games the player was ineligible for were in November so whay's it taken to the last week of the season for the points deduction? Even with an appeal that's far too long.

What happens if the league find a team played an ineligible player in April? They can't take points off them for next season.

 

If clubs have a duty to be on top of paperwork at all times or face sanctions, don't leagues as well?

[Krooner]

Should do VP but if they broke the rules they broke the rules !!!!

[VPCTFC]

Should do VP but if they broke the rules they broke the rules !!!!

 

They did.

 

I can't see the full details but it's said that the original penalty was 15 points which Arlesey appealed against. This was in January.

Just before the last game of the season, with the two top teams to play each other last game, the penalty comes through as 9 points. Just enough to ensure the last game has something riding on it.........

 

What I'm trying to say is that if a club is playing an ineligible player unknowingly, which can happen despite rigourous checks, it's in everyone's interests for the league to sort it out as quickly as possible. There have been cases in some leagues in the past when teams have had nearly a whole season's points wiped off whereas, if it had been notified when the offence first occurred, the team would have sorted the situation out. No team would willingly play an ineligible player all season, especially at senior level.

Abbey in the Surrey County Intermediate League have just had 18 points deducted for offences going back to September. They've still got a chance of promotion despite the penalty but this should have sorted out in September, not April.

 

I don't know what systems are in place to check eligibility (it's no good just asking the player as they don't always know) but something needs to be looked at.

[Krooner]

Fully Agree.

[Guvnor No1]

Justice done Aresley won 1-0 against Hitchin and are promoted