Appeal Fund Supporting Your Club

[Enfield United]

 

TO ALL ETFC SUPPORTERS SOCIETY LTD MEMBERS

 

APPEAL FOR FUNDS

 

The Board of Enfield Town FC has been considering its options for following up the verdicts of recent FA and Ryman League hearings on the alleged ineligibility of Aryan Tajbakhsh for two league matches played in January. The Club’s stance has been well documented, and there has been a good deal of positive reaction from other clubs and supporters.

 

The purpose of this note is to gauge your appetite for the Club pursuing the appeals route available to it by asking that you make a (potentially refundable) donation towards an appeals fund. On Friday the Club announced it would be appealing the FA’s decision, and a hearing for that appeal has been set for 8th May. The costs of this hearing are covered by funds that have already been allocated for this purpose. It may well be, following the FA appeal hearing on 8th May, that no further action is required. But this note has been issued in order to help the Board anticipate what steps might best be taken following the outcome of the 8th May hearing.

 

In the event of a follow-up appeal (against the Ryman League’s 3 point deduction; only if the FA appeal on 8th May fails), the Club would need to pay legal fees beyond which it has budgeted for. The Club is satisfied that it has secured an excellent legal team. The method by which the Club would aim to raise sufficient funds to pursue an appeal route beyond 8th May, is via donations.

 

Should the FA appeal on 8th May not go in our favour, if you are of the view that the ETFC Board should follow that up with an appeal against the Ryman League’s decision of a 3 point deduction, please donate ASAP as detailed below. The Board is asking members to contribute whatever they can by electronic bank transfer only, and we are only approaching ETFCSSL members at this stage.

 

How to donate

The bank details are: ETFC Fund, sort code 08-92-99, a/c no. 65329315. When making the electronic transfer, please ensure you include the reference ETFCAPPEAL for efficient administration purposes. THERE IS NO COMMITMENT TO FUNDS BEING SPENT AT THIS STAGE AND YOUR DONATION WILL BE REFUNDED IF THE CLUB DO NOT PROCEED TO AN APPEAL BEYOND THE FA APPEAL ON 8th MAY.

 

Next steps

The Board will be able to gauge the appetite of members to follow the appeal route (as necessary, beyond 8th May), and will keep members in touch with progress on a regular basis before any funds are committed. The Board undertake to refund all monies banked should further appeals not proceed. In the event of the amount donated exceeding the total legal costs for an agreed further appeal, contributions from members will be reinvested into club funds to be spent on other projects. The Board will communicate regularly if this is the case.

 

Any queries on this statement should be addressed via e-mail to kenbrazier6@gmail.com

 

Enfield Town FC Board

[Enfield United]

To be honest, how disgraceful is it for The FA and The League to put our club in such a position, an iconic club, an example for all, working within our means no sugar Daddies, yet we are treated similar to canon fodder but worse.

 

All we ask is to be treated in accordance to the FA's fair play policy. I'll be donating £100 possibly more if needed.

 

COYTOWNERS

[Dulwich]

I wish you well in your appeal. It is however sad that your desire to make the playoffs at all costs, has prevented holding them in a reasonable time has ruined them for Margate, Dulwich, and Hendon.

 

Why are you fighting to continue a season that is already over for all clubs except your own?

[lovely stuff]

We didn't delay the play-offs.The FA did.We won the right on the pitch to play our play-off game last thursday as scheduled.We didn't want any delay at all.

 

I'm sure Dulwich would have appealed in the same circumstances.(As would most clubs).

 

We also have no control over the FA waiting until a few days before the last game of the season to make this charge .Or the time frame for appealing the decision.

[Dulwich]

Everybody backs your right to appeal but if you take it past an appeal. There will be no end of season playoffs to compete in.

 

I wish you well on Friday.

[The Crowing Cockerel]

I'm going to ignore the rather contradictory post from 'Dulwich' above.

 

Here's my tuppence worth on this appeal...

 

I support the principle of the appeal but not the practicalities.

 

At best, ETFC win the appeal with the FA (at significant expense) and find themselves back in the play-off mix. Victory in both matches is far from guaranteed given the fact that ETFC are technically the lowest ranked side in the play-offs. So, chances are, ETFC probably won't win promotion to the Conference South. Even if ETFC did win the play-offs, then with considerable funds having been spent on legal representation, Brad's funding for life in the Con South is likely to be tens of thousands less than it might've been.

 

I think we at ETFC should cut our losses and abandon the appeal against the 3 point deduction. Employing a Magic Circle law firm and QC to represent us is going to cost a vast amount. This money could be better spent on next year's promotion push from the Ryman Prem.

 

If money were no object then I would back the appeal(s) all the way. But it clearly isn't, and for that reason I reluctantly think its time to call it a day.

 

TCC

[Dulwich]

Also the fact is that you did play an ineligible player. Another secretary may or may not have noticed, that the FA made it harder than it should have done and then you were advised not to play him is the basis of your appeal.

 

But you did play an ineligible player which is why you were deducted the points you won against Hendon.

[Enfield United]

Dulwich- the reason for the appeal is because it is for an unjust punishment.

I back our appeal 100% and we will win it with all costs returned if common sense prevails

Your grievance should be with the FA.

If you Margate and Hendon feel hard done by then imagine how we feel.

 

Fight it all the way

 

#Enfield4PlayOffs

[lovely stuff]

Also the fact is that you did play an ineligible player. Another secretary may or may not have noticed, that the FA made it harder than it should have done and then you were advised not to play him is the basis of your appeal.

 

But you did play an ineligible player which is why you were deducted the points you won against Hendon.

On the flip side.The FA instructed us 'wrongly' to ban the player from the following 2 games (which may have cost us points) and stated that no further action would be taken.To bring this matter up again just before the play-offs and causing this chaos is entirely down to the FA,not Enfield Town.

[1F in Enfield]

For what it's worth, I am coming round to the idea if taking it on the chin. I am in no way condoning the behavior of the FA and certainly wouldn't want a repeat of this fiasco. I just don't like the idea of gambling the future of ETFC especially. It's been an amazing season and we should focus on building on that.

[Enfield United]

1F in Enfield. I understand your opinion. But as someone who has grafted with coaching and preparing our teams from U21 downwards in snow mud rain wind, mileage time personal expenditure , I and every player coach and above all the supporters (which I include myself and my family in that bracket too) deserve to fight and reverse this punishment.

Dulwich- It was Hendon who'd objected to your play off at Margate going ahead. IMO rightly so.

[1F in Enfield]

I totally understand and not a day goes by when I don't yearn for a reversal. However the decision has been made and if the authorities are incompetent enough to come to this ludicrous ruling, I have no faith that they will see sense. I am very grateful for the hard work of people like yourself. The club has only got to where it is on this goodwill and generosity. I just don't want to see it all be undone by the inconsiderate powers that be.

[Papa Lazarou]

Can the club get gift aid on our donations?

 

Any chance we might be able to get some free tv adverts on during Coronation Street to boost our appeal?

[Enfield United]

For those who don't know Papa Lazarou he is a troll and should be (in my case shall be) ignored

[Steph]

I do not support going to the courts. It is a truism that in the courts you get the law you do not, necessarily get justice as we have found to our cost in the past

 

Dulwich is right on the basis of the rule book we played a player who was barred by reason of suspension and were, therefore, guilty of breaking the rules the penalty for which is deduction of points. I do not see the justices looking at it any other way.

 

Of course we were ignorant at the time the player played for us but the courts do not take account ignorance as mitigation.

 

I also consider that the FA have behaved disgracefully and this should have been settled before the last game of the season and the play offs. In view of this common sense must prevail on the 8th. The three point penalty should stand but to be deducted next season and we go forward to the play offs next week with the final next Saturday.

[MbrunoB]

I have to agree with Steph and say don't throw any more money away after Friday. Draw a line and move on.

[vauxhallman]

I agree with Steph and MbrunoB  don't throw any more money at it After Friday.

Get Brad on contract and start building for next season.

[townerboy]

everyone saying leave it here is assuming that we are going to get a better chance next season, which is certainly not guaranteed.

[thecoldend]

The sane way it is not guaranteed we'll win the two play off games.

 

Let's see what happens on Friday

[The Crowing Cockerel]

everyone saying leave it here is assuming that we are going to get a better chance next season, which is certainly not guaranteed.

 

ETFC are a team on the up. We are growing. I genuinely see it as only a matter of time before we progress to the next level - whether it be with Brad or a successor. We may not get a better chance next season, but we will eventually!