Tigers lodge derby protest - June 8 2010
Tigers lodge derby protest
June 8 2010
Shepparton News
Cobram has lodged a complaint to Goulburn North East Football Association following last week's 4-2 loss to rival Cobram Victory, citing an ineligible player on Victory's list.
Englishman Adam Gatcum played his first game for the club in the local derby, but Tigers officials assert he should not have been allowed on the pitch because of an as yet unserved suspension received playing for English club Andover.
League president Frank Trimboli said the league had cleared Gatcum to play before the match based on consultation with FFV's tribunal and disciplinary co-ordinator Kosta Dokolas who, according to Trimboli, said that the player would be allowed to play in Metropolitan competition if the situation arose there.
``We did all our investigations before it (the game on the weekend),'' Trimboli said.
``We can't charge Cobram Victory, Cobram Victory aren't guilty of anything because we approved him (Gatcum) to play which we're allowed to do as the competition administrator. We did exactly what FFV would have allowed in their (metro) competition.
``At the end of the day he needs to serve the suspension in the same level of competition. This player has come from a professional competition and has been downgraded to an amateur player.
``They (FFV) would allow that player to play in Melbourne and we are following the same reasoning.''
Cobram president Roy Boncaldo said he had not heard from the league whether Gatcum had been approved to play, but couldn't understand its reasoning when informed that it had.
``We don't think it should make any difference, if the player is suspended he's suspended from playing in any league,'' Boncaldo said.
``We actually have spoken to the club he was playing with (Andover) and we know he was suspended for four weeks. And at this stage we know he hasn't served his four weeks, so how he got to play here and how he got the okay I don't know.''
Boncaldo said he wouldn't rule out taking the matter to the tribunal after he heard directly from the league.
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