Reds on carpet again

August 11 2009

Shepparton News

Shepparton Soccer Club's second place on the ladder is again in jeopardy after the Reds were charged for a second time with misconduct from its 5-2 win over Shepparton United in round 14.

Shepparton fielded an ineligible player in Papi Mukasa against United in the Goulburn North East Football Association match after a pre-match car accident led to confusion as to which players were available to play in the game.

Mukasa came off the bench and scored even though his name had not been written on the team sheet, he was issued a one-match suspension for the misconduct at a tribunal held last week.

But Shepparton United's protest of the 5-2 loss was dismissed after it failed to put a club seal on its documentation.

However, the tribunal recommended the league charge Shepparton with misconduct after Mukasa's suspension for his involvement in the matter.

The league said it was charging Shepparton with misconduct based on discplinary and tribunal by-law 4.2, which reads: ``GNEFA may investigate any matter which in its opinion is relevant to whether or not a charge of misconduct ought to be laid.

``Such investigation may be initiated on the basis of the report of the match official, a complaint by a club, a report of any other person, or on the basis of any other evidence which in the opinion of the GNEFA is credible.''

League president Frank Trimboli likened the current soccer case to the recent Shepparton Swans under-18 points deduction for fielding an ineligible player.

``Wednesday night was an invalid protest letter (from United), we (the league) accept that and move on and send out the charge,'' Trimboli said.

``We can't be seen not acting on it.''

The tribunal will sit at 7 pm tomorrow.

If the tribunal finds Shepparton guilty of misconduct, its 5-2 win against United will become a 3-0 defeat.