League charges Cobram

 

August 20 2009

Shepparton News

Soccer continues to be dogged by off-field scandal after Cobram Soccer Club was notified yesterday it would be officially charged with misconduct stemming from its 2-2 draw with Shepparton South at the weekend.

Grievance and disciplinary issues remain on the boil for Shepparton Soccer Club also after one of its representatives indicated it would appeal a tribunal decision handed down on Tuesday night.

Goulburn North East Football Association yesterday informed Cobram it would be charged with misconduct for bringing the game into disrepute.

After holding an investigation into which players were booked in Sunday's match, the association said it had enough evidence to issue a misconduct charge.

The association's consultation with match referee Brian Campbell and his assistant referees found discrepancies with Cobram's team sheet (match record) as to which players had received yellow cards.

Of particular interest to the league is why Carl Fannon's yellow card was not marked on the match record even though its investigation found he had been booked by referee Campbell.

Fannon currently has a third yellow card for the season attributed to him from the match, meaning he will be suspended for Cobram's do-or-die game against Cobram Victory this weekend.

Former Shepparton player Luke Slater has been involved in Shepparton's current misconduct hearings and has said he believes the club should appeal a ladder-altering tribunal decision handed down on Tuesday night.

Shepparton was found guilty of misconduct by the laws of the game for fielding a player not on its team sheet in round 14 against Shepparton United and summoned to the tribunal by the association.

Having already suspended Papi Mukasa for taking part in the game even though he was not on Shepparton's match record, the rules of competition already stated Shepparton was guilty of misconduct and the tribunal would be held to determine a penalty.

Shepparton put Mukasa's absence from the team sheet down to pre-match confusion as to who was available after two players left Central Park to attend a car accident scene involving family, but then returned in time to play.

The tribunal ruled on Tuesday night that the match result, a 5-2 win for Shepparton, be changed to a 3-0 win for Shepparton United.

Slater said he felt the tribunal had not exercised its discretion.

Club protest rules indicate the match result must be reversed 3-0 in such cases of misconduct, but United's club protest was dismissed at an earlier tribunal for not having a club seal on its documentation.

A misconduct charge from the league is not bound by the same rules as club protests, meaning the tribunal could have enforced any penalty it saw fit.

"We hope an appeal will take into account the discretion the tribunal had," Slater said.

"And also some common sense will be applied given the circumstances of this subject.

"I don't think there was enough weight given to the circumstances, we hope there can be some common sense and a fair outcome."

Shepparton's penalty at Tuesday night's tribunal has changed the men's division one ladder heading into this weekend's final round of the home and away season.

Shepparton South is safe as minor premier on 33 points, with Shepparton United second on 27 (plus eight goal difference), Victory third on 22 (plus 18), Shepparton fourth (plus five), Tatura fifth on 20 points (plus 14) and Cobram sixth on 20 (plus three).