Olympia Warriors, currently second on the NPL Tasmania standings on goal-difference to leaders Devonport City, have had 3 points deducted after playing an ineligible player in last Friday’s 3-1 home win over South Hobart at Warrior Park.
Lucas Hill, Olympia’s
captain, had apparently accumulated five yellow cards and not served a
suspension.
Photo: The Olympia line-up against Kingborough, with Lucas Hill at far right [PlessPix]
Football Tasmania issued the
following statement his morning:
Football Tasmania has confirmed that Olympia F.C Warriors
have been found to have breached Competition Rule 22.3 by fielding an
ineligible player in their National Premier Leagues Tasmania game against South
Hobart on Friday 19 July.
The rule states that “when a player accumulates five (5)
cautions during the same season in the same competition they will receive a one
match suspension, as determined by the Company.”
Olympia player Lucas Hill had received 5 yellow cards during
the season and as such was ineligible to take part in the game.
Following an investigation of this matter including the
consideration of a written submission by Olympia, FT has applied the
following sanctions.
The match against South Hobart will be deemed a forfeit, with
a 3-0 win to South Hobart being applied. A monetary fine of $200 will also be
applied as per section 14.6 of FT Competition Rules.
Olympia F.C Warriors have the right to appeal these sanctions
to an independent Tribunal and they have advised Football Tasmania they will be
exercising that right.
As such, these sanctions will be applied once the matter has
been heard and a decision made by the Tribunal.
Football Tasmania will offer no further comment on the matter
until this appeals process has concluded.
Olympia play Devonport City
away at Valley Road tomorrow now go into the match 3 points adrift of Devonport.
Olympia are expected to
appeal the Football Tasmania decision.
Photo: Olympia's Lucas Hill (left) was shown two yellow cards and a red against South Hobart and it was one of those yellow cards that may have caused the current issue [PlessPix]
22 comments:
ooof
Olympia to enter the Valley of Death tomorrow..
According to the Advocate Olympia may have fielded other ineligible players. FFT need to do their job. It's not the EPL it's just a small league shouldnt be too difficult. What a pity a good season should end like this. FFT have trouble with the fixture list and now their own rules!
ANON 11:29
Totally agree will spoil what was going to be a great finish to the season. I'm sure everyone involved at Devonport would prefer to win or lose under better circumstances.
That said I'm fairly sure the rules that apply to this sort of breach, and the NPL rules, in general, are the same across every state so I'm sure if proven guilty, FFT hands are tied and must apply penalties in accordance to NPL rules.
I also read that there could be other infringements but we all know things written are not always true.
What an embarrassment for football.
How unprofessional the game looks to participants, other sports, government and potential sponsors and investors.
Not much chance of tas getting an Aleague licence if we can't administer a nine team NPL.
Whatever the clubs role it should never happen in the first place. It shouldn't be resolved after the fact, it should be prevented.
Ft should ensure referees are provided with all the information about suspended and ineligible players before the weekend and an ineligible player should never have the chance of stepping on the pitch.
It's different if you're talking under 14s but NPL, championship and WSL, it should never happen, it should be prevented and FT should be pro active not reactive.
Could you imagine this hapening in the afl? If Gary Ablett was suspended and Geelong tried to play him do you think they'd let him play and then deduct points and apply fines later? Of course not.
It's a very bad look for football and whatever role the club played the buck stops at FT.
Sorry but it seems fft rules are different to all other federation states and are different to ffas rules in relation to accumulated yellows.
Don't Olympia go in to the match on level points, Walter?
""As such, these sanctions will be applied once the matter has been heard and a decision made by the Tribunal."
Will be interesting to see how quickly the issue is addressed.
FFT site shown Jack ryan also has 5 yellow cards 5th card was against Knights ??????
I was looking over the stats for yellow cards for Lucas. It's weird that it says he's got 5 YCs and 1 RC.
Yet you total the yellows across the games listed on that page and there are four (unless its a presentational thing) and one red (and he got another yellow against South the weekend just gone which I included in that tally of 4). The first two rounds aren't shown in the table for the season's games, but he got a yellow against Devonport in round 2 - so that appears to be 4 total up until the other table on that page starts showing?
Was his red a straight red or two yellows? Do the two yellows turning into a red count as a yellow? Or are the stats on that page just not to be trusted?
http://websites.sportstg.com/team_info.cgi?pID=193860753
Too many questions from a neutral observer. I went to look as I was curious as to how this could go wrong yet the stats from the official record don't provide any clarity either.
FFT Competition Rules;
"22.3.1 Serving of accumulated cautions suspension
A player who receives a suspension for accumulated cautions must serve that suspension in that
relevant competition. For the avoidance of doubt, this means if the player receives a suspension in the Championship then it will be served in Championship and not League Cup, FFA Cup or Lakoseljac Cup competitions. Clubs are responsible for tracking the accumulated cautions of their players."
Couldn't be more clear cut, either he took the field or he didn't, and if he did, game over, simple as that, what is the point of even allowing a frivolous appeal !!
This may not be over yet - L. Hill is shown as having accumulated five yellow cards in the NPL as of last week against S. Hobart (he has had one red as well - by the by). If FT are counting a pre-season game or a Lako Cup game in the 'five' then they are contravening FFA guidelines re accumulated yellow cards. So an appeal may be worthwhile.
(Of course the FT website may be inaccurate in its recording.)
FFT have some serious issues that must be dealt regarding staff .
So is he out tomorrow because of the 5?
I don't see how this is an fft problem, keep track of your cards. Olympia's only argument against it their own incompetence.
Having dealt with Olympia before, I'm sure they'll just blame it on other people and claim innocence
How quickly we forget our football history. It is barely 4 years since Real Madrid were kicked out of the Spanish Cup for doing EXACTLY the same thing with Denis Cheryshev and Cadiz went through to the next round. Real Madrid copped it sweet and apologised. Then just before that Legia Warsaw were kicked out of the Champions League and Celtic progressed. Legia had completely lost track of their suspensions and admitted it. Everywhere in the world it's the club responsibility. FFT might be muppets but they now sit alongside the Spanish FA, Polish FA and presumably UEFA for enforcing exactly the same thing. Muppets one and all then. By the way it has nothing to do with the referees...they simply referee whoever is put in front of them. Olympia could field the same player again this week and the match would happen...in the aftermath it would be another forfeit and the penalty would simply go up. This is a club that has a close personal relationship with penalties. Enjoy. Dear Olympia people stop trying to blame everyone else, have the same good grace as Real Madrid, apologise and move on. Heaven forbid that it might actually be your fault.
Very erudite, Charles. You obviously know your football. I wonder if FT know about those examples that you cite?
Charles Calthrop - absolutely spot on. Sorry Olympia, you dropped the ball and pay now pay the price.
Well done The Jackal...I've been exposed. You obviously read your Frederick Forsyth! Congratulations
Where do clubs get their records from? Sports TG if I am correct.
This is a very inaccurate site as players go missing of it all the time plus does not give the correct stats with games played and who with.
The site we register to play is also faulty as you can dual register this year and under the old system this could never happen.
I know rules are rules but football Tasmania pay big bucks for these sites and they don't deliver. Time to ask for a refund or develop your own sites that at least Football Tasmania can control.
As far as Olympia go there's no way you will win the appeal Football Tasmania never admit when they are in the wrong and clubs do suffer because of their inability to communicate with clubs. They only get back to you when you've done something wrong.
Charles, my original comment is not defending Olympia in any way.
I'm just saying its a very bad look for the sport. It's embarrassing for the league and the sport.
I don't know the details of the examples you cite but they are also a bad advertisement for the sport.
It's embarrassing for the image of the professionalism of our product.
I'm certain you would never see it in AFL, why does it keep happening in football especially in Tasmania and especially in the South.
The A league has taken control of their competition from the FFA and given it to an independent body. Not much chance of that happening in Tasmania but FT need a good kick. Lop-sided comps are the norm and now amateurish administration. They can't just keep sleepwalking through the NPL every year.
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