Back fined over football boycott 18/8/10
Back Football Club has been fined £150 after refusing to play in league decider match against Lochs last week.
Lewis and Harris Football Association imposed the penalty after a discussion of the row last night.
The circumstances leading up to the team’s last minute boycott created bitter controversy amid claims that they sought to delay the game until they could field a stronger squad.
Back emphatically denied the accusations and explained the match clashed with a community function in the shared premises. In any case, the Lewis and Harris Football Association had conditionally permitted a postponement and set a new date for Monday August 23rd which meant the club’s tie against Harris would be shifted to the Wednesday of that week.
The row then escalated over a disputed deadline to provide the requested letter of supporting evidence.
Back insisted that no hard and fast time limit had been set and the document was duly handed in on Friday afternoon. This had bypassed the noon cutoff maintained the football association.
At the time Lochs was poised to challenge any postponement particularly as Garrabost
had been offered -
It is unclear if the football association provided written correspondence over a
deadline to Back -
There is a feeling of being wronged over the alleged lack of clarification of a deadline. Some in the club believes it would have had a lost case if it played the game and then went on to appeal the alleged lack of deadline notice.
However, Back FC has previously said it would not appeal the fine. It avoids the row being referred to the Scottish Amateur Football Association which has the power to slammed up the financial penalty to around £1000 if any appeal is rejected.
It is understood that football association assistant fixture secretary Allan Macleod
has conceded to return to his post. Mr Macleod was hounded out after been hassled
over the dispute -
The row developed after the club lodged a last minute application to put off the match on the grounds that the recreation hall at the Coll pitch would be thronging with people setting up and preparing for the following night’s induction at Back Free Church. The move did not originate from the church but the club felt it was inappropriate the two “conflicting” crowds in the same place.
When Lochs declined a mutual postponement the issue went to a panel made up of three members of the island’s football association whose arrangement of an alternative venue was rejected by Back.
The club subsequently provided a letter from Back Free Church supporting its stance. But this was not received in time maintained the football association which went on to rule that the game must be played at Coll as scheduled.
The club refutes widespread allegations that it desperately sought to avoid fielding a weakened side against league leader Lochs. It emphatically denied that any players were injured and pointed out that it was known for months about the sole man who would not be available.
Lochs FC were awarded three points for the match which thrusts them into the clear lead to win the league.