Post by Jimmy the Claret on May 11, 2005 20:35:06 GMT
A brief summary......Spennymoor ran out of cash and half their team and management walked out. They were therefore unable to fulfil their fixtures. The Unibond League responded by fining an already skint club every time it failed to turn up - some deterrent that was !
At the end of the season the league expunged the record of Spennymor completely but the FA, in its infinite wisdom, decided to allow the results to stand,and allocate three points to those yet to play Spennymoor with a nil goal difference.
As a result of this unneeded interference the champions Farsley Celtic suddnely finshed in the play-offs whilst the third-placed club, Hyde were crowned as champions. Burscough went to Lincoln on the last Saturday knowing they had to win to secure a play-off spot. They played a 4-2-4 formation & won 3-2.Threedays later, thanks to the FA input, they finish behind Prescot and hence are denied the play-off spot they thought they had won.
The Unibond league is culpable in that it failed to take decisive action far earlier when it was clear Spennymoor had passed the point of no return. But the FA has acted incredibly, causing a final table where clubs have played differing numbers of fixtures, and where those whose fate was in their own hands and who planned accordingly, suddenly find they have lost their just desserts.
Burscough and Farsley Celtic had taken the FA to the high courts to get justice.
The FA rejected a final offer to avert legal procedings today and it is now going to the High Court.
Unibond League getting worried now because if play offs don't go ahead their promotion place might be lost.
FA are basically behaving like pillocks and wouldn't go to arbitration. I sincerely hope Farsley Celtic and Burscough win this one because the FA should not be tampering this way with a league's rules.
This is indeed a crazy and very dangerous precedent. Let's hope it is overturned if natural justice is to be done.
Good luck to Farsley Celtic and Burscough!
At the end of the season the league expunged the record of Spennymor completely but the FA, in its infinite wisdom, decided to allow the results to stand,and allocate three points to those yet to play Spennymoor with a nil goal difference.
As a result of this unneeded interference the champions Farsley Celtic suddnely finshed in the play-offs whilst the third-placed club, Hyde were crowned as champions. Burscough went to Lincoln on the last Saturday knowing they had to win to secure a play-off spot. They played a 4-2-4 formation & won 3-2.Threedays later, thanks to the FA input, they finish behind Prescot and hence are denied the play-off spot they thought they had won.
The Unibond league is culpable in that it failed to take decisive action far earlier when it was clear Spennymoor had passed the point of no return. But the FA has acted incredibly, causing a final table where clubs have played differing numbers of fixtures, and where those whose fate was in their own hands and who planned accordingly, suddenly find they have lost their just desserts.
Burscough and Farsley Celtic had taken the FA to the high courts to get justice.
The FA rejected a final offer to avert legal procedings today and it is now going to the High Court.
Unibond League getting worried now because if play offs don't go ahead their promotion place might be lost.
FA are basically behaving like pillocks and wouldn't go to arbitration. I sincerely hope Farsley Celtic and Burscough win this one because the FA should not be tampering this way with a league's rules.
This is indeed a crazy and very dangerous precedent. Let's hope it is overturned if natural justice is to be done.
Good luck to Farsley Celtic and Burscough!