Soccer club to appeal

Press, 9 May 1979, Page 42

Soccer club to appeal

By

DAVID LEGGAT

Cashmere-Wanderers will appeal against the sending off of one of its players in the Midland Coachlines Soccer League fixture with Western on Saturday. The Cashmere midfield player, Mick Orton, was sent off by the referee (Mr J. Dykhoff) for using foul and abusive language ten minutes from the end of the match. But there is a chance that Orton was an innocent victim.

While Mr Dykhoff is in no doubt that he sent the guilty player from the field, another Cashmere player may have committed the offence.

“I am not left in any doubt that the wrong player was sent off,” said the Cashmere president (Mr P> Lublow).

Under the penalty points system governing all grades this season, the use of foul and abusive language carries a punishment of 12 points and automatic one-match suspension. When a player receives 20 points he gets a longer suspension. Along with violent conduct and serious foul play, the bad language penalty is the most severe penalty imposed for any one offence.

A complication may force Orton, who at 29 is one of the club’s longest-serving

players, to miss his team’s Adidas Chatham Cup match with Rangers on Saturday, even if he is innocent. The Canterbury Football Association’s disciplinary committee is not due to meet this week. In the past it met once a week but is now only needed to adjudicate on players who accumulate 20 points.

In confirming that the club would appeal, Mr Lublow said he believed this could be a test case for the disciplinary procedure. “We have got a test case here. What to do when you get a sending off that is not justified?” he said. Mr Lublow said that the next step was for the club to work out the correct avenue for an appeal.

The chairman of the disciplinary committee (Mr P. Donnelly) said that the club must follow set requirements in putting forward an appeal and he pointed out that the committee now meets as and when necessary.

“If the appeal arrives before Saturday, and if we are given time we will hear it," he said.

But if Cashmere does appeal it might place itself in an awkward position — it will have to produce the guilty player.