THURROCK FC boss Tommy South has spoken of his “utter devastation” after his club lost their appeal against demotion from Ryman Premier League today.
The Club have been docked three points won against Lewes because they played Joel Barnett, a player who unbeknown to them – and the Football Association – was banned sine die from football.
South’s club were only told of their punishment after the league season and the deduction of points was enough to drop them to the foot of the table reports The Thurrock Enquirer.
The club went into today’s hearing at Wembley confident they had enough evidence to back their case that the FA were at fault because their disciplinary system did not flag up the ban. Indeed the player had been cautioned and dismissed while playing football, without the FA’s own system indicating his suspension.
Many across the non-League football world had expressed sympathy with Thurrock going into the hearing – with many quoting similar problems with the FA’s system.
And the Ryman League’s own secretary has conceded she knows of other instances where the same thing has happened.
However, the FA – who appeared to pre-determine the hearing themselves by including Thurrock in an early round of the FA Cup last Friday – chose to stand by their initial decision – and within minutes the Ryman League announced they too were not about to change their stance.
Carshalton will now stay in the Ryman Premier, with Sittingbourne switching geographical divisions to take their place in Division One South and Thurrock dropping to the Ryman One North.
That left South in a state of shock and he told the Enquirer: “I am utterly devastated. I don’t know what I am going to do.
“I put my life and soul into football and then these people turn around and make decisions like this. Where are they coming from? Everyone I have spoken to in football has sympathy with our cause but the men in suits at Wembley don’t want to listen to common sense.
“Our case was put to the FA very well and we believe we have proven it, but they don’t want to know.
“I am so convinced that right is on our side I think I will have to take this to the international court of sports arbitration. I don’t know what implications that will have on the Ryman League and it may upset a lot of people, but what do we do. We have been wronged.
“I’m so sick and disappointed at the moment that my only other thought is just to jack the whole thing and fold the club. I’ll sleep on it and take advice and I know I’d get fined for that but if I’m walking away from football so what? What are they doing to do, sine die all the players and management from last season until they pay a fine?”
That was a reference to the reason behind Barnett’s suspension in the first place. The local club he played for in West Yorkshire folded and all the players had to pay a share of their debt, with Barnett – having moved south – apparently unaware of the fine,. Hence he carried on playing.
Thurrock are adamant they did all that was possible to check out if there was any reason Barnett could not play – a process replicated by Tilbury and Bishops Stortford, who have also played him when they shouldn’t have.
Tilbury suffered an 18pt deduction, against which they also appealed to the Ryman League, but they too lost out on Tuesday, though all they do is plummet through the league placings.
They stay in Ryman One North, but the big question now is whether Thurrock will be in there alongside them – or even if the league can kick off at all pending another legal battle.
Whilst I have every sympathy with Thurrocks’ plight Harlow discovered that the player had been banned and consequently did not sign him maybe this influenced the FA decision .
I fear going down the road of arbitration will alienate the other Ryman clubs and will impact on their income which could threaten their existence.It’s a tough old world personally I think Tommy should take the demotion like Grays were forced to do after all they dropped from the Conference all of three divisions unlike Thurock who will only drop one.