SOCCER
GSL
Churchill United president Ben Kimpton has voiced his support for the Gippsland Soccer League rules in response to critical comments made by his Moe United counterpart in Monday’s Express.
Moe was found to have fielded an ineligible player in the 5-5 draw with Churchill on 18 May with a Churchill protest upheld initially and then again after a subsequent Moe appeal.
Moe president Andrew Bednarski said some rules were “outdated” in response to the match being awarded as a 3-0 win to Churchill.
“I am surprised by those comments, especially considering new rules were unanimously voted in last November after an 18-month club driven review process that involved nine drafts to get things righ,” Kimpton said.
Bednarski also questioned the accuracy of the record on the GSL website, a claim Kimpton also refuted.
“The web record was correct all along and that’s how we were alerted to it after the match,” he said.
Kimpton was concerned Churchill was being portrayed as opportunistic for following through on the protest after it emerged Moe had received conflicting information from the GSL about the player’s return date.
“The bottom line is the Moe United player only missed one senior game from a two-match ban, and the rules are very clear on how a suspension should be served,” Kimpton said.
“To not question a document that showed a bye was included as part of a suspension, that defies logic.
“At the end of the day we were disadvantaged through no fault of ours and we sought redress, as any club would do the same if put in the same position.”
