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THE Latrobe Valley Soccer League is confident the international transfer certificate saga which sparked a debacle last season is in hand under the new organisation.
LVSL president Wayne Taylor said the Gippsland Soccer League’s allegation that upward of 80 players in the competition were in breach of ITC laws last year was incorrect.
Taylor said the new league’s registration process included a step to cater for those in need of clearance and that last year’s controversy was blown out of proportion.
“We read the rule and we understand the rule – it was a storm in a teacup fundamentally,” he said.
“The claim that 80 to 100 players don’t meet the requirements, I’ve spoken to FFV about this and it’s just not true.
“This claim that people who migrated 10 years ago and have been playing in Australia needed to get an ITC was just incorrect.”
According to the Football Federation Victoria guidelines, ‘an ITC is required for every player aged 10 years or older who is playing for the first time and is not an Australian citizen or whose last registration was overseas’.
LVSL’s registration process includes a question about whether a player’s previous registration was at an overseas club.
“If you were registered in Australia last year, that’s it, you’re fine,” Taylor said.
“If you were registered overseas last year or you’ve never been registered in Australia, you need to get an international transfer certificate.”
Debate arose last season when Falcons 2000 issued a complaint about Sale United’s use of foreign players.
One of the players mentioned, Sale’s Adam Buchanan, appears on the FFV ITC cleared list for 2016.