goaldrush
13th November 2003, 06:50
Article in the Courier.
Sunbury readmitted to Ballarat Football League
Ken Hill
Thursday, 13 November 2003
Sunbury readmitted to BFL
SUNBURY was re-admitted to the Ballarat Football League late last night after it made guarantees to the league on conduct, recruitment and on-field leadership in the wake of its grand final debacle.
The Lions were given an $1800 discount on its $5000 fine but the club still has a further $5000 fine suspended until the end of the 2005 season.
After two weeks of negotiations with the BFL board, a relieved Sunbury president Richard Baird said the club could now go forward after the league's decision.
"We have a good challenge now and have never backed down from a challenge," a jubilant Mr Baird said after the BFL board agreed to re-admit the club.
President Baird said he would lead a new 14-member committee into the 2004 season with the club already electing a new football manager as well as a new chairman of selectors to be announced soon.
The former holders of those positions, John Arthur and Mark Fedoruk do not have official positions with the club for next season, Mr Baird said.
"We are very happy with the outcome and very relieved - it has been a difficult six weeks.
"We now have a new treasurer in Pat Mackie, a new football manager in Brian O'Connor, who is also the new vice-president, and a new chairman of selectors to be appointed," Mr Baird said.
He said his club had adopted a detailed new code of conduct and had agreed to meet league requirements as far as recruitment and on-field leaders were concerned.
Commenting on the $5000 fine remaining and the $1800 "discount", Mr Baird said the club had not asked for a reduction in the fine but would have preferred a bond.
"But at least we can pay it in two parts with the first part to be paid by the league's AGM on November 27 and the second part by March 31 next year.
"We would have preferred a bond but the BFL decided it was to retain the fine because of the severeity of the breaches and we have got to except that and pay the fine - at least we can play and the $1800 of tribunal fines from the grand final have been absorbed in that," Mr Baird said.
"It has been a difficult six weeks but it has worked out pretty good. At least we are back in the competition and we can move forward."
Chairman of the BFL Brian Shorter described the board's decision to as "a re-birth" for the Sunbury club.
"It is an opportunity for the Sunbury club to be a leader in the community and gives their football and netball teams a chance to head in the right direction - it is an opportunbity not many clubs would get. It is a re-birth of the club," Mr Shorter said.
"The Sunbury club conducted its own inquiry into the incidents of the grand finals and as a result of this inquiry, have suspended several individuals from having any official involvement with their club in 2004, and taken further disciplinary actions against other individuals. We are satisfied with the actions that they have taken," Mr Shorter said.
He said the board was satisifed the new code of conduct would prevent further reoccurences which led to the club being found guilty of bringing the game of football into disrepute.
Chairman Shorter said the league was sending a strong message to the club that inappropriate behaviour, on and off the field, would not be tolerated in the league.
"As individuals on the board we lost a fair bit of sleep and a lot of time in meetings but it has been a positive outcome."
Chariman Shorter said Sunbury was very positive about its future now.
"No-one likes to go down the path we did with the Sunbury club and it would have been terrible to take away their community base by not allowing them back into the league.
"There are a lot of good people down there and hopefully as you can see from the past two weeks of talks we have not taken this decision lightly," Mr Shorter said.
I hope that Sunbury have learnt their lesson. The BFL won't tolerate bad behaviour and certainly won't allow it.
Discuss.
Sunbury readmitted to Ballarat Football League
Ken Hill
Thursday, 13 November 2003
Sunbury readmitted to BFL
SUNBURY was re-admitted to the Ballarat Football League late last night after it made guarantees to the league on conduct, recruitment and on-field leadership in the wake of its grand final debacle.
The Lions were given an $1800 discount on its $5000 fine but the club still has a further $5000 fine suspended until the end of the 2005 season.
After two weeks of negotiations with the BFL board, a relieved Sunbury president Richard Baird said the club could now go forward after the league's decision.
"We have a good challenge now and have never backed down from a challenge," a jubilant Mr Baird said after the BFL board agreed to re-admit the club.
President Baird said he would lead a new 14-member committee into the 2004 season with the club already electing a new football manager as well as a new chairman of selectors to be announced soon.
The former holders of those positions, John Arthur and Mark Fedoruk do not have official positions with the club for next season, Mr Baird said.
"We are very happy with the outcome and very relieved - it has been a difficult six weeks.
"We now have a new treasurer in Pat Mackie, a new football manager in Brian O'Connor, who is also the new vice-president, and a new chairman of selectors to be appointed," Mr Baird said.
He said his club had adopted a detailed new code of conduct and had agreed to meet league requirements as far as recruitment and on-field leaders were concerned.
Commenting on the $5000 fine remaining and the $1800 "discount", Mr Baird said the club had not asked for a reduction in the fine but would have preferred a bond.
"But at least we can pay it in two parts with the first part to be paid by the league's AGM on November 27 and the second part by March 31 next year.
"We would have preferred a bond but the BFL decided it was to retain the fine because of the severeity of the breaches and we have got to except that and pay the fine - at least we can play and the $1800 of tribunal fines from the grand final have been absorbed in that," Mr Baird said.
"It has been a difficult six weeks but it has worked out pretty good. At least we are back in the competition and we can move forward."
Chairman of the BFL Brian Shorter described the board's decision to as "a re-birth" for the Sunbury club.
"It is an opportunity for the Sunbury club to be a leader in the community and gives their football and netball teams a chance to head in the right direction - it is an opportunbity not many clubs would get. It is a re-birth of the club," Mr Shorter said.
"The Sunbury club conducted its own inquiry into the incidents of the grand finals and as a result of this inquiry, have suspended several individuals from having any official involvement with their club in 2004, and taken further disciplinary actions against other individuals. We are satisfied with the actions that they have taken," Mr Shorter said.
He said the board was satisifed the new code of conduct would prevent further reoccurences which led to the club being found guilty of bringing the game of football into disrepute.
Chairman Shorter said the league was sending a strong message to the club that inappropriate behaviour, on and off the field, would not be tolerated in the league.
"As individuals on the board we lost a fair bit of sleep and a lot of time in meetings but it has been a positive outcome."
Chariman Shorter said Sunbury was very positive about its future now.
"No-one likes to go down the path we did with the Sunbury club and it would have been terrible to take away their community base by not allowing them back into the league.
"There are a lot of good people down there and hopefully as you can see from the past two weeks of talks we have not taken this decision lightly," Mr Shorter said.
I hope that Sunbury have learnt their lesson. The BFL won't tolerate bad behaviour and certainly won't allow it.
Discuss.