Is this fair ?

Question

imagine this and tell me if you think its fair:


Your English team, whoever they are, sign an English player, who's hasn't played for anyone at all for six months and is a free agent, and not under contract to any other club. His last club were Cardiff, who as you know are a Welsh club but have played in the English league for nearly 100 years...

So this player joins your club, plays 12 league matches and one cup match...and eventually he gets a booking.

The FA then decide to tell your club that they have just realized he is not actually elgible for selection because, since he last played for Cardiff, your club should have applied for "international clearance" for him, and he shouldn't have played till the FA grant it.

The FA then throw your team out of the cup competition and fine them £12,000. The League then decide to ALSO deduct 18 points from your team and fine them £5000...and there is no right of appeal either. Fair?

This is exactly what has happened to AFC Wimbledon of the Ryman League..they are trying to at least get the FA to listen to them but it seems they are not allowed to even plead their case. They are not denying they made a clerical error with this player, but the level of punishment is surely well out of proportion to the "crime" ?

Apparently.. Cardiff, Wrexham and Swansea all come under the jurisdicticion of the Welsh FA, and are classed as "oversesas" teams by FIFA even thought they all play in the English league..so it turns out that any players signed from them by any team that is in the English FA (at any level) needs this "international clearance" from the English FA. Weird situation.

Answer 1

If it's going down like you say, it definitely isn't fair. You might wanna try to get a fan's group together and try to get this into the media. It would be bad publicity for the FA.

Answer 2

How can Cardiff be deemed foreign if the club plays in the English pyramiad system .I am not being offensive to Welsh ppl who do not want to be called English.I am talking purely about Cardiff FC not the city or Wales .If Cardiff play in the English system then (in a football related sense) they are English ?
If they are not how can they play in a foriegn country ,also if that's the case then how could UEFA or FIFA stop any club playing in any league they so choose if that nations FA are willing to accept them??????

Answer 3

Certainly not fair. Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham and all the Welsh clubs who play in the English league should be classified as English clubs.

Answer 4

Blame Europe!

They seem to think that England and Wales are the same AND different. Welsh teams playing in English league are, for the purposes of this rule English. They are NOT foreign.

Answer 5

I don't think that this is fair at all. The FA cannot throw out the team cup comp nor deduct 18 points nor fine them 17,000!!! I think that they shouldn't be able to do any of that

Answer 6

I'm a Cardiff fan and I know the shite player in question.
This is absolutely diabolical.
There should be some form of appeal - especially the points deduction.

Answer 7

No its not fair but what do you expect from the FA there a bunch of nobs

Answer 8

It certainly doesn't sound fair to me. His eligibility should have been determined BEFORE he was signed. Signing him indicates he is eligible.

Unfortunately, my opinion probably isn't going to count for much. But I think league rules need to be re-examined.

Answer 9

No, that is both unethical & unfair to the club & its supporters

Answer 10

so not fair were has the justice gone in this world