ENFIELD TOWN FC APPEAL UNSUCCESSFUL

ENFIELD TOWN FC STATEMENT 
courtesy of enfieldtownfootballclub.co.uk

Enfield Town Football Club has today (Tuesday) been unsuccessful in its bid to overturn the verdict of the FA Regulatory Commission in respect of alleged breaches of FA Rule E10 (fielding a player while suspended).

The FA’s decision and today’s appeal outcome are both very disappointing for everyone associated with the Club. We await the FA’s written reasons for their decision. We would like to thank James Mulholland QC for his work on our behalf.

We also wish to take this opportunity to thank all Enfield Town Supporters Society Members who responded so positively by donating funds to pursue further appeals as deemed necessary, and also other clubs and supporters for their hundreds of messages of support. In the best interests of the Club itself and in order to avoid further wider uncertainty and inconvenience, not least to clubs involved in the Ryman League Premier Division Play-offs, the Board has taken the unanimous decision not to take any action that would delay the play offs any further. ETFCSSL members will be contacted shortly in order to make arrangements for handling donations made.

Enfield Town’s Board would like to express its view that:
• This decision sets a dangerous precedent;
• Clubs taking every precaution when checking the FA’s disciplinary record system may be subject to this charge (irrespective of whether or not the FA announce changes or a thorough overhaul of current arrangements); and
• The Club would have taken exactly the same action once charged by the FA irrespective of whether or not it had finished the 2014-15 season in a play-off position.

The Club will now put this unsatisfactory outcome behind it, and look forward positively to the 2015-16 season. We wish the Clubs in the play offs the best of luck.

ETFC Board

The Ryman Premier Division play-offs will now be Hendon v Met Police and Margate v Dulwich Hamlet at a date to be announced - I would say the games will probably take place on Saturday.