Published: Thursday, 14th August, 2008 09:50
Athletic count the cost of youth ban
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THE PARS are taking legal advice and receiving political backing in the bitter dispute with the SFA over their youth football demotion decision.
Far from any sign of a compromise, the war of words has heated up this week.
Dunfermline were expelled from the elite level of the Youth Football Initiative after failing to comply with a rule to renew all staff disclosure forms over child protection.
The discrepancy was put right within two days of it being pointed out to the club but a committee of SFA ‘blazers’ imposed the penalty and are now refusing to back down.
As well as the drop in standard in competition terms for youngsters, the Pars could also lose £30,000 a year in grants.
The setback comes as the club was upgrading its youth facilities for the new season and bringing in specialist strength and conditioning coaching for players aged from 13 to 15.
An unhappy director of football at East End Park, Jim Leishman, said, “In other countries youth coaches are held in the highest regard for the important job they do.
“However, what has happened here has demotivated our coaches, who put in so much work.
“It will make it more difficult to hold on to the best young players because SPL clubs will be telling them they’re not playing at the top level.
“There is also the financial aspect but I’m sure we’ll continue to receive the help of the Dunfermline public and local companies to help us with that.
“We’ll be meeting lawyers this week because we don’t think there’s been a fairness in this.
“We also think the SFA’s job is to promote and develop youngsters in Scotland and they’re not doing that here.”
Press Sport understands the Pars have heard of various discrepancies in the game over disclosure where clubs and individuals have not been penalised.
“George Orwell wrote about it in ‘Animal Farm’ where he said all animals were equal but some are more equal than others,” said Leishman.
He is not impressed by the fact that the top brass at the Scottish Football League have not picked up the telephone to discuss the matter with the club.
And he also believes SFA chief executive Gordon Smith could intervene to help resolve the matter.
“As chief executive, Gordon Smith should be able to do something on this and to be fair he is looking at one or two things,” he revealed.
Mid Scotland and Fife MSP John Park met Leishman this week and also spoke to Smith at the weekend.
The MSP said, “I think it’s fair to say that Gordon Smith is sympathetic to the Pars’ situation.
“I believe the way the club has been treated has been completely disproportionate to the mistake they’re supposed to have made.
“There’s a lot of very good work going into youth football development in the area and we don’t want to see anything damage that.”
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Further Details
Pars rule out standing at East End Park