Porthmadog embroiled in FAW Appeals

Flicking through the programme at Llanystumdwy yesterday, I came across an intriguing little editorial which invited further investigation:

"Last Tuesday we were in front of the FAW disciplinary board in our 2nd appeal against our omission from the junior cup. We again lost the appeal so we now go on to the 3rd appeal against the FAW.

We feel strongly as a club that we want to see justice done, not only for ourselves but for all small clubs.

We know that Porthmadog are a League of Wales club, and that Beaumaris are in Anglesey but we will not give in. We went to Beaumaris and won fair and square and we will not be bullied by two Gwynedd League sides into giving up our right to be in the Quarter Final."

The appeal process is not cheap. Any club prepared to go to a 3rd appeal must feel very indignant about the previous decisions. So what is Llanystumdwy's claim?

Llanystumdwy signed a player from Porthmadog called Carwyn Edwards. Before a Junior Cup tie at Beaumaris, the player declared that he had not appeared for Port in the Junior Cup that season, and was not cup-tied. He was selected in good faith, and Llanystumdwy won the game.

Claims were made that Edwards had after all appeared for Porthmadog, and teamsheets were provided as evidence. The player still maintained his innocence and claimed that he had not played in any junior cup game.

It is alleged that Porthmadog had been guilty of a well-used scam in grassroots football. With an important player suspended, they had used Edwards' name on the teamsheet instead of the suspended player, who broke his suspension.

Despite a second appeal, the FAW have ruled that the only hard evidence shows that Carwyn Edwards played for Port, was therefore cup-tied, and Llanystumdwy have been ejected from the Competition.

It's a very delicate situation. Only Porthmadog and Llanystumdwy know what really happened.

Meanwhile Porthmadog have their own sense of injustice with another case.

An old mate of mine, Gary Ismael was running the line at Y Traeth when he was racially abused. Port officials dealt with the matter promptly and banned the spectator. Despite this, they are still subject to a £12,000 fine and a deduction of three points. The FAW yesterday rejected their appeal despite a groundswell of support for Port throughout Welsh football.

Port know only too well what it feels like to be persecuted unfairly. It is ironic that they are currently on the other side of the fence in the Llanystumdwy case.

I have no idea what has happened there, but the persistence of both parties in clearing their names leads me to sympathise with the appealant in both cases.