Sunderland fined for playing an ineligible player. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26878545 Now I have nothing against Sunderland, and I'm pleased for their fans they have not been deducted points. But should they have been? There are numerous cases in the lower leagues where clus have been deducted points for this, so why not in the prem? Rules different for the big clubs.
Shocking they have not lost a point for the So'ton game. There must have been extenuating circumstances I guess
They contacted the Premier League immediately upon discovering the error and sacked the Club Secretary responsible for it! It was also unusual in that the player was one of their own who had been in Germany on a season long loan, but was still due to receive International clearance upon his return to his parent club!
So did Torquay a few years ago, but they still got docked a point. I'm not saying Sunderland should have lost a point, but it does show one rule for the big boys and a different one for the small fry. Not that it's ever been any different.
And their statement was that the club secretary did not leave due to the administrative error, so that can hardly be used as a argument in their favour.
There is a strong local feeling that she was fired by Ellis Short for that very reason, even though sources at the club are saying different!
I think it's more likely to have been an argument along the lines of: (1) it was an administrative error; (2) if it wasn't for the administrative error, the player would have been eligible to play; (3) Sunderland raised the error as soon as discovered. I also wouldn't be surprised if Sunderland were able to argue that someone (i.e. the German club or FA guidance) should have better informed them about it too. If you look at most of the other examples given, they're ineligible players who always would have been ineligible (i.e. cup-tied), so that is probably Sunderland's biggest mitigating point. We'll never know though
Merely conjecture. The few mackems I know think they got off lightly and to add to the conjecture, we have no idea when the "error" was discovered and Ellis Short is a lovely fella
Educated though - the timing of her dismissal and her responsibilities certainly suggest that. The error was discovered in December and Sunderland settled in early January.
That's when the error was reported as discovered. The secretary, although born near Roker park, had been a life long Newcastle fan, when this was discovered she was told to "haddaway and ****e man". Coincidently, she has been trying to get sunderland docked points by hiding paperwork.
True - we will never know but I can't imagine the FA would have been so lenient unless they were positive Sunderland were honest
Personally I'm glad they weren't deducted points. Always a shame to see the table affected by events off the field.
If it had been one of the "big boys" I would be deeply suspicious, but I'm fairly positive the FA have made the right decision. I certainly wouldn't want us to stay up because of something as minor as this.
