Post by John Anderson on Nov 9, 2018 18:15:22 GMT
The purpose behind this blog is to explain why it is that Steve Devlin starts an eight game ban on Monday 12th November.
The ban relates to an exchange between Steve and the match referee in the pre season friendly v AFC Bournemouth after he had received a red card.Steve denied emphatically what he was alleged to have said and the Club supported his position and gave notice that the charge would be challenged and requested a personal hearing.
Firstly there was a huge delay in the matter being listed.Then when a hearing date was allocated Steve and myself prepared for the case and duly attended the DCFA offices on the appointed day.
Due to circumstances involving the referee only being available to give evidence by phone and thus denying me the opportunity to questioned him personally I was not happy that the case proceed and it was adjourned.Again through no fault of either Steve or the Club it took an age to be rescheduled.
The hearing took place on Wednesday 7th.In my absence on holiday Tom represented Steve before the commission.
The case was found proved but given that the starting point for the penalty was a 12 match ban,there was obviously a degree of acceptance of the mitigation put forward to produce a four match reduction leaving a ban of 8 matches.
Suffice to say that whilst we accept the ruling Steve Devlin remains adamant he did not use the words alleged.
The announcement has only been possible today because of a mistake on the FA website specifying what football he was banned from which I have only today been able to clarify.
Steve and Hannah start a two week holiday Saturday 10th returning on Saturday 24th. This has been booked for some months and we knew about it in the Summer. He will serve four of the eight games during that period.As per the present fixture list he will be available again for the Merthyr game on 11/12.
Chris Reeves.
The ban relates to an exchange between Steve and the match referee in the pre season friendly v AFC Bournemouth after he had received a red card.Steve denied emphatically what he was alleged to have said and the Club supported his position and gave notice that the charge would be challenged and requested a personal hearing.
Firstly there was a huge delay in the matter being listed.Then when a hearing date was allocated Steve and myself prepared for the case and duly attended the DCFA offices on the appointed day.
Due to circumstances involving the referee only being available to give evidence by phone and thus denying me the opportunity to questioned him personally I was not happy that the case proceed and it was adjourned.Again through no fault of either Steve or the Club it took an age to be rescheduled.
The hearing took place on Wednesday 7th.In my absence on holiday Tom represented Steve before the commission.
The case was found proved but given that the starting point for the penalty was a 12 match ban,there was obviously a degree of acceptance of the mitigation put forward to produce a four match reduction leaving a ban of 8 matches.
Suffice to say that whilst we accept the ruling Steve Devlin remains adamant he did not use the words alleged.
The announcement has only been possible today because of a mistake on the FA website specifying what football he was banned from which I have only today been able to clarify.
Steve and Hannah start a two week holiday Saturday 10th returning on Saturday 24th. This has been booked for some months and we knew about it in the Summer. He will serve four of the eight games during that period.As per the present fixture list he will be available again for the Merthyr game on 11/12.
Chris Reeves.