Welling United Football Club today attended a Football Conference Hearing, to face a misconduct charge relating to its financial affairs, and in connection with the outstanding HMRC debt.
The Club admitted the misconduct charge, and the Hearing was convened to consider the mitigating circumstances submitted on behalf of the Club by their solicitors. The Football Conference held that the appropriate sanction was an immediate deduction of 5 points, together with a suspended £5,000 fine. Save for the suspended fine, the Conference accepted that no other financial sanction would be appropriate.
Commenting on the admitted misconduct charge and the points deduction, Barrie Hobbins said: "The Club admitted that as a result of placing reliance on promised investment throughout the 2009/2010 season, and again during pre-season for this campaign, it not only fell behind on its HMRC liabilities but submitted inaccurate financial returns to the Football Conference. As soon as it became evident that the promised investment would not materialise, we made the Football Conference fully aware of the position and admitted the charges that were laid against us. We are sorry that we got ourselves into this position, despite our best intentions at all times. As to whether the deduction of 5 points is a proportionate and reasonable sanction in the circumstances, we will need to reflect and take advice from our lawyers. We have been advised as to our right of appeal and the relevant timings of that. . We are obviously hugely disappointed to receive a points deduction of any number, but need a period of reflection."
More positively, the Football Conference have been persuaded to permit the Club to re-register Loick Pires and Lee Clarke and the solidarity monies will be released in order to offset against the HMRC petition debt. Barrie Hobbins said: "We are at least pleased that, after representations made on our behalf by our solicitors Leathes Prior, that it has been accepted that we should be allowed to select from our contracted players and that Pires and Clarke will now be available to the manager for immediate selection. Also, the financial plight of the Club is assisted by the reduction in the petition debt and we must now all focus our efforts on ensuring we are in a position to secure the Club's survival before the 1st December 2010. Once again, we would like to thank the fabulous efforts of our supporters, players and all connected to the Club during this difficult period."
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YOUTH are the future
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"The worst thing you can do is make a committment and not meet it and I understand that." Barrie Hobbins 14 August 2010
