Clubs apologize, accept punishment over provincial soccer controversy

A BC Soccer decision to disqualify a Kelowna and Vancouver Island soccer team from the provincial championships has now been accepted by both clubs.

Clubs apologize, accept punishment over provincial soccer controversy Soccer clubs accept penalty A BC Soccer decision to disqualify a Kelowna and Vancouver Island soccer team from the provincial championships has now been accepted by both clubs. The U17 boys Okanagan FC and Saanich Fusion were ejected from the tournament last weekend in Nanaimo following a round-robin game that saw the two teams put in little effort. The teams had both already qualified to play each other in the finals the following day.

In an effort to save their stamina and avoid injuries, both teams failed to actually compete on the field. In a statement released Wednesday, the Saanich Fusion said the youth players were following the direction of the coaching team and some parents. The Fusion said the players are the “victims” in the incident and “are inappropriately paying the price with attacks on social media and other communication platforms for a series of bad decisions by the adults around them.”

“The SFFC players, (children) did what was asked of them by their coaches and parents, with some even questioning the coaches as to whether their conduct on the pitch was okay once the activity on the pitch began to degrade into non-game play. They are good kids and have shown a devotion to their goal of getting to nationals by training and prepping for months,” said the Saanich Fusion. The Fusion said the fully accept the punishment and apologize to the tournament organizer, referee team, and individual representatives from BC Soccer.

“We apologize for our club’s role in participating in turning what should have been a celebration of excellence into an unprofessional, unsportsmanlike display,” said the association. Okanagan FC released a similar statement earlier in the week, fully accepting the punishment and apologizing for not meeting their own standards. Some parents of the players, however, see the situation differently and are hoping to launch their own appeal.

Saanich parent Torsten Ely, in an interview with CHEK News, asked why nobody stepped in during the game if it really was abhorrent enough to warrant suspensions. “BC Soccer officials were standing on the roof, observing the game, smiling. There was a 90-minute game, no one stopped the two teams and said ‘Hey, you are doing something wrong.’

They had halftime. They had so many opportunities to say that they are breaking the rules,” Ely told the Vancouver Island TV station. That was echoed in a release sent by parents to Vancouver Island news outlets, according to Victoria News.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to know the allegations against them, to be heard, and to have decisions made through a fair and transparent process,” the parents wrote, adding they were disappointed that the Saanich Fusion would not appeal the ruling. They intend to appeal the disqualification themselves, but its not clear how that would happen. The disqualification resulted in the third and fourth place teams playing in the tournament finals.

ICSF Roma won that game and earned a berth in the national championship. More Sports News