QPR's judgement day delayed

[FFCcravencottage]

What a joke the FA are, now the Championship Trophy will be given to QPR after the game on Saturday, but will have to be given to Norwich if QPR have points deducted. The case started on Tuesday, why didn't they start it the week before why wait until the last minute


http://sport.uk.msn.com/football/news/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=157318583

QPR will have to wait to discover if they are to be promoted as winners of the League Championship after the FA announced a delay in its decision over charges of breaching third-party ownership rules.

The Hoops face seven charges relating to the transfer of Alejandro Faurlin and could be docked points if the registration of the Argentinian midfielder is found to be in breach of the rules.

The FA's four-man independent regulatory commission began hearing evidence on Tuesday and were expected to deliver their verdict on Friday afternoon, but the decision could now be delayed until after the weekend.

QPR will play their final match at home to Leeds on Saturday, where they are expected to receive the League Championship trophy. But a possible points deduction could mean Norwich being crowned champions and Rangers dropping into the play-offs.

An FA statement read: "It was originally indicated that the decision of the commission on the charges and on any sanction, if appropriate, would be announced by 4pm on Friday May 6, 2011, if possible. This will not now happen. A decision will be made and announced as soon as possible thereafter."

QPR deny all the charges facing them regarding strict third-party ownership rules over Faurlin's transfer in 2009.

[The Doctor]

I'd like to think the decision will be announced tomorrow afternoon.  Just as QPR are presented with the trophy, a representative of the FA will stride onto the pitch, land one on Adel Taarabt and grab the cup before announcing over the PA system "We've decided to dock you 30 points.  So the title isn't yours, you cheating bar stewards"

Sadly, I fear this is pure fantasy and in actual fact the delayed decision is just the first of many cop-outs by the FA.  Fecking useless

[TonyGilroy]

There are two simpler possible explanations.

1. The Tribunal need more time to consider their verdict.

2. The possibility of a points deduction next season needing the agreement of the Premier League.

These are complicated matters and just because we want Rangers to be guilty and punished doesn't make it so. These sorts of rules are complex and a mass of evidence will have been heard and read. Adjudicating won't be easy.

[BalDrick]

There are two simpler possible explanations.

1. The Tribunal need more time to consider their verdict.

2. The possibility of a points deduction next season needing the agreement of the Premier League.

These are complicated matters and just because we want Rangers to be guilty and punished doesn't make it so. These sorts of rules are complex and a mass of evidence will have been heard and read. Adjudicating won't be easy.

No it's not easy, but it might have seemed so had they started all this shortly after the 'crime' was discovered. Bearing in mind football's the most popular sport in the country (despite no international silverware for ages while the rugby team have won the World Cup, in Australia of all places, and the cricket team have won 3 of the last 4 Ashes series), this is frankly pathetic. And the world and his wife know full well they're going to get away with a slap on the wrist that, at most, might affect their (otherwise deserved) championship, but almost definitely won't stop them being promoted.

And I'm not saying this because it's QPR; in many ways I really want them to come up. It's yet another example of piss-poor running of the (multibillion pound) sport.

[TonyGilroy]

Maybe the case should have been heard earlier but there might have been all sorts of procedural steps necessary.

I can't always help talking like a lawyer but the fact is that there will be a great deal that has not been made public. There's really no good reason why the FA would have wanted the case heard this late. The delays could have been deliberate on Rangers part.

[LBNo11]

...it should not be too difficult a decision for the FA, it is not as if they are dealing with a totally new scenario - they have the Tevez / Mascherano / WHU case as a point of reference, and a host of points deductions that have been meted out to (only) lower league teams that are easier to bully - sorry, make an example of.

I don't think for one minute that the FA are capable of coming to a hard conclusion and realistic punishment when it involves affecting a premiership (or in this case a potentially incumbent) team; I am sure that a very large majority of us 'neutral' fans know the FA will bottle a significant points deduction that will relegate the bitters to the play-off places.

If they do a points deduction that affects this season it will either be enough to not make them champions, or enough points to still make them champions by one point. Most likely is a fine of say a weeks wages for someone like J. Terry, and Bernie (I can only name 5 of our players [as the others are too tall for me to recognise]) Ecclestone will look for some loose change in his Lamborghini to pay it off.

I would like the FA to surprise me and take into consideration the affects the 'illegal' player made to their season - as well as the way the club handled the transfer and act accordingly; but I fully expect that team to be in the premiership next season, as champions and with no points in arrears to start the new campaign...

[BalDrick]

There may well be reasons but to the man in the street, it looks like sub-standard work - and the outcome I expect will bring them no admirers either, other than denizens of W12.

[TonyGilroy]

We don't know what the outcome will be though.

If the FA were minded to be lenient why not announce a 5 point penalty today and put an end to the matter.

I think this is complicated and possibly a rather large penalty is in the offing.

The delay suggests that it won't be a slap on the wrist unless, genuinely, the Tribunal is still deliberating.

[BalDrick]

We shall see (at some stage). I'm expecting leniency.

[Lighthouse]

Had the FA stuck to their own rules and punished Spam, we would not be in the position of sodding about now. Delaying until after the last games to stop possible crowd trouble is my view a nice excuse. They have taken forever over this. They now hope to say that they would have taken points off but were too late and the Prem will not agree to a points deductiuon next season.

Once again we are left with a mess because amateurs who are scared of upseting the money flow have failed to act.