Pic: Alan Palmer
A PUNISHMENT which Farnborough deem to be disproportionate on Thursday afternoon could see the Ryman Premier faced with up to eight more weeks of chaos.
Boro are still unable to play matches despite agreeing amendments to their CVA and paying a demanded £30,000 bond to the league last week following a failed appeal.
Within hours of the money hitting the Ryman bank account, Farnborough were told last Saturday’s match at East Thurrock and Tuesday’s game against Staines Town were off.
The club’s first three league fixtures were also postponed and they can’t play until their punishment is decided. Farnborough have now been charged with an additional two offences.
One they accept – making alterations to the CVA – but one they will plead not guilty to, and that is not keeping the league informed of the situation.
Manager Spencer Day knows the club will be punished at a hearing on Thursday afternoon but warned that Boro’s owners are not concerned about lengthy appeals should the outcome be unreasonable.
They are almost certain to be docked points and fined after making the amendments but the possibility of relegation and even expulsion still looms large.
The size of any possible points deduction may determine if Farnborough fight back and Day said: “We are all desperate for this to be over.
“Don’t get me wrong, we know it’s not going to be a slap on the wrists and a one-point penalty, but the punishment needs to be sensible – we don’t want to be dead men walking with minus-20 points on the board before a ball is kicked. If it’s reasonable, then we play and battle against it, but a virtual relegation isn’t that.
“Expulsion naturally wouldn’t just be taken days after handing over £30,000, so we would appeal and that will take a long time to conclude. Six to eight weeks is a fair guess. They would need to call an EGM, which would take three weeks, then the appeals process.
“But the hope is that the penalty is fair and acceptable to us and we can kick a ball finally.”
A Ryman League statement read: “The league has received formal notification that the CVA was varied to the extent that creditors will not be paid in full, which is a requirement of league rules.
“The league are therefore charging the club for failing to notify the league of the application to vary; the board will also consider what sanction to impose as a result of the successful application to vary the terms of the CVA.”
