kwik1980
24 Feb 2004, 09:53 AM
UEFA has declared Lee Bowyer ineligible for the next 6 European matches that Newcastle play, due to an administrative mistake.
Soccernet article on the situation (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=292311&cc=5901)
Bowyer earned the suspension for an incident when he was at Leeds, and he, and the club believed that it had been served with their Champions League qualifiers, and early rounds of the UEFA Cup. However, despite being left out of the squad for those matches, he was not listed as "eligible to play" on UEFA squad lists submitted before those matches. UEFA has ruled then that he has not served a game of the suspension, and must be put on the "eligible" list, and then sit out the next 6 matches.
Newcastle and the FA appealed the decision, but it was upheld by an internal appeals process at UEFA.
Newcastle's website has a statement on the matter, expressing their dissapointment on this ruling, stating that the main cause of the UEFA decision, the fact that he was not listed in the "eligible to play" list, is not stated in the UEFA rules. The club has stated that they are using "diplomatic routes" to get the decision reviewed, though it is doubtful that would happen before Thursday. The PFA has also been contacted, though an appeal of the decision seems "futile", according to the club.
Sounds like a lousy situation, especially if the statute is not spelled out in UEFAs rules. But, players have been suspended before, so you would think the process would be easily accessable, to prevent exactly this case, as Bowyer's ban has now been doubled, for no good reason.
Soccernet article on the situation (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=292311&cc=5901)
Bowyer earned the suspension for an incident when he was at Leeds, and he, and the club believed that it had been served with their Champions League qualifiers, and early rounds of the UEFA Cup. However, despite being left out of the squad for those matches, he was not listed as "eligible to play" on UEFA squad lists submitted before those matches. UEFA has ruled then that he has not served a game of the suspension, and must be put on the "eligible" list, and then sit out the next 6 matches.
Newcastle and the FA appealed the decision, but it was upheld by an internal appeals process at UEFA.
Newcastle's website has a statement on the matter, expressing their dissapointment on this ruling, stating that the main cause of the UEFA decision, the fact that he was not listed in the "eligible to play" list, is not stated in the UEFA rules. The club has stated that they are using "diplomatic routes" to get the decision reviewed, though it is doubtful that would happen before Thursday. The PFA has also been contacted, though an appeal of the decision seems "futile", according to the club.
Sounds like a lousy situation, especially if the statute is not spelled out in UEFAs rules. But, players have been suspended before, so you would think the process would be easily accessable, to prevent exactly this case, as Bowyer's ban has now been doubled, for no good reason.