$2000 fine could finish us, says North Pines Sports Club

A DECADES-old sports club in Adelaide’s north is on the brink of folding on the eve of a deadline for an Adelaide amateur football league fine to be paid.

NORTH Pines Sports Club may fold because of a $2000 fine the football team received for bringing the game into disrepute.

The Adelaide amateur football league last month handed down the penalty and also banned Redbacks coach Farin Wanganeen for 12 months following an investigation into umpire abuse and intimidation at its division seven semi-final against Adelaide University in August.

If the fine is not paid by Friday, October 31, the league will refuse North Pines’ affiliation application for 2015.

Redbacks treasurer Carly McIntyre said the 22-year-old club, which includes two senior football teams and seven cricket squads, would need a bank loan to pay the fee but would struggle to afford it.

“I’m nervous,” McIntyre said.

“We’re a small club ... and that $2000 would kill us.

“If we were kicked out in 2015 there’d be no club because we can’t survive on just cricket.

“We can’t ask the players to pay money — half of them don’t have it and struggle to pay their fees.

“I’ve deadset worked my butt off to get junior cricket teams up and running this year, and if there’s no club, that’s all for nothing, even though it’s got nothing to do with those boys.

“The club has gone through some crap but always survived.”

The Parafield Gardens club walked off and forfeited the match at University Oval after three players were reported.

North Pines player Damian Rigney received a 32-week suspension — enough to spark a life ban — for attempting to headbutt an umpire, threatening an umpire, racial vilification and umpire abuse during the final.

Every other Redbacks player from that match has also received a four-game ban, suspended until the end of 2017.

McIntyre said the league never gave the club a chance to explain itself at a tribunal hearing.

She said the Redbacks players walked off the oval to prevent the situation from escalating.

Amateur league chief executive John Kernahan said the league gave North Pines “ample opportunity” to address the charges.

“Instead they chose to attempt to circumnavigate policies and procedures that other clubs affiliated with the league have no problem complying to,” Kernahan said.

Kernahan also condemned the Redbacks for walking off the ground in protest.

“There are procedures to make known complaints.
“The defence the North Pines Football Club presented for walking from the field does not justify their actions.”