Members told West Adelaide Football Club has formally reported missing $150,000 to police

DESPITE a report to police about a long-running saga involving missing funds at a footy club, the matter isn’t likely to be probed further.

THE case of more than $150,000 in missing funds at West Adelaide Football Club has been reported to police but is unlikely to result in any investigation, at the Bloods request.

A SAPOL spokeswoman yesterday confirmed the matter had been reported to it by club officials and that they asked that it not be investigated at this time.

“West Adelaide Football Club have reported to police a matter of deception (misappropriation of money) suspected to have been committed by a former employee of the club,’’ the spokeswoman said.

“The matter is not currently being investigated at the request of the football club.”

Bloods president Richard Sykes said the issue had been reported to police but a confidentiality agreement prevented him discussing the matter further.

He did not elaborate on the agreement and who it involved.

The club has previously said that a former employee admitted to misappropriation of a large sum of money and that all known amounts had since been recouped.

MORE: Club split on missing money debacle

“It has been reported (to police), and the rest of it is in a confidentiality agreement,’’ Mr Sykes told the Weekly Times Messenger yesterday.

Members were told about the issue being reported to police at the club’s Annual General Meeting on Monday.

The supporter said the mood of the meeting was tense at times but members generally accepted the board’s handling of the matter.

“There was some agitation from some members but it wasn’t an outwardly hostile meeting,’’ the member said.

The Weekly Times Messenger revealed in November that up to $150,000 had gone missing at Richmond and subsequently been privately recouped, without any police involvement.

The club subsequently revealed it had been running an ongoing investigation into its accounting systems at Richmond.

At Monday night’s meeting, members re-elected Mr Sykes as president unopposed and former Hindmarsh Federal Labor MP Steve Georganas was among three newly elected board members.

West Torrens Mayor John Trainer was retained as the club’s patron and former president Paul Sperling was given life membership.

As reported last week, West Adelaide has announced a $75,764 profit, a massive turn around on the previous year’s $505,027 loss.