SA politicians have attacked Football Federation SA over Adelaide City’s pending heavy handed sanctions

Upper House MP Frank Pangallo says FFSA has lost touch with the soccer community while opposition frontbencher Tom Koutsantonis is disappointed by the pending Adelaide City sanctions.

Labor MP Tom Koutsantonis. Picture: AAP Image/Kelly Barnes

Prominent SA politicians have lashed Football Federation SA with the governing body ready to hand Adelaide City the biggest penalty in state soccer history on Sunday.

FFSA has twice delayed the deliberation with the governing body now aiming to hand the verdict down on Sunday.

City is set to be punished for the incorrect wording for about six amateur contracts from the 2017 and 2018 season which should have been upgraded to professional contracts according to sources.

This comes after FFSA issued City a notice of disciplinary hearing on December 5 before a meeting at the Hindmarsh Stadium FFSA offices was held seven days later.

The Advertiser has seen the FFSA document.

The club is set to be stripped of its 2017 NPL premiership, docked six points for the 2019 season and fined $42,000 despite being under the $150,000 salary cap and within the players point system.

South Australian politician Frank Pangallo.

Upper House MP Frank Pangallo says delaying the decision “makes them (FFSA) look weak and indecisive”.

He claims FFSA competes with clubs, have lost touch with the soccer community, saying the punishment is alluding to Adelaide City cheating which is “far from the truth.”

Pangallo was a former member of City’s management committee in the early national soccer league days, a soccer broadcaster and ex The News soccer journalist.

“FFSA need to make it clear the extent of the penalty makes it seem that Adelaide City was cheating, in fact they were upfront and honest and asking FFSA to adjudicate on a technicality,’’ Pangallo said.

Former State Government treasurer and opposition frontbencher Tom Koutsantonis is disappointed by FFSA’s heavy handed tactics.

South Australian opposition frontbencher Tom Koutsantonis. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

“All these clubs, it doesn’t matter how rich or poor, are run by volunteers and they’re representing our communities,’’ Koutsantonis said.

“We should do everything we can to help Adelaide City … West Adelaide, every club is important to the league.

“I’ll do everything I can to help Adelaide City, a club that’s in trouble because football is the greatest sport in Australia.”

Koustantonis was the key to injecting more than $60 million into grassroots sports.

This includes soccer where FFSA has controlled most the building development of artificial pitches and facilities across the state including the proposed $29 million soccer hub at Gepps Cross.

Pangallo has written to the FFSA board asking if all its member clubs are under investigation.

Pangallo also wants every player contract from every club examined.

He is also writing a letter to Football Federation Australia’s chief executive David Gallop seeking more transparency in SA’s soccer governance structure wanting to know how the FFSA board is appointed.

“The penalty is too harsh, they’ve smashed Adelaide City with a sledgehammer for a minor breach and you have the ask the reason why they have taken this club to task,’’ Pangallo said.

“The FFSA, if they are serious they need to ask every club to provide their player contracts and they need to investigate them all and I’ll be insisting on that.

“My concern with FFSA is that they’re an administrative body to oversee the welfare of clubs in SA and not hurt them.

“I’m also going to ask questions about the $20 million body of taxpayers money given to an administrative body and how that money is spent and whether the FFSA is going into competition against clubs when it comes to junior players and academies.

“That’s not their role.”

FFSA has been contacted for comment.

Clarification

In December last year and January this year, The Advertiser published articles about sanctions imposed upon Adelaide City Football Club by Football Federation SA.

These sanctions were for several contract breaches, related to agreements outside what the national registration rules and FFSA's regulations allowed. They were not for “incorrect wording” or “voluntarily asking for contract clarification”.

The penalty of $42,500 comprised a total of $10,000 in fines and another $32,500, which was a repayment of prize money.

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