Football: Bitter scrap builds between clubs

Lee Garnham said he saw Alejandro Ferrari play more than one competition fixture for Tauranga City United before the midfielder joined him at AFC Fury. Photo/John Borren

A bitter scrap is developing between two local football clubs involving ineligible players.

It revolves around the movements of Uruguayan player Alejandro Ferrari, who played competition football last season for both Tauranga City United FC and AFC Fury.

Last month, AFC Fury had its passage to Northern Regional Football League Division Two blocked by a protest by defeated playoff foe Papakura City FC, which claimed the Te Puna-based side had fielded ineligible foreign players - including Ferrari.

The protest was upheld by Auckland Football with assistance from New Zealand Football, as Ferrari was deemed under Regulation 5 of New Zealand Football's Rules and Regulations to have required an international transfer clearance due to his having previously played affiliated football for another Fifa member organisation - the Uruguayan Club Fraternidad of the Liga de Futbol de Casupa.

Cook said the Fury did not see the need to pursue clearance for Ferrari as he had already been playing for City.

An initial Auckland Football Federation response to the Fury's appeal suggested the investigation into Ferrari's status did not produce detail of him ever having played competition football for Tauranga City.

The reply contains mention of Tauranga City suggesting the status of Ferrari be checked should he go on to play competition football.

AFC Fury founder David Cook alleges Tauranga City officials did not disclose to the Auckland Football Federation that Ferrari had played for the side.

Cook says he witnessed the player ply his trade for City during the Northern Regional Football League Division Two season.

Fellow Fury player Lee Garnham also says he saw Ferrari play for Tauranga City United in the NRFL.

"Mr Ferrari, who later became a teammate of mine at AFC Fury, played in more than one game in midfield for Tauranga City United in the NRFL.

"It is untrue that he never played in competition games for Tauranga City United," Garnham said in a declaration.

After the new information came to light, Auckland Football clarified its position.

It acknowledged that Ferrari did play for Tauranga City United in two matches on the 30th of March and 1st of April 2013 prior to his transfer application dated 3rd April 2013."

The release then explains Auckland Football still maintains the view that the transfer of Mr Ferrari to AFC Fury, albeit a domestic transfer of a player from one NZ club to another NZ club, did not remove the obligations placed on AFC Fury to ensure Mr Ferrari was properly registered.

"This inquiry of the eligibility of specific AFC Fury players was applied solely to the NRFL play-off series and in particular to the play-off match played on 5th October 2013.

"We regret the release of incorrect player information concerning Mr Ferrari in relation to his playing for TCU and apologise to NZF for any inconvenience caused."

Cook plans to lodge another appeal that according to regulations Ferrari, having played affiliated football elsewhere, needed an international transfer clearance to play for either Tauranga City or AFC Fury.

"Any player who is not a New Zealand citizen or who does not hold a permanent resident permit, and requires an ITC to play in New Zealand, is to be regarded as a "guest player".

"No team may have more than three guest players recorded on a team card in the same match," he said.

Auckland Football is yet to find fault with Tauranga City fielding Ferrari without first applying for an ITC.

Tauranga City United president Tony Pill denied the club had misled Auckland Football regarding its dealings with Ferrari.

"He did play one competition game for us and because he was put on the bench he wasn't too happy and then Dave approached him and he went across," Pill said.

"It is amazing how much energy the Bay of Plenty Times is putting into the Dave Cook and Fury Saga," the statement read.

"Tauranga City United AFC has never compromised its ethics regarding rules and regulations in the game of football.

"We have always been very particular about doing the right thing and if at any time we had concerns we would talk with our own federation, Auckland Football or New Zealand Football.

"All three bodies will certainly confirm that last season we communicated at length with all of them.

"We understand that Auckland Football in consultation with New Zealand Football followed a detailed and correct process when they came up with the decision to promote Papakura to the Northern League ahead of Fury.

"It is about time Mr Cook accepted that due process had been followed and learns from the mistakes that he made and look towards the 2014 season with a new direction.

Cook said a group of Tauranga businessmen and lawyers including a QC are gathering material which may see court action and an injunction to halt the competitions going ahead until the court process had run its course.

"Supporter groups have done this before. The most recent case was in Brazil."

Cook is attempting to drum up support for reform of the eligibility rules.

No timetable has been set by Auckland Football for a resolution to the Fury's appeal, though a statement explained it would be dealt with as quickly as possible once staff returned from their Christmas break.