Soccer: Boutsianis row casts shadow over final

By TERRY MADDAFORD

The Con Boutsianis saga has become an even bigger farce and now threatens the outcome of this season's Australian National Soccer League.

In an amazing about-face, the Soccer Australia board scrapped last night's planned tribunal hearing at which the Football Kingz and South Melbourne clubs were set to argue the rights and wrongs of the controversial midfielder playing for Souths against the Kingz in January.

Souths chose to play Boutsianis despite a clear warning from NSL manager Stefan Kamasz that they would be in breach of Soccer Australia rules.

Kamasz was not at this week's board meeting at which it was decided the tribunal hearing would not go ahead and that the matter should be resolved by the clubs alone, but he is astounded at their decision.

"Under the rules, the Kingz had the right to have the matter heard by the disputes tribunal," Kamasz said yesterday.

"Soccer Australia's legal committee asked us to defer the tribunal hearing, which we did. They sought more time, then came back to the board this week. We expected the hearing to go ahead as planned on Thursday night."

Asking the clubs to resolve the issue is a joke. Neither will budge and this will surely see the matter headed for the courts.

Given Souths' late-season run, they could be in contention for a place in the top-six playoffs by the last round (early next month) but only, it seems, if they retain the three points they took from the Kingz with a late Boutsianis goal.

But if the matter becomes a legal wrangle it could go on for weeks and leave all playoff contenders cooling their heels and even delay the grand final scheduled for May 12.

While Kamasz did not want to confirm suggestions that the South Melbourne club had a "very strong" supporter on the Soccer Australia board, he did not dismiss it.

Kingz chief executive Chris Turner called the issue bizarre and said his club had written to Soccer Australia to seek clarification.

"In situations like this, one club normally loses the points which are then awarded to the other.

"We felt it was a clear-cut case, especially as Souths had been advised by Soccer Australia not to play the player."