MAN CITY CHARGED BY FA: The Premiership club has an opportunity to respond to the charge by the 19th of January.
The Football Association (FA) has strict anti-doping rules. The allegation is that Manchester City failed to provide ‘club whereabouts’ players’ details.
This charge does not relate to any individual player. But the failings occurred on three separate occasions.
If found guilty, Manchester City Football Club could receive a hefty financial punishment. The governing body of football rules and regulations issued a statement on the matter.
Note: “It is alleged the club failed to ensure that their ‘club whereabouts’ information was accurate, contrary to regulation 14(d).”
FA Charge Concerns Man City Training Schedules
The charge by the Football Association relates to player training schedules. It seems Manchester City have not been updating where players would be at particular times. That also includes some members of their elite development squad.
The Football Association operates a whereabouts team. The team must get informed and updated of where any player of any club might be. That means any player can get random tested by the anti-doping department of the FA.
FA 3 Strikes and You’re Out Policy
Football’s governing body operates ‘three-strikes-and-you’re-out‘ policy. It appears Manchester City have fallen foul of this FA regulation. They failed to update schedules of players who changed training times.
An independent commission will sit and judge the case once Manchester City enter their plea. The way they plea and the evidence they offer will determine when this takes place.
Manchester City club whereabouts charge by the FA should get resolved quickly if they plead guilty. But, the commission will need more time to consider the case if their plea is not guilty.
Football Association Regulation 14
The World Anti-Doping Agency has no provision for team violations or UK Anti-Doping in its code. The matter only relates to a breach of FA rules.
That means the charge for Manchester City is not an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV). The code of conduct charge is under FA regulation 14 which is likely to result in a reprimand or a stiff fine.
FA Regulation 14(a)
Regulation 14(a) states clubs must equip the FA upon request with any whereabouts information. It should include the dates their players train and the start and finish times of training.
The club whereabouts rule also requires the address where the training will take place. All clubs must provide a fixed home address for each player and any other address where they stay overnight on a regular basis.
FA Regulation 14(c)
Regulation 14(c) informs clubs how they will be a breach of the regulation. They must provide regular details of the times, dates and venues of training sessions in the manner directed by the FA.
FA Regulation 14(d)
Manchester City violated FA regulation 14(d). The rules says it is a breach of the regulations if the information contained in such reports is either initially inaccurate or has not been updated by the club as necessary to ensure it remains accurate.
News Updated: March 2017
The FA Fined Manchester City Football Club £35,000 for a breach of the anti-doping rules. They also got a stern warning about future conduct on ‘club whereabouts’ information.
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