Player has charge reduced on appeal (From South Wales Argus)

Player has charge reduced on appeal

6:30am Friday 27th November 2009

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CWMBRAN Celtic striker Scott Lanyon could make an early return to action after Football Association of Wales disciplinary chiefs reduced his 14-month suspension to just five, writes Terry Daley.

However, while the club says it’s grateful to the governing body for the revaluation of the punishment, it believes a professional player would be treated more leniently.

The 24-year-old was last month banned from all aspects of football until December 31, 2010, and was fined £250 plus costs for assaulting a match referee at the end of a MacWhirter Welsh League clash at Ammanford in October.

However, a governing body appeals panel this week reduced the ban to March 31, 2010, and downgraded the original offence of physical assault to technical (verbal) assault.

Lanyon’s fine was also reduced by half and the panel waived the costs.

After revealing the club’s delight at the appeals panel’s verdict, Celtic general secretary Malcolm Jarrett said that in his opinion, a professional player would not have ended up being banned for so long.

“We are extremely pleased that the (FAW) appeals panel saw fit to take these decisions, which clears Scott Lanyon of the charge of assaulting a match referee.

“It’s crucial for him and the club that the charge of physical assault against a referee was dropped, yet we are convinced that a professional player wouldn’t have been dealt with so severely.

“How often do you see professionals who have been charged with verbal assault ending up being suspended for five months – the answer is never.

“We are aware that the punishment for this particular charge is 180 days, so in effect Scott has not been given the full tariff.

“All this means that Scott could return by the end of March. But because of his lack of match-fitness, it’s doubtful that he will.”

Lanyon had received a yellow card in the Division Two match, but got involved in a post-match verbal exchange with referee Ryan Thomas. Thomas issued a red card to the player and reported he had been physically assaulted by Lanyon.

Evidence given by Celtic president Terry Cunningham and Jarrett that the confrontation between Lanyon and Thomas had been verbal only, was dismissed by the original disciplinary hearing last month.

However, the appeals panel, made up of former FAW president Peter Rees, Maesteg Park’s David Griffiths and independently chaired by solicitor Robert Render, saw it differently.

An FAW official yesterday confirmed the appeals panel’s findings.

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