Football club claims Inverness Street League organisers have kicked them out from competition
A FOOTBALL club are at war with competition organisers after claiming their teams have been excluded from competition this season due to fixture scheduling.
Balloan Football Club have launched an appeal with the Scottish Football Association and Scottish Youth Football Association claiming all 10 of their teams have been kicked out for the remainder of the Inverness Street League season.
They said they were told by Inverness Street League competition organisers that all of their teams were excluded for the rest of the campaign as they were unable to field a team for the Under-15 League Cup final on Saturday morning.
But Balloan FC said they were originally told by the Inverness Street League committee that there would be no fixtures scheduled during the school holidays.
The club says they were only given short notice by the committee that they would have a cup final scheduled during the summer holidays.
Due to the notice given to the club and some of their players being on holiday, they would not be able to have enough players to play in the final. As a result, Balloan claim they have been told all of their teams would be removed from Inverness Street League competitions for the rest of the season.
But Inverness Street League organisers responded saying Balloan had not been excluded for the remainder of the season, but have chosen not to play their remaining games.
A club spokesman for Balloan said that 10 of their teams and over 200 kids at the club have been affected by the outcome.
They said players, coaches and parents are outraged and they will be appealing the decision with the SFA and SYFA.
The club statement said: "It was agreed at the Street League AGM prior to the season starting that there would be no fixtures scheduled during school holidays.
"We then received notice from the league management committee that some of our teams would have a cup final scheduled during the summer holidays.
"Following concerns raised by our team coaches, it was agreed that we would be unable to raise teams due to holidays and it would also would not be fair for half the squad to miss out on such a big day.
"All squads got to these cup finals and deserved that special day.
"We as a club notified the Street League management committee that we would be unable to fulfil these fixtures.
"We were then advised that the league management committee had held an executive committee meeting.
"They decided that since we we unable to fulfil these fixtures, all Balloan FC teams would be removed from the Street League’s remaining fixtures for the rest of the 2023 season.
"We as a club have lodged an appeal to the SFA / SYFA and have taken advice on the matter.
"Balloan FC are actively dealing with this situation for the betterment of all our players."
Inverness Street League secretary and match secretary Ian Davidson denies claims that Balloan have been kicked out of the competition.
He says that Balloan have chosen not to play the fixtures in the timescale left for the season.
Davidson said: "Balloan FC were scheduled to play in the Under-15 League Cup final on Saturday.
"I have received information that they were going to play in an unauthorised competition in Forres on Saturday morning.
"I spoke to Balloan and was advised by the SYFA that they couldn't play in that competition but they could still play in the cup final.
"They refused to do so until August 15 which is three days before the season ends.
"The cups were drawn and I decided to get the teams back a week early before the schools went back because we were running out of time because the Highland League and the Moray League starts on August 20.
"We were going to finish our season on August 18. Balloan told us they weren't prepared to play until August 15.
"They claimed that a decision was made at the AGM that they didn't have to play in July, but that is not the case.
"The AGM has no record of any discussion taking place or agreement being made.
"I was within my rights to ballot the fixtures the week before the schools went back.
"Balloan had two chances to take up the fixtures I scheduled for them, I was given a message from Balloan that all their teams were refusing to play until August 15.
"The other clubs in the league said they wanted to play early, but Balloan refused.
"We went to the SYFA and took advice and they told us to pull Balloan from the competition and go with the teams and timescale left to play these cups.
"I followed the protocol laid down to me by the SFA and SYFA and have done nothing inscrutable. It is all above board.
"There might have been a conversation that took place, but it was not ratified with a vote and there is nothing in writing in the minutes.
"Balloan are within their rights to appeal, but we have taken guidance from the SFA and SYFA."
He added: "Balloan have not been kicked out of the competition.
"They were given the opportunity to play on two occasions, but refused to play until August 15, by which time the season will be over.
"They haven't been kicked out, they have chosen not to play the fixtures through their own decision."