Making A Pars Of It

Dunfermline Athletic went to considerable lengths to ensure that yesterday's Scottish Cup tie against Stenhousemuir went ahead. The undersoil heating was switched from simmer to vigorous boil and all available manpower was used to clear the approaches to East End Park. The players rewarded those efforts by easily brushing aside tricky looking opponents in the shape of Second Division Stenhousemuir. By all accounts the 7-1 scoreline did not flatter the Pars. Stenhousemuir's only goal was a late consolation at a time when they could easily have been ten down.

But Dunfermline's on-field efforts may turn out to be in vain. It appears they have fielded a player who was actually under suspension. Calum Woods, a second half substitute, should not have been playing after picking up two bookings in last year's competition.

There is much room for confusion in the rules and regulations concering suspensions, not least because they are changed from time to time. The last re-writing took place a few years ago. It was designed to 'help' players who found themselves suspended for the Scottish Cup Final. Things used to be clear. All bookings accumulated in League, League Cup and Scottish Cup ties were lumped together and once a player eached the 'points total' they were suspended. This meant that at the end of a long hard season clubs were sometimes without key players in the Cup Final as a result of bookings totaled up over the season. At least that's how the SFA spun it - it could also be said that players could commit thuggery in league games yet still get to play in the big showpiece finale to the season.

The SFA decided to split the cumulative totals by competition. League bookings don't count towards Cup ties and vice versa. The situation in the Scottish Cup is that two bookings in the competition means that a player misses the next Scottish Cup tie they are eligible to be involved in. However, outstanding suspensions are not wiped at the end of each season, although playersitting on one booking do have the slate wiped clean.

Woods was booked twice in the Scottish Cup last season as the Pars reached the Semi Final stage. The second of those bookings came in the Semi Final so his Cup suspension carried over to this season. The player should have known that and his club should have known that.

Being the SFA things are not as clearcut as that. They issue a list of 'suspended players' before each round of the Cup. They do this in case players have moved clubs in the intervening months. Apparently Woods name was not on the list that was issued this week, so Dunfermline played him 'in good faith'.

Precedent would suggest that the game will have to be replayed. Last season Elgin and Spartans both fielded ineligible players when they met in a Cup tie and the game was replayed. The previous year Brechin City fouled up against Hamilton Accies. Initially, when it became clear that they had played someone they shouldn't have, the game was ordered to be replayed. Then it transpired they had fielded two ineligible players and they were thrown out of the competition.

These infringements were slightly different to Dunfermline's 'offence'. Another rule states that players can onlyplay in a Cup tie if they are signed before the date originally scheduled for the game. Elgin and Brechin's games were postponed and players were brought in on loan after the original date who then played when the games were re-arranged. Spartans' misdemeanour was even more complex and regarded the 'transfer' of a player from Spartans Amateur side (their reserves) to their first team. Because the two teams were members of seperate Affiliated Associations, moving a player from reserves to first team was regarded as a 'transfer' and was carried out too late.

So what will happen to Dunfermline when the SFA meet tomorrow? Presumably the Pars will claim that it is the SFA's fault for not telling them and, in part, they have a point. However, the SFA will say that the club and the player should have known and checked anyway. It would be harsh if Dunfermline are ejected from the competition entirely but it would be overly lenient if they are not punished at all.

And what should the outcome of all this be? One - simplify the rules as much as possible. Two - clubs must check and double check who is eligibile and who is not. Three - discipline someone at the SFA if it turns out Woods really was omitted from the 'black list' issued this week.