Football
THE Yoogali Soccer Club will tonight be officially restricted by the Griffith District Football Association from entering the Regional Premier League this season.
The Area News can exclusively reveal that Yoogali SC - the local club most supportive of the cross-border competition - will not be allowed to participate in the RPL due to an inability to meet association requirements.
It is understood the club has enough senior players to field three teams - an RPL side, a first-grade side and a reserves side.
However, this is not enough to satisfy a GDFA rule, which states that any club with a desire to enter an external competition must first enter a first-grade team, a reserves team and either a women's or under 17s team in the local leagues.
If, as expected, YSC front tonight's association meeting and confirm the shortage, the rule will be enforced.
"It is non-negotiable and it applies to all clubs. That's the direction from our board, the clubs who voted on it and also from Football NSW, who have sanctioned it," GDFA president Matthew Curran said.
Yoogali SC president Paul Fisher was tight-lipped when contacted by The Area News yesterday.
"At this moment I can't say anything. We'll just have to wait and see what comes of the meeting," he said.
"We're waiting to see what the position of the association is and go from there. That will determine our decision."
But it is understood that YSC's withdrawal is a fait accompli - leading to the likely collapse of the Shepparton-controlled RPL, which only had its inaugural season last year.
Four Griffith clubs participated in the crisis-stricken competition in 2012 and none are left.
West Griffith SC withdrew before the end of the regular season citing disillusionment with RPL adminstration, while Yoogali Football Club pulled out in December due to mass player disinterest.
After a public row with competition chief Frank Trimboli, Hanwood FC left the league just before Christmas, leaving YSC as the only remaining local side - until now.