You have got to be kidding!!!

[Grumpmeister]

Let me get this straight, he has been convicted of planning an armed robbery and put in prison and his club is facing suspension because they refused to pay him for the time he was locked up??? This is crazy by anyone's standards.

A non-league club faces suspension by the Football Association from all competitions for refusing to pay an ex-player jailed on a robbery charge.
Grays Athletic FC terminated Ashley Sestanovich's contract before his conviction for conspiracy to rob.

Grays have been given 14 days by the FA to pay Sestanovich £14,000 for the five months up to his conviction.

He was jailed for eight years. Two other men were jailed for life for shooting a man dead during the raid.

An FA disciplinary hearing ordered Grays to pay Sestanovich five months' wages, in June, last year, after ruling they were in breach of FA regulations.   My principles will not allow me to pay this money from either my own pocket, or from the club's

Grays chairman, Mike Woodward 

The club must also pay a £500 fine and the hearing's costs.

If they fail to do so, the south Essex club will be suspended from all football.

Grays have been involved in a counterclaim against Sestanovich who played one pre-season friendly for the club before his arrest.

The club claim that Sestanovich originally told them he was being held on remand for motoring offences, but once the nature of the charges became known they served him with 14 days' notice.

His conviction related to a robbery in Streatham, London, in 2005 in which Thomas Fahey was murdered.

'Shot in cold-blood'

Grays chairman Mike Woodward said: "I am bitterly disappointed in the FA's judgment, all they seem to want to do is take money from football clubs.

"We are being forced to pay approximately £14,000 to a player who only had three training sessions and 20 minutes in a pre-season friendly due to his involvement in a heinous crime which saw a young father shot in cold-blood.

"Unfortunately my principles will not allow me to pay this money from either my own pocket, or from the club's, and the directors are of the same opinion.

"I feel sorry for the supporters of this club but I hope that you will back me on this decision."

The FA said because Sestanovich was arrested after he signed for Grays, the club were obliged to honour his contract until he was actually convicted of an offence, under contract law.

Sestanovich also doubled for former Arsenal star Thierry Henry's TV advertisements for clothing company Nike.

[Snoopy]

Contract law my arse.  He clearly lied to get the contract therefore the contract is invalid.
If anything they have a case against him for obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception.

If pushed by the FA the directors should immediately place the club in receivership, buy it back for a paltry sum, rename it and put two fingers up to the authorities. This is about people wanting to play and watch football. If all clubs support them then the FA will have FA to go on.

[Grumpmeister]

The problem is that football is becomming a game of Prima Donnas poncing up and down a pitch thinking they can do whatever they want. It doesnt matter which league they may be in, their behaviour should still be of a high standard and the FA has forgotten about that in their endless pursuit of money

[Just One More]

The problem is that football is becomming a game of Prima Donnas poncing up and down a pitch thinking they can do whatever they want.

Becoming?  It happened a few years ago

I spent last night at the Twickenham Stoop watching the Varsity rugby league game. 80 minutes of 34 blokes knocking the crap out of each other and never rolling around "in agony" once. I watch the professionals do it week in/week out, all for about £40,000 per year for those at the top of the game

The game brought one of those never to be forgotten moments when one minute into the game 10 -15 uni students whipped off their shirts (trousers had already been removed unbeknown to the other 2,000 or so that were there), stood up and started chanting wearing just their Borat swimwear, the temerature was about +5c

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/06_02/boratPA1306_228x566.jpg

one of those  moments Wenchy?

[Snoopy]

The problem is that football is becomming a game of Prima Donnas poncing up and down a pitch thinking they can do whatever they want.

Becoming?  It happened a few years ago

I spent last night at the Twickenham Stoop watching the Varsity rugby league game. 80 minutes of 34 blokes knocking the crap out of each other and never rolling around "in agony" once. I watch the professionals do it week in/week out, all for about £40,000 per year for those at the top of the game

The game brought one of those never to be forgotten moments when one minute into the game 10 -15 uni students whipped off their shirts (trousers had already been removed unbeknown to the other 2,000 or so that were there), stood up and started chanting wearing just their Borat swimwear, the temerature was about +5c

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/06_02/boratPA1306_228x566.jpg

one of those  moments Wenchy?

Well I suppose it keeps you off the streets and out of trouble 

[grumpyoldsoldier]

I did like the comment by a BBC pundit about the Arsenal Milan game the other week, " this is the first time in 20(?) years that an English team has won in the St Cyr stadium" English?