London Welsh coming back down?

[Devon Lady]

See LW are in the dog house once more.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/21595254 and

Club Statement - http://www.london-welsh.co.uk/index.php?mod=news_view&id=1555

If they are "fined" points I think the maximum they can be penalised is 5 so who knows Sale might be saved once more.
_________________
Devon Lady

[Gerry Welsh]

It'll be a real shame if they end up coming back down due to this. But rules are rules.....Wonder if that possibility will influence their plan to buy the stadium?
_________________
Gerry Welsh

[Devon Lady]

Strange old world, last year it was Newcastle down and LW up, now it looks like its going to go in reverse.

But who knows, might get a sympathetic hearing but as you say Gerry rules are rules.

Not sure about Kassam, to be honest I have completely lost touch with that one but keeping an eye on CP where their new planning application is very much ongoing and down for hearing early March.
_________________
Devon Lady

[Paul Walsh]

Decision deffered, probably untill the end of the season so they'll know how many points to deduct.
_________________
Paul Walsh

[Devon Lady]

[Devon Lady]

[Gerry Welsh]

Immediate 5 points deduction and £15000 fine. Further 5 points deduction suspended. LW now below Sale. Will have to be an heroic effort to avoid the drop now.
_________________
Gerry Welsh

[Devon Lady]

[Mike Blue]

Quite an incredible act by the individual at the club. Welsh rightly punished and could argue it should be a much heavier sanction due to the deceit involved.

I wouldn't want to be the individual responsible if they do go down. His actions could well lead to a number of people losing their jobs if they are relegated.

One question I would have for the RFU is if they suspected anything as outlined in the deliberation, why did they not escalate the matter a bit quicker. Then again it's the RFU............

[Douglas Baldwin]

I think it is extremely sad that an individual could stoop so low and undo all the good work that the club had done in achieving membership of the Premiership and put it in a position where it is unlikely to survive, whereas before it had a chance of remaining in the Premiership.
Maybe he was an RFU plant, intent on getting their own back for LW having the audacity to challenge their ground rules in the first place!

[The Hooded Man]

Thanks for the links DL. I feel very sorry for Welsh. They worked damned hard to overturn restrictive Premiereship practices which benefit all Championship Clubs. Because the RFU could not accept the reasonableness of Welsh's arguments, the issue was strung out leaving Welsh a limited window in which to pull together a viable squad that could compete at Premiership level. Whilst we don't condone fraud, and certainly not compounding the original fraud, the Officers at Welsh must have been under incredible pressure that perhaps caused them to cut corners. Whilst Welsh had to be sanctioned, regrettably the RFU get off scot-free. Their handling of the original situation and their luke-warm support of second tier aspirations leaves much to be desired.
_________________
A stranger is just a friend I haven't met yet (Will Rogers)
I had a brain scan. They found nothing.

[bigbluepip]

Have to say I feel sorry for LW, they've done much better than I thought they would in the Prem and to have all that hard work cancelled out by one person. Oh well, I suppose the RFU will be rubbing their hands together and thinking they've got their way in the end.
_________________
I want you all to sort yourselves alphabetically by height, pair up in 3's and line up in a circle.

[Paul Walsh]

London Welsh appeal set for this Thursday.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/21852740
_________________
Paul Walsh