Solicitors at ready over ban
BANNED Mudgeeraba player Shane Billings and Football Gold Coast have each consulted solicitors after the 31-year-old’s latest appeal was turned down.
Billings was given a 10-match ban after being issued a red card – his third of the season – while playing against Merrimac in a BLK Premier League match on May 16.
The referee alleged Billings grabbed the opposing keeper by the throat while trying to get the ball back for a restart.
Despite being outraged by Football Gold Coast’s rejection of his appeal, Billings said he had accepted he would remain off the field for five more matches.
He said he had contacted a solicitor for advice about his next step.
The appeal by Billings, a finance professional, was heard by Football Gold Coast on Wednesday.
Billings claims statements considered at the hearing, including one from the alleged victim, showed he did not assault the keeper.
“It was the only game not filmed that whole round so we’ve got no evidence,” he said.
“We’ve got seven statements, including the victim’s, saying that it never happened.
“We went in with two statements from him saying that it never happened and they’ve decided to take the referee’s word over all evidence and they made me wait five weeks for an appeal.
“If the game’s not filmed, I don’t know how you can just 100 per cent back the referee.
“I’ve accepted that I’m not going to get this overturned … but I’ve engaged a lawyer. I just want to clear my name now.
“It’s not even about the 10 games. I want to prove that I’m innocent.”
Billings could appeal again through Football Queensland but said it would not be worth his while. “This appeal was an ordeal in itself,” he said.
Football Gold Coast general manager Damien Bresic said he was confident in the appeals process and that the alleged victim’s statement indicated Billings grabbed him by the top of the shirt.
Billings’ May red card was the third time he had been sent off this year and Bresic said earlier sanctions were taken into account in the penalty handed down, contributing to Billings’ long ban.
“Shane got sent off for violent conduct which is an R2 according to the referees’ codes. An R2 constitutes a minimum of a one-match suspension plus a mandatory which is two games,” Bresic said.
“Shane was given one game more – three matches for that.
“For a second red card, there is a suspension plus an additional match. For your third red card, there’s a suspension plus two additional matches.”