Courtesy: North Wiltshire and Kennet Gazette & Herald


Dickinson defiant over FA sanction

Thursday 17th September 2009

By Iain Liddle

BANNED goalkeeper Arran Dickinson says he would rather never play football again than pay a £288 fine owed to the Wiltshire FA.

The Marlborough cricket star, 24, was handed a five-year-football ban for an assault on a referee in a game of Futsal, an indoor form of football, at Swindon on June 8, as revealed in the Gazette last week.

Dickinson is not contesting his ban, but is refusing to pay the fine in protest at the way in which he believes his case was handled.

The former Purton goalkeeper claims official Chris Giddings provoked him into the attack by aggressively swearing at him and pushing him in the chest first.

Swindon Futsal’s head of referees supported Giddings at the trial and said he was struck first.

Dickinson says he has 13 witnesses who can attest to this version of events, but said the Wiltshire FA advised him to bring just one, teammate and psychiatric nurse Alan Clifford, who later walked out of the hearing.

“I paid £33 just for the right to appeal,” said Dickinson. “Then they talk to you like kids.

“They were putting words in our mouths. Alan walked out because he said they had already made their minds up and weren’t listening to him.

“They gave me a £250 fine but added £30 because I asked for an appeal and lost.

“I’m getting married next year so I can’t afford to pay £288 and, after four operations on my knee, it’s time to put cricket first.

“I’m not bothered if I play football again, but I’m a qualified cricket coach and if I have a little lad it would have been nice to coach his team, but now I can’t.”

Marlborough cricket club chairman Simon Wells said: “Arran does a lot of good work on and off the pitch. I can’t recognise these claims as being about the person I know.”

Wiltshire FA discipline secretary Mark Edmonds says the hearing was handled correctly.

“Mr Dickinson had every chance to appeal to the National FA,” he said. “We told him at the hearing and also in writing.”







Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com