Salgaocar FC had informed GFA on April 24 that their team will not be playing their away match in the First Division League at Goa Velha ground on April 29 scheduled against Goa Velha SC, as per GFA draw, for the following reasons:
Margao
No dressing rooms and toilets which are extremely essential for the players; ground is uneven and dusty and not suitable for playing football due to which their players may run the risk of injuries; Ground and opposite goalposts are not properly aligned; Stray animals like dogs, cows enter the field during the match and the place is always littered with dung.
Thereafter, a decision to postpone the match of April 29 was taken at the GFA Executive Committee meeting held a day before. “Much to the dismay of the club, a letter was received from GFA over email on May 22 at 12.54 pm informing that the postponed game was rescheduled to May 24 on the same ground. The club replied on May 22 at 4.38 pm stating that it did not have any issue about the date of the game and that their main contention was that the said ground was not play-worthy due to above reasons,” disclosed a press release. To which the GFA replied on May 23 at 5.13 pm after office hours stating that their request for “change” in venue cannot be adhered to and the club was informed to field their team as per GFA schedule. In the same letter it was mentioned that the request for change in venue was deliberated at the GFA Executive Committee meeting on April 28 where it was decided that the request could not be adhered to. “It is strange to note that two contradictory decisions were taken in one meeting on April 28. One was taken on April 28 in reply to our email of April 24 to postpone the game to an appropriate venue (subsequently no matches were held on the Goa Velha Field Ground).
A decision was taken on April 28 in reply to our email of May 22, stating that our request for change in venue could not be adhered to. It is surprising how a decision of our email dated May 22 could be taken on April 28 as per GFA mail attached,” informs the press release.
“As per GFA letter dated May 23, if a decision was taken at the GFA Executive Committee meeting on April 28 that our request for change in venue could not be adhered to, then the match should have taken place as scheduled on April 29 as per GFA draw,” added the Salgaocar press release.
