Disciplinary committee hearing for Sailors, Tampines pushed back to Aug 4
The Football Association of Singapore's (FAS) disciplinary committee has adjourned the hearing involving Lion City Sailors and Tampines Rovers for a week until Aug 4, it said on Thursday (July 28).
This was after the Sailors, who won last year's Singapore Premier League (SPL), made the request "in order to investigate the facts before taking a position and presenting their case in respect of the charges", noted K Bala Chandran, chairman of the DC.
He added in the statement: "Given the short notice both teams had been given and their right to be heard, the DC made the decision to adjourn the hearing."
The FAS had handed down charges to both clubs on Monday evening, just 24 hours after their SPL match which saw a fracas break out at the end.
The Sailors won 2-1 to open a five-point gap between them and second-placed Albirex Niigata. The defending champions are due to face the Japanese side on Friday in a top-of-the-table clash.
Following Sunday's ill-tempered game, Sailors head coach Kim Do-hoon and Tampines assistant coach Mustafic Fahrudin - who were involved in physical altercations - were each charged with violent conduct. Both clubs were also charged over the conduct of their respective teams, while the Sailors faced a separate charge over the conduct of their spectators.
In previous cases of violent conduct involving local coaches and players, the FAS had meted out various punishments including fines as high as $10,000 and suspensions ranging from several matches to as long as 15 months.
Towards the end of the match at the Jalan Besar Stadium, Kim appeared to headbutt Fahrudin as a skirmish for the ball took place between players from both teams.
Fahrudin was seen clutching his face after the incident. Kim was shown a yellow card by referee Ahmad A'qashah before play resumed.
The matter appeared to have cooled down after the game with Kim and Fahrudin shaking hands, but tensions rose again later with both sets of players and officials engaging in shoving matches on the pitch and the sidelines.
Fahrudin, 41, was then seen squaring up to Kim on the Sailors' bench, with eyewitnesses alleging he grabbed the 52-year-old by the neck.
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