http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/soccer-shock-as-football-federation-victoria-chief-board-members-quit/news-story/03e561dfae8ef68a5b2e88160464970d

Can you paste the text? I cant open the article without a subscription 

THREE female board members and the chief executive of Victorian soccer’s governing body have resigned amid claims of internal turmoil and board tensions.Former Matildas star Tal Karp and fellow board members Sandra Lordanic and Tammi Rose quit the FFV board late last week after growing disillusioned with recent executive decision making.Interim chief executive Cathy Acocks resigned on Friday, after the total number of directors to depart the board reached six in the past 12 months.The Herald Sun believes the most recent resignations were triggered by a decision to overturn a penalty against a former board director.Senior Melbourne lawyer Aldrin De Zilva was banned from soccer matches in Victoria for two years in June, 2014 for abusing a 17-year-old female referee.He was found guilty of misconduct for directing “offensive, insulting and/or abusive language’’ toward the referee during a match between Dandenong Thunder and Goulburn Valley Suns at Shepparton. But, despite the two-year ban recently elapsing, the decision was annulled at a recent FFV board meeting.

Sources say the board members jointly resigned on a point of principle when the peak body reversed the decision of an independent umpire.In a statement responding to Herald Sun questions last night, the three board members said they “did not make the decision to resign lightly’’.“The board’s governance and decision making processes are inconsistent with our expectations of appropriate board processes,’’ they said.“In particular, we are unable to accept the approach taken by the board in respect of a recent decision, which we believe compromises our role as directors.“We felt unable to remain as directors of this board under these circumstances.’’Mr De Zilva welcomed the board’s backflip as “a virtuous conclusion’’. “The FFV board has overturned the tribunal’s decision and have provided to me a full apology,’’ he saidIt is believed the Andrews Government, which provides funding to the FFV, is watching the situation closely.The FFV board is bound by a code of conduct and if it is found to have acted outside its obligations, funding could be cut.FFV did not return calls to the Herald Sun on Monday.

How many years should someone get? A lifetime ban? Feminazis.

If thats who is running/dividing ffv, then good riddance, they've taken their eye off the ball.

Bye bye. If the ban lapsed you can't complain.

I don't think there is any suggestion that they wanted the ban extended. From reading the article it seems like those board members resigned because the board has now overturned the guilty verdict, even though he has already served his ban. I have no idea why a board would overturn a tribunal ruling 2 years after the fact, but they have.

What's benefit of over turning a ban that has already been served. It's basically to curry some kind of favour from the banned individual right. These board members were right to resign and whoever on the board approved the overturning of a historic ban should be sacked. De Zilva was found guilty of the offence, you can't change the decision 2 years later on a whim to try to get De Zilva and his influence back onside. 

Lawyer sees red after football ban

http://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/folklaw/15511-lawyer-sees-red-after-football-ban
03 July 2014    

                    Malavika Santhebennur        

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        A senior Melbourne lawyer banned from soccer matches in Victoria for two years for abusing a female junior referee has accused Football Federation Victoria (FFV) of trying to tarnish his reputation. A senior Melbourne lawyer banned from soccer matches in Victoria for two years for abusing a female junior referee has accused Football Federation Victoria (FFV) of trying to tarnish his reputation.Aldrin De Zilva, a Deloitte partner and former board member of the FFV, faced allegations from the FFV tribunal he used “offensive, insulting and/or abusive language and/or behaviour” towards 17-year old referee Taylor Roberson in her room after an under-13 boys game.The match was between the Goulburn Valley Suns and Dandenong Thunder Football Club. De Zilva was the latter team’s manager.According to the FFV, Roberson filed a complaint 48 hours after the incident.Lawyers Weekly requested from the FFV the written statements from the referee and the witness, but the FFV refused, stating “it is inappropriate to comment on the specifics of the case as this was a matter for the independent Tribunal”.“What’s going on here is really a bit of a smokescreen,” De Zilva told Lawyers Weekly.He claims he intervened to calm matters when there was a kerfuffle between the referee and the Dandenong coach, after the referee handed out three red cards, provoking an irate response from the coach.When parents and spectators also got agitated, De Zilva said he calmed everyone down.He then went to the referee’s room to sign out post the soccer game and was there for 10-20 seconds, he said.“I knocked on the door and calmly entered. I then saw that the mentor and Ms Roberson were sitting and having a discussion and Ms Roberson was in tears, obviously getting instructions from the mentor, pretty distraught about the whole situation,” said De Zilva.“So I didn’t even speak to Ms Roberson. I spoke to the mentor, asked him if the book was ready to be signed. He basically said no. At that juncture I basically left,” he said.The FFV tribunal found De Zilva guilty of misconduct towards the referee on 26 June.He did not attend the tribunal, with the senior barrister Leslie Glick QC acting for De Zilva at the Tribunal hearing. Glick acted for De Zilva pro bono.A political footballDe Zilva alleges there is a more “sinister” reason for his suspension.He joined the FFV board in March 2013 to look after the financial management and accountability of the organisation.In March 2014, he and another accountant lodged complaints with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV), saying the accounts “do not reflect the true and fair view of the organisation”.“My view is at least 1.3 million and possibly a lot more than that of the members’ money has been squandered and it’s not being appropriately reflected in the accounts,” he said.He said he has been receiving threatening e-mails and letters to his workplace since he publicly raised his concerns in August last year.Police Sergeant Richard Lewis, who has known De Zilva since 2012, said in his witness statement to the tribunal that he saw no evidence of De Zilva being angry with the referee, while questioning the timing of the allegations.The Age has previously reported that Lewis, who is a former AFL investigator, was sanctioned by force command in 2001 for sending “hardcore” pornographic material over the police e-mail facility.Solicitor Cheryl Lewis also issued a witness statement, saying she was “gobsmacked” to find out weeks later that De Zilva had faced accusations of swearing and bad behaviour in the referee’s room.She noted one or more board members had personally talked to witnesses involved in the case before the tribunal, and thought the case had a “bad odour” about it.FFV acting CEO Matthew Annells denies this.“The independent Tribunal’s determination regarding Mr De Zilva’s conduct towards a teenage referee has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the other allegations made,” Annells told Lawyers Weekly.“FFV denies these allegations in the strongest possible terms.”FFV Referee’s Standing Committee chair Nick Karlich resigned following the suspension of De Zilva, claiming the referee and the witness’ statements were “tampered with” by somebody else.But Annells said De Zilva, or the club, never raised this allegation of doctored reports before the tribunal, nor was it put to the referee during cross examination.“The evidence was largely uncontested at the hearing, which Mr De Zilva chose not to attend,” said Annells.De Zilva claims he did not attend the tribunal because it is not a legal court that is bound by the rules of evidence or procedures.He also said a request of various documents of the FFV was denied.But Annells said De Zilva had never raised these concerns before the hearing.He said while it is true that the tribunal is not bound by procedures of the courts of law, the FFV Grievance, Disciplinary and Tribunal By-Law allows the tribunal to inform itself of matters as it sees fit as long as it “adheres to the rules of natural justice”.  De Zilva cannot attend any FFV-approved matches as a coach, match official, marshal or referee.

02 June 2014 11:50 AM .

By CAM LUCADOU-WELLSDANDENONG Thunder will plead not guilty to misconduct charges leveled against club associates after the alleged abuse of a young female referee at an under-13s boys soccer match.
Team manager and ex-Football Federation Victoria board director Aldrin De Zilva and coach Fitsy Ibraimi were scheduled to appear at an FFV disciplinary tribunal hearing on Wednesday.
Mr De Zilva was charged with two counts of using offensive, insulting or abusive language or behaviour against a match official after the game, Mr Ibraimi with being expelled from the pitch’s technical area during the game.
The club was also charged with “failing to control” Mr De Zilva and Mr Ibraimi.
The hearing, which was closed to the public, was postponed due to a clash with the club’s Dockerty Cup fixture on the same night.
Mr De Zilva, a taxation lawyer at Deloittes, tendered his immediate resignation from the FFV board on 23 May – days after the charges were publicised.
Club spokesman Sezar Jakupi denied Mr De Zilva’s resignation was linked to the misconduct charges, hinting at board unrest that had also led to the stepping-down of FFV chief executive Mitchell Murphy and director Kimon Taliadoros last month.
Mr Jakupi condemned a “trial by media” against Mr De Zilva.
“From our point of view we consider the leaks to the media prior to the hearing highly inappropriate.
“It calls into question the impartiality of the tribunal process and the motivations behind the leaks.”
Mr De Zilva did not respond to the Journal’s requests for comment.

http://dandenong.starcommunity.com.au/journal/2014-06-02/thunder-denial/

How woeful regardless of the media leaks.
DeSilva considering his position deserves more imo, abusing a 17yr old Ref worse at a U13yr olds game.
Shocking, we don't need these people around our game. Ban them for life.