Bengal Tigers to get second chance in the Bristol Downs League
The league's committee has been advised by the FA that it must readmit the Easton-based Bengal Tigers, expelled following an incident in which an opposing player was hospitalised after being hit during a match.
Last night, the injured player, Mark Fitzgibbon, said he was disappointed that the Tigers were likely to be allowed back into the league's fourth division.
Mr Fitzgibbon, of Withywood, said his team, Retainers A, was likely to refuse to play any fixture against the Tigers.
The 28-year-old could not see out of his right eye for two weeks after suffering burst blood vessels when he was hit following a flare-up involving an unregistered player who had turned out for the Tigers, in breach of the rules.
The Tigers were immediately suspended from the league, which has more than 50 teams and 600 players, then expelled at the end of last season.
Mr Fitzgibbon said: "It is disappointing to hear they are back in.
"We (Retainers A) are going to forfeit all our games against them, and I think a lot of other teams will be doing that as well, so I don't know how much fun they are going to get out of it.
"They have never named the person involved in the incident, or apologised for what happened, which is disappointing."
Of the incident that took place near the end of last season, Mr Fitzgibbon said: "One of our guys put a tackle in in the centre circle and then their guy just went berserk and started throwing punches.
"I was walking off but got called back as they were going to try and restart the match. I took a whack and the next thing I know, I'm in an ambulance."
If and when the Bengal Tigers rejoin the league, their fixtures will be rearranged to make up for the portion of the current season they have missed.
But the Evening Post understands that several league officials and administrators have threatened to resign if the Tigers are allowed back and many referees and clubs have said they may boycott any fixtures involving the team.
The Bengal Tigers have said from the outset that the reasons given by the league for their dismissal are unconstitutional, and the Gloucestershire Football Association agreed.
Bengal Tigers secretary Syed Haque said: "We're delighted to be going back into the league. And obviously we're going to try and have a happy re-union with the other clubs.
"The players are happy, although a lot of them are saying 'are we going to be looked at as a bad apple?'."
In Saturday's Post Mr Haque said the player who had attacked Mr Fitzgibbon had been an unregistered player and said it had been a "mistake" to allow him to play.
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