Perth Glory Respond To Salary Cap Breach Allegations, Might Plead Guilty To Some Charges

A-League side Perth Glory will accept some charges related to the breach of salary cap they are being investigated for in recent weeks, according to a report by WAToday.com. The decision is seen as an attempt by the club to avoid harsher punishment, which includes the possibility of points deduction, amongst others.

The club have been accused of breaching the season’s salary cap by up to $400,000, while paying players through third parties, agent fees and accommodation fees, and not reporting the transactions to the Football Federation Australia, or FFA. Striker Andy Keogh is the main player at the centre of controversy as he was allegedly paid up to half his salary through a family member.

The WAToday report also states that the club is now trying to cut their salary, having convinced two players to accept no salary for the last two months of this season, and instead pay them in the next. This move will save the club around $50,000 and wouldn’t be included in the report to the FFA on player salary for the season.

Punishments for the breach could range from heavy fines to points deductions. Loss of points could prove costly and would likely see the club miss the finals, which they seem certain to reach at this point, being in second place behind Melbourne Victory. Accepting some of the charges, if not all, could help them avoid the points penalty.

The FFA has confirmed that the club had responded to allegations and Perth Glory chief executive Jason Brewer also spoke about it. "We've got a process to go through. The response is now to be reviewed by the FFA. We've responded on the matters raised on the show-cause notice. The club continues to focus on the rest of the season,” Brewer said to AAP. The players seem to be focused on playing well, having won their last two games and only three games left in the season.

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