LIVINGSTON owner Pearse Flynn faces severe sanctions from the Scottish football authorities after threatening to challenge in court the verdicts handed down by the arbitration process of the game's ruling bodies.
The Irishman, no stranger to controversy since he took over the West Lothian club four years ago, is refusing to pay the £50,000 he owes to Emmanuel Dorado after illegally sacking him for refusing to accept a 60% pay cut following the club's relegati
on from the SPL.
However, he has courted outrage by branding the Frenchman a "terrorist" and describing the SFA's appeals committee chaired by respected law lord Lord McLean a "kangaroo court". Flynn has lost four appeals – two apiece to the Scottish Football league and the Scottish Football Association – on the matter.
Livingston cannot now buy or register any new players until such time as they settle with Dorado. They have also been fined £5,000 by the SFL, which they have not paid.
Consequently, the transfer embargo imposed by the SFL will remain in place but, in a question-and-answer session on a fans' website, Flynn suggested he will not allow the matter to end there.
Asked when the Dorado issue would be resolved, he replied: "When we were relegated from the SPL we quickly had to readjust our cost base to match the 45% drop in income to the football club. This meant a restructuring programme, which we got cleared by our lawyers, Biggart Baillie. We follow this process to the letter.
"All in all, it was very painful. Staff lost their jobs, players lost their jobs, remaining players took pay cuts. We offered Manu (Dorado] and other players a 'First Division' contract on less money and he was the only one to refuse, as was his right.
"He wanted to retire from football and his pension was based on his last contract. We offered him £30,000. He refused. He appealed to the SFL and they gave out this crazy ruling saying we can't sign players until we settle with Manu. So he has the power and I am not negotiating with terrorists. He can refuse to agree and we are stuffed as a club.
"What gets up my nose is why all this sympathy for Manu? Yes, he was great for Livi: he was also the captain of the relegated team.
"The club cannot afford to pay him. It is funded day-to-day by me so what people are saying is; 'Pearse, you give Manu your money.' "What he is asking for is nearly 25% of our season-ticket earnings, for example. If any fan wants to write a cheque for Manu, please contact me and I will gladly forward it on.
"Meanwhile, I know that if this goes to the Court of Session I will win. Footballers are no different from anyone else and we have acted with good faith but, in the kangaroo courts of football, we are the bad guys."
Unsurprisingly, Dorado has been angered by the comments and the fact that Flynn seemingly has no intention of honouring his contract.
"I have read the article on the Internet," said the 34-year-old. "It is easy to speak about someone like that when you are in a different country but Flynn would never say that to my face.
"When you look at what is happening in the world it is unbelievable that someone can refer to a sporting matter and call someone a terrorist.
"Flynn is lying to the supporters. He says he offered me £30,000: the true figure was £3,000, which was disrespectful. It is typical of his bullshit.
"The SFA must take action against this man. He describes me as the captain of the relegated team but when he took over the club we had just won the CIS Cup.
"Now they are in the bottom half of the First Divison so who has caused Livingston the most pain?
"I don't believe this situation would have dragged on like this if it had happened to a Celtic or Rangers player or even a Scottish player.
"Flynn may have thought that I would just go away and give up but he does not know me very well. He has made a mistake because I believe in justice and I will fight to the death for the money he owes me."
Livingston and Flynn were previously embroiled in controversy when they failed to register Moroccan player Hassan Kachloul correctly in 2005. Dundee, relegated that season, claimed their relegation rivals should have had points docked, but they escaped with a fine.
