Cardiff University men’s football suspended after ‘inappropriate behaviour’

Cardiff University men’s football team have been suspended from the BUCS league due to breaking the rules on ‘inappropriate and dangerous behaviour’.

All games fixtures has been postponed due to an official complaint being made against the team, and there are fears that Varsity will be affected as a result.

An incident allegedly took place that broke the regulations set out by the university. Meaning that all the clubs fixtures, excluding Medics, were put on hold as of Wednesday 4th March.

At the start of the academic year all AU committees are must tend a compulsory session called “Socials and Behaviour Policy Training” where initiation and club rules are set out.

BUCS states that initiations are strictly forbidden, as is behaviour such as: “coercion to undertake activities against a person’s will, forced consumption of large quantities of alcohol, humiliation of a person in public (i.e. setting someone up to fail), forced acts of nudity/nakedness, victimisation of a group of individuals described as ‘freshers’, consumption of abnormal/unpleasant substances, bullying, discrimination or harassment and psychological torment.”

BUCS guidelines further state that any teams found to be participating in such activities will “be suspended from participating in BUCS competitions for the remainder of the season in which the sentence is handed down and in to the following season until a total suspension of one year (365 days) has been served.”

On the 5th March the Students Union released a full statement reading: “The Students’ Union has received a complaint in relation to an alleged incident that took place involving the men’s football club.

“The reports that we have received are very disappointing and have highlighted that behaviour within the club appears to have breached of the University Student Behaviour Procedure, the Athletic Union Sports Club Behavioural Policy and BUCS regulations. Any student found to be in breach of these codes will be subject to disciplinary action.

“The Students’ Union is clear that there is no place for social activity that may involve, dangerous or inappropriate behaviour, peer pressuring or humiliation of team members.

“We take these complaints of this nature incredibly seriously. The Students’ Union and University are conducting a joint investigation into the matter, during this time, a full suspension of all men’s football activity has been put in place.

“There will be no further comment on the matter until the outcome of the investigation is known.”