If you think that the Copa Libertadores final being called off because of the actions of a minority of boneheads was the weekend’s most embarrassing circumstances in which to cancel a game of football, you’d be wrong.
Because Ballybrack FC in Ireland’s Leinster Senior League (Major 1C) may as well have seen the chaos in Buenos Aires and bellowed a hearty “hold my beer”.
They went all in to get their game called off. To the point of announcing the death of one of their former players.
Yep, for the reason that they couldn’t corral quite enough bodies to make up a team for their match against Arklow Town, they thought they would create their own stiff.
Not-so perfect plan
They had hatched a plan which they figured nobody would question. Tributes would pour out, minutes silences would be observed. And – crucially – their fixture would be postponed. Perfect.
Except Fernando LaFuente, the former player in question, was – and is – still breathing.
The Spanish national recounted later that “my work started sending me all these news articles – that’s how I found out I was dead”.
The background is this: the club, who are second in the league, did not have enough players to fulfil the 24 November fixture against Arklow, who are fifth.
So a few days before the date of the match, they got in touch with LaFuente, who now lives in Galway. They told him that he may hear news that he had been in an accident.
One thing would lead to another and they would get to play the tie at a later date.
Lie
So far, so duplicitous. But LaFuente thought they would keep the lie small, like saying he had a broken leg.
And as he put it: “I didn’t care because I wasn’t there any more. If I wasn’t getting in any kind of trouble, why should I care? These little lies, everyone tells once in a while.”
Except the Ballybrack secretary, who has since resigned, was clearly a fan of the “if you are going to lie, go big” school of thought.
And so it came to pass that LaFuente had been involved in a traffic accident on the way back from training on the Thursday night before the scheduled game.
Grief
The outpouring of grief was touching.
The league placed a notice in the newspaper, rival teams held a minute’s silence and there were heartfelt messages posted on social media by fellow amateur clubs.
Rush Athletic, who play in the Premier Division of the Leinster Senior League, posted a particularly poignant one: “Condolences to everyone involved at Ballybrack FC on the tragic passing of their player making his way home from training on Thursday night. All at Rush Athletic express our deepest sympathies.”
Condolences to everyone involved at Ballybrack FC on the tragic passing of their player making his way home from training on Thursday night. All at Rush Athletic express our deepest sympathies.
— Rush Athletic Senior (@RushAthleticFc) November 24, 2018
And Liffey Wanderers posted on Facebook a picture of their players observing a minute’s silence for LaFuente.
It was seemingly a case of ‘it’s all fun and games until someone loses a life (even if not really)’.
Because apart from the secretary resigning, the club has since had to apologise for “a gross error of judgement” and a “grave and unacceptable mistake”.
The league has begun an investigation and refuses to comment further other than to say that it would “deal with this issue through their own internal disciplinary procedures”.
But what of LaFuente’s family? Were they forced to confront the notion that their boy was dead?
Not quite. LaFuente continues: “I had to call my mum straight away – she basically didn’t know anything. I haven’t spoken with her yet because she didn’t answer any of the messages I sent.”
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