AFC Fylde have suspended Ged Smith until January 1 2009, after the player failed a drugs test following the club’s FA Vase win over Lowestoft Town at Wembley on 11 May.
After the game, two of the winning Fylde players, Ged Smith and Matt Walwyn, were selected for random drug testing.
The results of these showed that Ged Smith had traces of a banned substance, cannabis, in his system. Matt Walwyn was found to be completely clear.
As a result of the above, the FA are conducting their own enquiry and the first meeting with Ged Smith and FA Officers has taken place at Lilleshall. The Executive Committee of AFC Fylde have held their own meeting to discuss the result, and have issued the following statement: “Following Ged Smith’s recent drug test we have decided to suspend him for five months until January 1st 2009 pending the final results of the FA enquiry at which time we will review the situation.
For the avoidance of doubt the club have adopted a policy of zero tolerance with regard to banned substances and in future any player who is found violating this rule will have their registration with the club terminated”.
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