Tigers reinstated to Downs League

More than 600 footballers play each Saturday on the Downs

Bristol's historic Downs League looks set to continue after officials agreed to reinstate the Bengal Tigers.

The Tigers were suspended because of their poor disciplinary record last season on the vote of other teams.

But the Tigers appealed to the Gloucestershire Football Association, who ruled the ban must be overturned.

The league's management committee met on Wednesday and decided that the club could come back into the league from Saturday, 22 November.

The disciplinary record of Easton-based Bengal Tigers last season included a fight on the pitch during one game, which resulted in an opposing player being taken to hospital.

However, when the case was put before them, the Gloucestershire FA decided that the Downs League had not followed correct procedures for expelling clubs and ordered the team be reinstated.

The Downs League's management committee were meeting in response to that decision.

Bengal Tigers manager Syed Haque told BBC Radio Bristol he was pleased his side had been reinstated.

"I take responsibility in the sense of I played a few ineligible players and caused a bit of a row, obviously," he said.

"We aren't the only ones to blame. There are other factors, other parties to blame as well, not only myself and the club.

"I'm back in the club. I'm very happy for the players and myself."

Downs League chairman Bob Sampson said he was happy that a difficult chapter in the history of the league was drawing to a close.

"We, in the beginning, thought the offence was so serious we had to take some action," said Sampson.

"We were fearful of referees and other teams on a safety ground of going out to play after this incident.

"It is very, very difficult when you are trying to please everybody and at the end of the day, you aren't going to please everybody.

"You have to make decisions for the benefit of the league itself because it is the other clubs you have to look after as well - not just one club.

"I was very worried that if something happened, like a vote of no confidence, that most people would have walked out of the committee and that would have left it with virtually no officers.

"I don't know the outcome of what would have happened after that."

More than 600 footballers play each Saturday on the Downs in a league that historically dates back to 1905.