The Okanagan Sun told the Kelowna Capital News that they are in the process of filing a grievance against rival team, the Vancouver Island Raiders, for tampering. The Sun are accusing the Raiders of violating league rules in the case of the acquisition of former Sun receiver Mitchell Thompson.
According to Sun GM Howie Zaron, Thompson was homesick and wanted to return to Regina. The Sun granted his release if he played for a Saskatchewan team…but then he ended up with the Vancouver Island Raiders.
Under CJFL guidelines, a player cannot make contact or be contacted by another team before he is granted his release by his original club. If that happens, the new team is required to inform the former club of any such contact…similar to how it is done in the CIS.
Howie Zaron told the Kelowna Capital News, “I’m not going to release a player who I know is going to go play for an arch rival, it just wouldn’t happen. It’s not the first time they’ve been accused of tampering, so rather than not do anything about it, it’s time for us to take a stand. We’ll see what happens.”
Blokker told the Nanaimo Bulletin that his club didn’t tamper in Thompson’s case or in any other player transaction. “It’s just accusations by a team that’s crying sour milk because they lost a good player,” Blokker said.
Thompson played in five games with the Sun and was fourth in receiving when he left the club.
Separate complaint
In a separate incident, the Sun has filed a complaint with the B.C. Football Conference (BCFC) regarding the treatment of one of its players during the Sun’s 33-20 loss to the Raiders on Aug. 27 at Caledonia Park in Nanaimo.
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