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Wednesday, July 19, 2000 By Paul Zeise, Post-Gazette Sports Writer
The United Soccer League yesterday suspended Charleston Battery forward Paul Conway indefinitely and fined him $250 for his outburst during the team's game Friday against the Riverhounds at Bethel Park Stadium.
The suspension will remain in place until Conway writes a letter of apology to the Riverhounds, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Washington Observer-Reporter.
Conway entered the press box at Bethel Park Stadium and unleashed a verbal tirade in front of reporters and members of the Riverhounds organization during an hour-long delay in the team's game with the Riverhounds.
He was upset that the game was delayed rather than called off because only three minutes remained and the Battery were leading, 4-0. He referred to the organization as "beyond bush-league" and complained that the team's locker room and facilities were second-rate. He also said that the Riverhound's decision showed "the lack of sportsmanship in Pittsburgh" because the Riverhounds had no chance to win the game.
In the strongly-worded memo, which was written by director of A-league operations Tim Holt, Conway's conduct was called "completely out of line" and went on to say that "we do not need Mr. Conway's approval to make game management decisions, nor is it relevant that he is unhappy with such decisions."
Holt said the incident is "a black mark that reflects poorly on both organizations and the A-League as a whole." Holt wrote that Conway had "insulted not only the Riverhounds, but also the entire city of Pittsburgh" and that his actions were "both unprofessional and unacceptable."
After the game there was some question as to exactly who's decision it was to delay the game -- the organization's or the referee's -- but Riverhounds General Manager Dave Kasper, who Conway had originally set out to confront, said it was ultimately the referree's.
"The referee asked us to make a decision on whether or not to suspend the match, but he had the final say," Kasper said. "But regardless of who made the decision, a player has no place disputing it in the manner that he did, and no organization deserves his sort of treatment we received from [Conway]. It is up to the coach or GM to talk to us about his concerns, not the player. Nonetheless, it still comes back to the fact that it was the referee who made the decision, not us."
NOTE -- The Riverhounds will be without starters Phil Karns, Justin Evans and Tenya "T-Bone" Bonseu for the next two days because they were called up to the Chicago Fire of the MLS. The three players will play with the Fire in the team's game tomorrow night against the Minnesota Thunder of the A-League. The Thunder (14-1-4) is the A-League defending champions and current league leader with 71 points.
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