FOOTBALL: Kew ban upheld by FA

(First Edition)

LESLIE KEW, the former Bristol City chairman, yesterday had his nine-month ban from football upheld by the Football Association.

Kew and his board were ousted from Ashton Gate in November by a rebel group of shareholders, partly as a result of him being found guilty of an FA misconduct charge over the use of Football Trust funds. His appeal against that finding was turned down by a disciplinary commission, headed by the FA chairman, Sir Bert Millichip.

Kew, 58, had been a director of City for 11 years, the last two and a half as chairman. The case arose after City, in July 1991, applied for a Trust grant to improve the floodlights at Ashton Gate. Trust rules state that three estimates had to be put in for the work.

The club submitted one genuine estimate and two 'cover' ones which were fictitious. Both Kew and the club were charged with misconduct by the FA. City were fined pounds 40,000, of which pounds 30,000 was suspended, while Kew was banned from football for nine months and ordered to pay pounds 2,000 costs. He is an FA councillor due for re-election in May.