P.E.I. soccer coach wins appeal over failure to travel to tournament

Soccer coach Mike Redmond has won his appeal of a two-year suspension by the P.E.I. Soccer Association.The association banned Redmond, who had been coaching the province's Canada Games team for three years, from any involvement in the sport after a senior women's team he was coaching failed to play at the Senior Women's National Championship in Newfoundland and Labrador last fall.The team was not able to secure enough players to attend the tournament.

The appeals committee says the P.E.I. Soccer Association was wrong to blame Redmond for the team's actions. It said there was no way the coach should have been held responsible for the team not raising enough money to make the trip.

The committee determined Redmond did what he could to get the team to the tournament.
Redmond was supposed to continue with his coaching of the provincial women's team playing at this summer's Canada Games on P.E.I., but he has been away from the team since the suspension came down mid-winter. He's not sure if he'll be joining the team now that he's free to coach again.