Stanislaus faces lengthy soccer ban

ROGER STANISLAUS faces a lengthy ban from football after becoming the first player to test positive for a performance enhancing drug immediately after a game.

The Hammersmith-born, Leyton Orient defender was found to have traces of cocaine in his system when randomly examined after his match at Barnet in November.

The 27-year-old former Arsenal apprentice, who has also played for Brentford and Bury, has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association and will be dealt with swiftly when the 14-day deadline to request a personal hearing expires.

Until then he will be allowed to play on though the London club will decide later this week whether to `rest' him until his case is heard.

Chairman Barry Hearn, the sports promoter, will discuss Stanislaus' future with manager Pat Holland. "The case now comes under FA rules and we cannot make any comment because it is sub judice," he said.

But asked about the level of drug abuse in football, he added: "I'm shocked by drugs in society and I don't think football is any different. It's always unpleasant when it rears its ugly head."

However, the players' union believes the creation of the FA's mobile doping control unit is helping to combat the problem within the sport.

"The level of positive tests, while a concern, does not give rise to the feeling that the game is rife with players using drugs," said spokesman Brendan Batson.

"This case would cause a bit more concern, but until such time as the player has an opportunity to give his explanation it would be wrong to on it."

The PFA runs its own anti-drugs campaign, spearheaded by a star-packed video, and Batson added: "We feel our message is getting across - without being complacent and bearing in mind that there is a drug culture out there.

"It would be naive to think that does not touch on our professional game. But as long as the authorities are seen to be dealing with the matter in a pro-active as well as reactive way, it will not undermine our game."

Up until now, most of the offenders revealed by the random tests have been young players using cannabis as a social drug, like Tottenham's Chris Armstrong.

Paul Merson, coincidentally at Highbury when Stanislaus was a youngster, admitted experimenting with cocaine and, in line with FA policy, was given education rehabilitation rather than punishment, though his problems were mainly caused by alcohol and gambling abuse.

If found guilty, Stanislaus can expect little mercy from the FA for offending on two major counts - the use of a performance enhancing drug within a timescale which embraced a competitive match.

"Any traces of a performance enhancing drug, particularly after a match, must be treated as a matter of the utmost seriousness," said FA spokesman Steve Double.

"In this case the test level of the sample is thought to be performance-enhancing and there is clearly a case to answer on those bounds."

A metabolite of cocaine showed up after Stanislaus was selected for random testing following Leyton Orient's game at Barnet in their division three match on November 25th.