Perth Glory insist they have not gone soft despite choosing not to suspend the club’s star duo, Andy Keogh and Josh Risdon for their boozy night out in Adelaide. The incident comes at a bad time for Glory, who are being investigated by FFA for alleged salary cap irregularities. The case is about allegedly failing to include some player in their salary cap over the past three seasons.

On the other hand, the case of Keogh and Risdon are yet another unwanted distraction as the club attempts to win A-League title. Keogh was arrested by the police for disorderly in the early hours of Monday morning after allegedly twice causing a disturbance outside an Adelaide nightspot in February. While Risdon was also taken into custody for having got into strife after failing to follow police direction and leave the area. The pair are due to front Adelaide Magistrates Court on March 19.

“We do not condone any kind of behavior which breaches the club’s protocol and the National Code of Conduct,” said Glory chief executive, Jason Brewer, confirming the players will be disciplined once the incident has been investigated.

Following the arrest, the players have apologized to the playing group and will be making an apology to the fan base. They admitted that the situation has embarrassed them, their teammates and our fans and they are accepting full responsibility for their poor behavior.

But those charges were officially dropped on Thursday (19/3), according to the Perth Glory FC official website. It is stated that “SA Police have dropped charges against two players involved in a minor indiscretion in Adelaide last month.”

The dropped charges does not mean total freedom. Glory officials decided a fine was sufficient even though a club-imposed suspension was on the cards. Keogh was fined the maximum disciplinary sanction permissible under FFA statues; half of a week’s salary and any match payments he may have received for the 1-1 draw against Adelaide. Risdon was also fined the maximum, but his fine was suspended until the end of the season. It means that Risdon only have to pay it if he re-offends.

Brewer commented that the punishment was fair, and was adamant the importance of the two players to the clubs’ on-field fortunes had anything to do in deciding the punishment. Both Keogh and Risdon will be back in action on Sunday (22/3) when they deal with Central Coast Mariners in Gosford.

Perth Glory has slipped to fourth seat after eight fruitless match without any win, but it is only two points ahead of the leading Wellington Phoenix.