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Race to resolve Glory dispute

The legal fight between Perth Glory and Football Federation Australia has been set for an urgent disciplinary committee hearing tomorrow and a possible Supreme Court challenge on Friday in a race against time to resolve the feud without disrupting the A-League final series.

Glory's bid for a temporary injunction against FFA's decision to ban it from playing in the soccer finals, launched at a late-night Supreme Court sitting on Friday, was again adjourned yesterday after it was revealed the federation's disciplinary committee would hear the case tomorrow afternoon.

FFA announced on Thursday that it had ruled that Glory had breached its $2.55 million salary cap by about $400,000 in failing to disclose benefits and payments to at least six players.

The federation banned Glory from the finals, which are scheduled to start on the first weekend next month, and imposed fines of $269,000 as sanctions for the salary cap cheating.

Glory chief executive Jason Brewer has denied the cap breaches and the club has vowed to fight the ruling and sanctions.

Lawyer Steven Penglis, representing Glory, told the Supreme Court yesterday that the dispute needed to be resolved before the the Anzac Day long weekend.

The long weekend is the last round of games before the finals. Under the sanctions imposed by FFA, Glory - now third on the A-League ladder - will be put in seventh spot and therefore ineligible for the finals.

Mr Penglis said the application to adjourn the Supreme Court case had been made in light of a rule in the Club Participation Agreement that said disputes were required to be determined by the federation's disciplinary committee before relief could be sought from a court.

He said a grievance had been lodged that challenged the legal jurisdiction of FFA's board to determine breaches and sanctions.

Glory had been informed yesterday afternoon that a hearing of the committee had been scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.

Lawyer Patricia Cahill, representing FFA, opposed the Supreme Court action being adjourned to Friday.

Justice Robert Mitchell acknowledged that Glory and FFA wanted the dispute resolved before the finals, but said it was appropriate to adjourn the club's application until Friday.

In a statement released after the court hearing, FFA said it would defend its decision on Perth Glory and its position that the federation board had the power to make and impose the determination in relation to Perth Glory's salary cap breaches.