Two MASS Reps Reinstated

Court Decision Expected Shortly

January 20, 2008

By Joyce Furia

John Utter and Jeremy Mordkoff were reinstated as members in good standing of the Massachusetts State Soccer Association (MASS) at a special meeting held Jan 14.

The following day, a judge in Boston’s Superior Court heard their claim against MASS for reinstatement as president and secretary, respectively. The judge is expected to hand down her ruling sometime in the next two weeks, a ruling Utter said he is “cautiously optimistic” about.

In September 2006, in an election that took many by surprise, Utter, who was serving as State Youth Soccer Administrator and Mordkoff, who at that time held the presidency of the New England Over The Hill League, (NEOTHSL) were nominated from the floor and elected president and secretary of MASS, respectively. Immediately after the election, which was properly validated and the meeting adjourned, a handful of MASS members including Larry Frisoli, who had just been defeated in his reelection bid, met in the bar.

They declared that the meeting was invalid and that he retained his position as president of the organization. A few months later, both Utter and Mordkoff were questionably barred from any participation in soccer for at least five years.

For most of 2007 there had been great dissatisfaction with the way things had been had handled. The change began when at its Annual General Meeting last August, the NEOTHSL elected new officers, including Julian Dunlop as president. In an email prior to his election Dunlop declared “(that) I will do anything in my power to enable Jeremy Mordkoff and John Utter to immediately resume playing soccer.”

After unsuccessful attempts to get the executive board of MASS to call a special meeting, the Board of Directors took matters into their own hands and with the help of several league presidents, convened the meeting on Jan. 14 at the Best Western in Waltham. Dunlop chaired the meeting.

Chris Poole, representing NEOTHSL made the following motion, seconded by Cezar Wislocki-Wasecki, president of the Bay State Soccer League:

“That pursuant to authority vested in the Board of Directors as set forth in the Constitution and By-Laws of the Massachusetts State Soccer Association, the suspensions of Jeremy Mordkoff and John Utter are hereby terminated. That from this moment forward Jeremy Mordkoff and John Utter are no longer suspended and that each gentlemen shall be members in good standing of MASS Soccer.”

Following a discussion in which each delegate present was asked to speak on the motion, the motion passed with a vote of 29 in favor, none opposed, and two abstentions.

Member leagues in attendance and voting were NEOTHSL, Bay State Soccer League, Eastern Mass Men’s Soccer Association, Mass Premier Soccer League, Wachusett Area Youth Soccer Association, and Vineyard Football Association. Only Vincent Savill of Old Colony Soccer League chose to abstain. Also present but not voting and saying they were not part of the quorum were Ralph D’Ambosio and Jim Antonakas, both of Mass State Soccer League. Both men spoke against the motion.

In a related note, MASS will be holding a special meeting next month and will elect new officers, including a new president. Both Utter and Mordkoff are now eligible to run for office in that election, regardless of how this case plays out in court.

For a history of the MASS mess, see the Over the Hill Soccer League Elects New Board, Election Dispute at MASS Soccer Remains Unresolved and MASS Controversy Rumbles On.