Osborne Park Football Club suspended from Perth Football League over Stephen Hawking costume scandal

A suburban football club has been suspended for two years over a costume scandal at an end-of-season function.

A player from Osborne Park Football Club reportedly dressed as Stephen Hawking, the late physicist who spent much of his life in a wheelchair.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Osborne Park football club evicted from its grounds

According to the Perth Football League, which met on Monday to decide the club’s fate, the outfit allegedly included a prop that depicted “a doctored image of a child in a pornographic context”.

Ultimately, the club was found to have breached the PFL’s integrity standards with its conduct at the clubrooms at Robinson Reserve in Tuart Hill.

“Senior club officials were present but failed to act,” PFL boss Andrew Dawe said, reports The West Australian.

“The costume prop was later found by City of Stirling officers, prompting police attendance and the city terminating the club’s agreement to use of the facilities.

“A two-year suspension reflects the severity of the breach and gives the club time to rebuild governance capability, re-engage with the City of Stirling to see if they can find a home for the club, and time to demonstrate considerable reform before the possibility of returning to the competition.”

The club has not disclosed the identity of the player involved, nor did it provide a submission to the league board.

WA Police were called to investigate but determined there had been no criminality.

In a statement last month, Osborne Park Football Club president Jeremy LaBianca said the items in question “had a photo of the player himself on it”.

“It did not contain photos of anyone else,” LaBianca said.

LaBianca described the costume as “distasteful and unacceptable” and said the club was “embarrassed that we allowed this to happen”.

“It was an offensive and incredibly distasteful costume, I am in no way trying to dispute that or defend the decision,” he said.

“The police attended the club and inspected the item, and have not progressed further with an investigation.”

The City of Stirling terminated the club’s lease on grounds of unreasonable conduct, claiming the club had a history of issues.

“This is the only club in the City of Stirling that when they re-signed their licence in 2023 had a clause put in there about their behaviour,” Stirling Mayor Mark Irwin said.