A footy club in Perth has had its licence axed and police called after a player reportedly dressed as renowned scientist Stephen Hawking for the team’s end-of-season celebrations.

An employee from the City of Stirling council discovered the player’s outfit while doing a property inspection of the Osborne Park Football Club clubrooms in August, reports the West Australian.

The council secured the club’s premises and contacted WA Police due to the ‘inappropriate nature of the items’.

West Australian Police said they received a report ‘that involved alleged inappropriate images displayed by an individual during an event at a northern suburbs sporting club in August this year’.

‘Local police, supported by officers from the Sex Crime Division, worked with the club to determine if any criminal offences occurred. No criminality was detected.’

Osborne Park footy club in Perth has been shut down after a player reportedly dressed as renowned scientist Stephen Hawking at an end-of-season party

Professor Hawking (pictured) suffered from motor neurone disease and died in March 2018

A spokesman for the council said, ‘The City has since terminated the club’s licence on grounds of unreasonable licensee conduct, as specified in the club’s licence agreement.

‘The City added this unreasonable licensee conduct clause to the licence agreement in April 2023 after repeated difficulties dealing with club leadership.

‘Terminating a licence is not a course of action the City takes lightly, but the conduct in question was not only unreasonable – it was completely unacceptable.’

The Daily Mail does not suggest that the player involved committed an offence, just that police were reportedly called. 

Professor Hawking, the eminent cosmologist, was wheelchair bound after being diagnosed with MND in his 20s, and died in March 2018.

Osborne Park Football Club president Jeremy LaBianca issued a statement saying a member of the playing group wore the ‘distasteful and unacceptable costume’ during the club’s Silly Sunday celebrations at the close of the season.

‘As a club, we are really embarrassed that we allowed this to happen and that we didn’t intervene on the day. Let me be absolutely clear – this behaviour does not reflect the values or culture we stand for at Osborne Park, and we unreservedly apologise for the offence caused,’ he said.

‘Since becoming aware of the incident, the club has taken immediate and comprehensive steps to cooperate fully with both the Perth Football League and the City of Stirling.

The president of the Osborne Park Football Club said a member of the playing group wore the costume during the club’s Silly Sunday celebrations (Daily Mail does not suggest any of the pictured players were involved in the incident)

‘Unfortunately, despite our efforts, the City of Stirling have refused to engage with us and have forced us to vacate our lease without explanation.’

LaBianca went on to say that the club’s future has been brought into question.

The City of Stirling says that the council has ‘explained in writing the basis for the licence termination’.

Stirling Mayor Mark Irwin slammed the club for not admitting to what he believes is the full seriousness of the incident. 

‘The club have a pattern of poor form and poor behaviour,’ he told Perth’s Radio 6PR.

‘Nobody did anything to stop it.

‘It’s been completely underplayed by the club and the seriousness is something that they probably can’t come back from.

‘There were several [council] employees involved in this, in the initial finding of it [the costume], having to seal off the area, who were extremely distressed.

‘This is the first time this has ever happened. We are not a council that overreacts. 

‘This is something the general public have zero tolerance for, and it should never be accepted.’ 

The Perth Football League (PFL) confirmed the club has been sent a show cause notice, meaning Osborne Park will need to provide evidence regarding the incident by the end of October.

The League will then decide on whether disciplinary action is needed.

‘The PFL is aware that the City of Stirling has permanently ended the club’s licence to use both the clubrooms and Robinson Reserve on the basis that the club has breached the terms of their agreement,’ a spokesperson said.

‘The PFL expects all players, officials and participants to uphold high standards of behaviour on and off the field that are appropriate to expectations of the important role that football plays within our community.’