Former Saint Brandon Miele banned for two years for anti-doping violation

Former St Patrick’s Athletic winger Brandon Miele has been banned for two years after being found guilty of an anti-doping violation during his time with the Saints.

The former Shamrock Rovers and Newcastle United man received the sentence, backdated to September 9^th, 2019, for an offence relating to the April 19^th meeting with Sligo Rovers.

Miele was alleged by the Football Association of Ireland and Sport Ireland to have broken Article 2.3 of the Irish Anti-Doping Rules: "refusing or failing to submit to Sample collection after notification as authorised under these Rules or other anti-doping rules.”

The associations had also contended he was in violation of Article 2.5 (Tampering or Attempted Tampering with any part of Doping Control) but the second charge was not upheld.

25-year-old Miele had been flagged for a random test after completing the game as an unused substitute and spent several hours in the company of doping control chaperone Stuart McKenzie-Smith.

McKenzie-Smith acknowledged Miele made “five or six” attempts to provide the sample in the Doping Control Station but ultimately could only provide an 18ml urine sample, short of the required 90ml.

Miele left the doping control station around 11.45pm after being informed by his partner that their daughter had been injured, and he stated he believed she was in Tallaght Hospital.

He refused the offer to be accompanied to the hospital by a chaperone and left having been informed that doing so would leave him in violation of anti-doping rules.

Miele ceased training with the Saints shortly afterwards and the club accepted his request to terminate his contract in early June.

The full Sport Ireland judgement can be read here.

Miele released a statement expressing his satisfaction that the tribunal vindicated him for making an honest attempt to comply, adding that the two-year punishment was ‘particularly harsh.’

"Over a period of two hours while attempting to comply with the requirements of the testers, my partner became increasingly concerned about the health of my daughter and contacted me continuously to ask me to return to care for her,” he said.

"While some confusion arose as to whether or not she had been brought to hospital, it became apparent to me that it would be necessary to leave the testing centre to be with my daughter, who has a history of health problems in her short life to date, including one period of intensive care detention.

"After two hours of trying everything to provide a sample including drinking copious amounts and walking on cold floors in bare feet, I was only able to provide a partial sample.

"I had reached such a state of agitation and confusion as a result of my daughter’s health at this point that I felt I must leave to be with her.  I was not aware at the time of the consequences of leaving at this juncture but felt my first obligation was to my family.

"I am pleased that, in spite of the decision, the tribunal fully accepted my honest attempts to cooperate and indeed found that 'all four witnesses called on behalf of Sport Ireland were of the view that Mr Miele acted in a sincere and fully cooperative manner at all times and took the decision that he had to be there for his family’ and ‘genuinely believed that Mr Miele was agitated and upset and concerned about the health of his daughter’.

"For the avoidance of any doubt, I did not at that time take, and have never taken, any banned substances.

"Although I feel that the punishment that I am facing is particularly harsh, I hope that this will serve as a lesson to all other footballers and sportspeople who are faced with giving a sample. 

"I hope they never face the choice I had but my experience is such that I would advise everyone now facing such a situation that not giving a sample should be the very last resort and every conceivable effort should be made."

A St Patrick’s Athletic statement read: "It is with regret that St Patrick’s Athletic have this afternoon learned of the outcome of Sport Ireland’s investigation of Brandon Miele.

"All at St Patrick’s Athletic were most optimistic when signing Brandon, a very talented footballer.

"Brandon did not train with the club since the beginning of May and tendered his resignation on 6 June, 2019 which was accepted."