‘Wait-and-see’ game a threat – ISSA

ISSA Competitions Officer Ewan Scott has warned that schools risk bringing the integrity of schoolboy football into disrepute by delaying complaints, as a growing number of disputes have placed the association’s regulations under scrutiny.

Scott’s comments come amid a series of eligibility controversies surrounding a number of the leading programmes in the ISSA Manning Cup.

Jamaica College (JC) and reigning Manning Cup champions Excelsior High were recently sanctioned by ISSA for fielding ineligible players in this year’s competitions.

JC later appealed ISSA’s sanctions but had their appeal denied, while Excelsior accepted the ruling but denied intentionally seeking an unfair advantage.

Kingston College (KC) are the latest to be accused of fielding ineligible players after Vauxhall High alleged they had exceeded the number of allowable quota of transfer players.

Following an investigation by ISSA’s competition’s department, they ruled KC had not breached the association’s quota regulations.

“A check of our registration database identifies all four students as being legitimately registered by Kingston College,” ISSA’s ruling stated.

“The findings therefore suggest that Kingston College would be well within their rights to play all four players identified in the allegation as the check and balance completed by the ISSA Competitions Department would have provided the necessary clearance for all four players to participate.”

PROACTIVE INVESTIGATIONS

While KC has been cleared of any wrongdoings, Scott said it is a growing concern regarding the timing of each allegation.

Mona High filed their complaint against JC after losing in the Walker Cup semi-finals, while Calabar High filed their complaint against Excelsior after a second-round Manning Cup defeat.

Similarly, Vauxhall filed their complaint against KC after a defeat in the round of 16 in the Manning Cup.

Scott said ISSA are prepared to investigate concerns brought to their attention, but believe schools should not wait until after a match to file a complaint if they suspect an alleged breach.

“One of my thoughts is that a lot of these allegations are suspected a long time before, but it might be that people are playing wait-and-see,” Scott said.

“We would rather that whatever you think is going awry be brought to our attention as quickly as possible and not try to do it belatedly,” he continued.

“This is so it can be sorted out earlier and that it doesn’t bring the competition into disrepute.”

The timing of the complaints have also raised questions about whether eligibility challenges are being used as a means of gaining an advantage after disappointing results.

Scott conceded that the circumstances could create that impression, but stopped short of accusing schools of acting out of frustration.

“It could look that way, but I can’t categorically state that it’s a case of losing one way and trying to make up for it in another way,” he said.

“On the surface, it might appear like that, but it might not necessarily be that. So I can’t definitively say it’s a case of sour grapes,” he said.

CHECKS AND BALANCES

Scott also pointed to safeguards within its registration system, which does not permit schools to register more than their allowable number of quota players and automatically rejects registrations that would result in a breach.

He rejected suggestions that the association’s verification process has been compromised or that staff were taking shortcuts when assessing player eligibility.

“When a team’s registration comes in, the office staff do a thorough check and based on what records they have, players are either verified or unverified,” he explained.

“I doubt they are taking any shortcut in that sense; so even if schools try and do that, the office staff always go through it thoroughly.

“So when a player is verified, it is based on our records and evidence that we have that would make the player either eligible or ineligible.”

Scott stressed that schools which remain dissatisfied with decisions made by the association have the right to appeal, while encouraging them to present their concerns before they become larger controversies.

gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com