St Catherine FA ordered to reinstate Royal Lakes

Michael Panchan, president, Royale Lakes Football Club, is celebrating a court order instructing the St Catherine Football Association (SCAFA) to immediately lift a two-year ban and $300,000 fine imposed on the club on January 17, 2025.

Panchan, one of many aggrieved clubs in SCAFA, had twice taken the association to court, first for breaches of its own constitution, forcing a postponement of its July 2024 election, an act which the FA deemed contrary to FIFA statues, leading to the imposition of a two-year ban and $300,000 fine.

Royale Lakes fired back by securing an injunction against SCAFA, which the court upheld, allowing the club to compete in the Major League.

Attorneys-at-law Sarah-Elizabeth Dixon, Sean-Christopher Castle and Jessica Jackson argued that the ban rendered against Royale Lakes Football Club was not only unconstitutional, but in breach of the association’s own constitution, the constitution of the Jamaica Football Federation, and a misrepresentation of the FIFA statutes.

Royale Lakes were finally vindicated on Tuesday, March 17, when the court instructed SCAFA to make public the removal of the ban and fine “with immediate effect”, giving a seven-day timeline to do so, which the FA took to the 11th hour, Monday, March 23, before addressing a memo to its affiliates, announcing the forced reversal.

Panchan said SCAFA taking the announcement down to the wire was, yet again, a sign of what he believes will be even greater vindictive behaviour towards clubs, who dare challenge its leadership.

“It just goes to show that any club in opposition to anything the St Catherine Football Association does will have to walk between raindrops. There is this feeling that the leadership is waiting and watching to use anything against us, all because we spoke up for our rights, with which the court has agreed, not once, but now three times,” Panchan pointed out.

‘We can win’

Next up, Panchan said, is Royale Lakes awaiting legal costs to be determined by the court.

“We have gone more than $2m in court costs for both matters,” he surmised. “We are now second in the Major League after six games, having lost once to the leaders, Dela Vega.

“We believe we can win the league and the South-East regional play-off for a spot in the JFF’s Tier Two. However, we are going to need all the funds we can garner.

“We are also motivated by a recent announcement made by McKay Security’s Chief Executive Officer, Jason McKay, that he will contribute $1m to the winners of the St Catherine Major league, if approached by that team,” Panchan added.

Meanwhile, McKay confirmed that he would extend his $1m contribution to the winning team of St Catherine’s Major League, but not through SCAFA, unlike official sponsorship deals inked with the Kingston and St Andrew and St Thomas football associations.

“The court’s decision, re Royale Lakes, demonstrates exactly why that process must be open to everyone, including football clubs seeking justice. This ban could never have been reversed if the court was not available to Royal Lakes,” said McKay, whose New Raiders have also scored court victories against SCAFA.

“That being said, SCAFA is still circulating a new constitution, trying to prevent clubs, or individuals, from seeking remedy in the court,” McKay pointed out.

“It must never be forgotten that it took the Supreme Court to allow me to run for president of SCAFA, after being banned by the incumbent. If this constitution is adopted by the St Catherine clubs, they are in effect creating an environment in which its president, Elaine Waller Brown, could become president for life. This could also create an environment for tyrannical rule by any future administration.

“Any document that forces a person, or an organisation, to bar the court from intervening is in direct conflict with the nation’s Constitution, which is simply an injustice,” he said.