No-show leaves Tivoli facing penalty

TIVOLI GARDENS Football Club could lose the points with a three-goal penalty, and be asked to pay a fine not exceeding $25,000 after failing to show for its Claro Champions Cup fixture against Waterhouse Football Club at Waterhouse Mini Stadium yesterday.

The match, the scheduled feature of a double-header and last of the Zone A preliminary fixtures, should have followed the opening match between Cavalier and the University of the West Indies (UWI). Cavalier won 1-0 to advance to the semi-finals after finishing second in the zone on nine points.

That result would have negated any chance Tivoli Gardens had of making the semi-final round, as Waterhouse had already secured the group's top spot with maximum nine points from their opening three games. Tivoli Gardens had four points.

No comment

It is not clear why Tivoli Gardens failed to show for the fixture, as The Gleaner got no official comment from the club up to press time last night.

But there was an issue regarding branding between the club and the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA), which runs the competition.

Tivoli should actually have hosted the fixtures at their home ground but, according to information derived from investigations, refused when asked to cover signage of their club sponsor, Digicel, which is a direct competitor to the sponsor of the Champions Cup.

On the other hand, KSAFA claims sponsorship privileges and held a position to protect its sponsor by not having signage of competing sponsors displayed at match grounds.

Discussions among the parties failed to arrive at a compromise and as such, the games were shifted.

Competition rules also state that in the case where a team fails to show for an engagement, that team is forfeited points and a three-goal margin of defeat, as well as face a maximum fine of $25,000.

When asked about the club's failure to show for the contest, the team's manager, Brian Rose, referred The Gleaner to its club president, Edward Seaga.

However, calls to Seaga's phones went straight to voicemail and up to press time, there was no response to messages.

In the meantime, the matter will be referred to KSAFA's Competition's Committee, which will first make a decision based on arguments presented by both parties before advancing the case to its Disciplinary Committee.

Cavalier won the only match played yesterday through a 67th-minute goal from Kemel Mullings to finish second in the group.

They will face the already-decided Zone B winners Boys' Town in one semi-final, with Waterhouse facing Zone B runners-up Harbour View in the other. Both matches will be played on Friday, following which the winners will advance to Sunday's final.

A venue for the remaining fixtures had yet to be decided last night.