Gleaner reporter barred from covering Benfica match

A Gleaner reporter was denied entry by security personnel to the Drax Hall sports complex to cover the Digicel Premier League (DPL) match featuring home team Benfica and defending champions Harbour View on Wednesday.

With Benfica undergoing internal squabbles that have affected the team's performance, it is unclear what directives were given to security personnel at the gate.

However, when the reporter sought to gain entry to the complex, he was flatly told by the person manning the gate: "Dem neva tell mi bout no press!"

The reporter left the compound, having not received any further explanation.

Members of the media are usually allowed access to cover DPL games played at venues across the island. The Gleaner, along with other media houses, have been covering DPL games at Drax Hall since the start of the season without any problems.

On Wednesday, it is understood that no other media house was present to cover the game, with CVM Television no longer covering the league and Television Jamaica not being present on the day.

This latest episode comes at a time when Benfica is trying to settle internal differences that have negatively affected the performance of the team, starting from near the end of the first round.

After winning five first-round matches to end the round in the top half of the standings with 17 points, Benfica have now slipped to ninth position, having lost six of their nine games in round two.

The round two standings see the team at the bottom of the table on seven points.

When contacted on the issue yesterday, Benfica's president, Tyrone Rose, said he believed the incident was an isolated one.

Rose, who was not present at the gate when the incident occurred, said he was told that the reported identified himself as a Gleaner reporter without showing proper ID.

Id was visible

However, this allegation was denied by the reporter, who said he had his ID strung around his neck and well displayed on his chest.

"What I was told after the match is that a person came to the gate and said he is from Gleaner and they specifically asked for his ID and he refused to present it," Rose related. "Now, I was not there and I cannot speak to the situation as it unfolded as I wasn't there, but this was a statement that came from the security officials even before I asked.

"I sense that something had happened at the gate, but I don't know who is wrong," he added.

He, did concede, however, that the security personnel at the gate might have been a bit sterner in their approach due to the current issues affecting the club.

"As far as I know, this is the first such incident at the gate and it may have been because we are having some issues in the club. The security team there was being very strong in their presence," Rose disclosed.

"Normally, there is no such situation at Drax Hall, so I don't know what caused that and I must apologise," he reaffirmed.

The visitors won 4-0 through goals from Marcelino Blackburn (fourth), Rafeik Thomas (sixth), Kemar Petrekin (71st), and Jermaine Hue (90+).

Asked about the St Ann-based club's current predicament, Rose said it was due to inadequate financial backing.

"In order to make the football work, there needs to be a significant input of funds and I am talking about a couple million dollars each month," Rose expressed. "We have not had corporate support, no sponsorship at all. We are moving corporate in a more aggressive way ... . we are going to make a better presentation of ourselves."