BASSETERRE St. Kitts, 15 MAY 2014 -- The Newtown Sports Club wishes to inform its loyal fans and the public at large of the recent injustice being inflicted on our Premier Division team, our club and the Newtown community.
Our team was scheduled to play against Village Superstars on 6 May 2014 in a very important second-to-last game for each club. Minutes before the game was to begin, our management team was informed that Village Superstars intended to play in “all red” kits for the first time in the history of our legendary rivalry.
This strange and unprecedented request shocked our management team. We did not have our alternative coloured kits with us at Warner Park. The referee abandoned the game because both teams were wearing the same colours, red jerseys, red shorts and red socks and neither team changed by match time.
The next day, 7 May 2014, the SKNFA Executive Committee met and issued a formal decision in relation to the abandonment of our game. They awarded Village Superstars 3 points because they were the “home team”, gave them an additional 3 goals, fined our club $1,500 and ordered us to appear before the SKNFA Disciplinary Committee.
This hasty and bizarre decision caused much disarray within our club and amongst our players, at the worst possible time, while we were fighting for important points at the end of the season.
Our club immediately appealed the decision to the SKNFA Appeal Committee and expected that our appeal would be heard just as quickly as the SKNFA Executive Committee’s first decision to punish us. There was a letter sent by the SKNFA to all clubs on 10 May 2014 saying that the appeal would be "heard expeditiously". However, we were informed on 13 May 2014 that our appeal will not be heard until the week beginning on 19 May 2014 at the earliest.
We consider this to be a ridiculous state of affairs because we found out that Village Superstars did not register any kit colour with the SKNFA and therefore had no right to play in all red or any colour whatsoever. The same rule that the SKNFA Executive Committee used to punish our club says that the home team for a game has the right to play in their registered first choice kit. Village Superstars registered no first choice kit.
We believe that this was not considered by the SKNFA Executive Committee when they rushed to punish our club.
We were also shocked to find out that Village Superstars sent an email to the SKNFA the day before the game stating their wish to play in “all red” and requesting that the SKNFA alert all concerned. Our club never received that email or any notice from the SKNFA or Village Superstars until minutes before the scheduled kick off of the game.
The fact that the email was not sent directly to our club’s executive members or management, we consider to be bad sportsmanship, and the fact that the email was not forwarded by the SKNFA to our club, we consider to be suspicious.
How can the SKNFA believe that it is right, fair or just to continue the league without disciplining one of the very teams that is playing in it, first? What if the SKNFA Disciplinary Committee considers Village Superstars actions to be worth a significant point deduction? Who then has won the league? Who should really be playing against whom this weekend?
Given what has occurred we cannot understand why Village Superstars has not been fined, points deducted, goals deducted and why they have not been ordered to appear before the Disciplinary Committee before anymore SKNFA Premier Division games are played.
Our club wishes to inform our loyal fans and the public at large that we will not sit back and allow the SKNFA and any other member club to conspire against us to disrupt our team.
We are the most successful club in SKNFA and St Kitts football history, without question. Yet, we are treated with hastiness, disrespect and maliciousness at every turn. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Our club will do all within our power to enforce our rights and stay true to our motto: Newtown United We Stand.
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