 Yeah, we're back on the sports mat until now turning our attention to schoolboy football in Jamaica schools continuing to fall a Fall of the eligibility rules in the intersecondary school Sports Association is a digital sell Manning and water the Costa Cup competitions the latest Kellits high from Clarendon and Innswood high from St. Catherine in a statement released to the press on Friday is a reveal that both Kellits and Innswood have been suspended for the remainder of the 2023 Manning Cup and the Costa Cup competitions with immediate effect for fielding ineligible players Additionally, it's a also revealed that both Kellits and Innswood will be ineligible to participate in the competitions in 2024 because of the serious nature of the infractions competition organizer president of Issa Keith Wellington joins us now Keith Welcome to the sports max own great to have you on disappointing that these stories continue to Surface in schoolboy football in Jamaica as it has in Trinidad and to make was well I remember some years ago a school being banned from the competition because of Ineligible players as well this latest Clearly more serious than the previous ones we had with Heidel and Jamaica College. Can you talk to us about the Kellits and Innswood situations? Hey, Lanza. Thanks for having me and good evening to your viewers Yes, so we had a situation With both Kellits very similar situation where it was reported to us that each of each school had a player that was participating For the school what was ineligible to participate essentially both players both both players were not registered with Issa to participate and They were not students at the school either so we found that there was a breach in terms of how they were allowed to participate and Both schools admitted to the fact and therefore we took the actions you described But how much of a defense did the schools put up because if you say they conceded to the infraction it begs the question about you know, the efficiency of their system in in putting players out to represent them because this is Is I would I would say scandalous It is it is Lanza. We are not yet come. We have not yet completed the process of investigative But I'm having learned of the situation We spoke with the principals of wards schools But did their own internal Investigations and reported back to us and Therefore we took the action that we have already taken on that based on the basis of the reports I would have gotten from the school We are now continuing investigation into looking at where the individuals who are complicity in the matter and Further actions are likely to be taken at those against those individuals That are facilitated process that allowed those persons to participate in the function Yeah, are the reports we are getting true that Like fraudulent pictures and so on would have been attached to other documentation to to you know, create the The impression that a player was at the school and actually wasn't right so essentially They were able to to get away with it by registering Julie registering someone Is a member of the school and hope that made the eligibility criteria But then now using someone else is the person who they intended to play using that person's photograph To create the ID for that person Using the other person's data Hmm. I seem to remember as I alluded to just now Keith that Trinidad and Tobago's SSFL did have a problem with this Some years ago and and the school was banned from the competition and demoted I think from the premier to this to the second level because they do have a tiered system there and I seem to remember a discussion about a criminal offense Because based on what you're saying it does warrant that kind of treatment, doesn't it? I Certainly think so. I think that it is fraud in every sense of the word We we are we are continuing the investigation and we will expect that not only will we take action But we expect that the schools involved will take their own action as well and if needs be it may become a Keith but what's happening in these schools because I feel like every week when I come on the show One of the topics we're talking about is, you know, the ineligibility of these players Do you think more has to be done to of course educate these coaches and players and principles because it's becoming a regular current I Think so and I think one of the things that we're insist cannot take in this action as well. It's the same that message It's interesting that you spoke about educating The persons involved or last Friday we had a principal's meeting and I invited the honorable Mike Fennell As everyone knows is an outstanding sports administrator And you know, we invited him to have a discussion with him about the issue of integrity sporting integrity and it's important As well as accountability because while our principals may not be directly involved in coaching and managing the teams per se Ultimately, they are accountable for team that represents the school So I wanted on the fennel to just share with them some of the issues that that may arise You do not ensure that there is integrity in our competitions and that they the principals hold those persons around them around them Accountable for what happens with their teams. So from that perspective, yes, I agree with you 100% we also at the end of last full year We actually revised or did a rivet revised edition of our rules We circulated hard copies of these these rules to all of our schools as well as shared soft copies with our viewers coaching groups So we're trying to ensure that everyone understands know well, first of all, know the rules and then understand them And then accept them because I think part of the issue is that sometimes we don't want to accept the rules And it's it's something it's an issue that we have right across the country as schools We face that problem in our everyday school life where students believe that it is okay for them to be allowed to do certain things Because the opening and it doesn't affect them learning and so on. So it is an issue that we have generally in our society We can continue just to make rules to correct them But we need to do is ensure that the rules that we have are adhered to. Yeah, you say that and you know It's true. It becomes a bigger part of the problem a part of society because Growing up one of the things my mom would say to me is we need to nip it in the bud Like we need to sort this out from here because then it becomes a major issue And you know, it can contribute to of course society and a lot of lawlessness and chaos I want to ask you though about the punishment Because some may say it's a bit too harsh because they're suspended now from this season and principle next season two Mm-hmm. Yes. Yes. We we have taken that drastic action We were actually looking at a longer period, but we came to the compromise that We will Hello, first of all, we've not banned the junior players. So those players who are under 14 16 They will still be able to participate in our competitions Those who are in their final year this year, obviously they will they will not be able to participate for the rest of the season Those who have a year left in school They will not be able to represent that school But they they are free to move to another school and participate And obviously those who have 23 years left will be able to come back and represent their school But we also believe that in in both cases We believe that students would have been aware of the eligibility of the players involved And we also say to our students that they have a responsibility to tackle We cannot continue as a country to believe that speaking the truth and revealing wrongdoing Is something bad. So if we we understand that yes, some students are involved and they are going to be banned But we also say that you need to look out for the right things and ensure that you pay your part In holding others accountable around Yeah, I'll keep you know, I remember we're talking about 17 year olds. So these are not young these are kids But they are young adults essentially approaching adulthood. Yes, I understand the point you're making And I want to make the point quickly to Keith that on Friday when this story broke and the seriousness Of the issues with the kellits and ins would would not have yet been, you know fully explained There there was that sort of a knee jerk reaction. Oh wait, how comes these little known schools get this big ban? And the the big guns like jc and and High del get just just a points deduction But I guess, you know with the with the fullness of the story people would understand having said that Can you talk briefly about the high del and the jc situations because high del breached the the quarter eligibility situation and the jc if i'm correct actually breached and The eligibility rule Which I understand they may be appealing. Can you can you throw some light on that? All right, so first of all, let me say that I'm disappointed with the With it as you put in knee jerk reaction. Um, while we did not Put out all the details immediately. I think that is over 100 plus years Would have earned enough credit for the general public to understand that we are going to make decisions that are upfront We are not going to be carrying biases and that generally we at Easter We try our very best to be to be very fair and by nature as school principals We want to ensure that the right things are done all the time Not just some of the time or most of the time So I would hope that the general public accepts that as a governing body We should be given the benefit of the doubt as it relates to these two other schools in the case of high del High del situation is totally different They they I don't think we have enough time to go through all the rules but all the players at high del Each of them are eligible as an individual The problem is that they were transfer students And there is a code that has to the number of transfer students There's a limit as to how many you can use at anyone During any season and at the start of the season for the very first game before declaring Which players would be used as their quota? They went ahead and use all the transferred players All right, so it is not that any of the players were ineligible as an individual But the school used more than what was allowed and of course we took away the points from them for that All right In the case of JC it was a situation where I think there was some serious administrative bundle Where a student was used to Was ineligible because there was no Proper enrollment of him that didn't show that he had settled a year at school As would have been required of him was coming from Well, actually there was a city there was some How do I put it? He was coming initially from a private school and enrolled in two public schools at the same time Okay, is it true that JC were appealing that that ruling though? No, they have not appealed the rule that they rule in as to the docking of the points and they have Question and I think rightly so the conditions of their probation. Yeah I think and I think and I think that's what I would have been a fear request a question That was not communicated to them. Okay Keith and on the final matter. We had Dwight Jeremiah in here He's the coach of the william nibb school on on friday And uh, I know you've issa has already ruled on that william nibb situation But he is bringing a fairly strong case here that an error was made by by the the the referee In documenting who got a yellow card and he seems to think that he has a strong case that he the player should not have been Penalized for three yellow cards because he actually did not But right now william nibb lost the points because of that and he feels that issa should address it But I have a strong key of spending trying to get a replay from lander And it doesn't appear as if I'm going to get it because the referees Although the referees admitted that they they made an error The decision is not going to change. We know you're a Liverpool. We know you're a Liverpool fan Keith and and we we we we we feel sorry for for Liverpool based on what happened But are you using that case to justify Issa's position? We ruled on this before that that scenario, but so so just for clarity Just for clarity what actually happened. Yes, is that The the player in question had accumulated three yellow cards based on The referee reports from his previous three games, right? Um at the end of the third game where he got that third that third yellow card He should have missed the fourth game and he actually went ahead and play Apparently william nibb is claiming that they were not aware that he had gotten that yellow card in the first game So when they when they raised questions about it, we said to them This is the match card. This shows that he got a yellow card. They said no, he did not We went back to the referees and we said the coach the school is questioning the referee said no I issued a yellow card to this player It's a closed case. There's nothing else we can do after that Yeah, well, um Dwight was suggesting he had video evidence to suggest that the the referee made an error and I guess In situation here is that the the referee didn't want to own up to the error and the organization should have overruled His his position. No, no, we can't organize and referee all the games as well All right, and if the referees is not just that he he wrote something and we left it at that He actually went back to him for verification. Yes, which he did. All right, and the issue of the videos Um In terms of clarity, you know, for example that when you do your games in the aris field Um, you have video evidence that you can share the referees, but it's not at all games So you can't impose it on just the games that I tell advice All right, and similarly with us Similarly with us. We don't have videos video evidence at these games and you're looking at the videos No, and I can't tell which players Um are being issued cards from it. I don't know the numbers of the players I know I have a side problem, but I don't think it is that bad either Yeah, but he did suggest that he he had purchased an app that Magnified it and and made his point. Well, we are we have not we have not seen it But if we did it would not have changed our position But I think he he's he's he would have shared those videos with us and we still can't see The issue that he has is that he in his mind. He already thinks that he knows what happened So he's going to point to what he thinks he's seen But I think it's a close case. All right. All right, Keith. I'm going to leave it there Just for the record though. Do you think Liverpool should get a replay? Um, I think it's it's it's a difficult it's a difficult ask if we start that In football, yes, we are going to end up in problems, but I think the referees should be held accountable I think football is a big business And referees are paid to do a job And players get yellow cards red cards Managers get red cards club gets clubs get fined. I don't think Referees should at that level in particular should not be held accountable Well, the the var team had been held accountable because I think they were taken off the the panel for I think two two Two match weeks of football quite frankly. I think that's that's not enough. I think it should be much more But we'll see what happens. Um, sympathize with Liverpool. Let's hope that you can recover the three I think on the field and challenge for the title Yeah, I don't think those three points will cost us the trophy because we would have won the trophy by three points in 2021 All right, Keith. We leave it there. Always a pleasure talking to you man All right, thanks. I'm sorry. Yeah, Keith Wellington there. It's our boss. Um, talking about the infractions with the Kellits and Innswood Suspended from schoolboy football competition for the use of ineligible players back with more on the sports match zone after this