SSFL 24: Appeals Committee rules against St Benedict’s; school’s four-point defence fails

The Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Appeals Committee reached a unanimous decision regarding St Benedict’s College’s registration of team captain and star forward Derrel “Zoom Zoom” Garcia.

And it has found in favour of the Disciplinary Committee.

St Benedict’s College captain Derrel Garcia reacts to the action during their National Intercol semifinal contest with Signal Hill Secondary at the Ato Boldon Stadium on 29 November 2024.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868

“The Appeals Committee unanimously agrees that St Benedict’s College failed to present sufficient information for the overturn of the decision of the Disciplinary Committee in this matter,” stated the Appeals Committee, “and therefore agrees that all sanctions applied as a consequence stands.”

The Appeals Committee’s decision was made on Friday 10 January and relayed to St Benedict’s today.


As a result, the 12-point deduction suffered by the “La Romaine Lions” for the 2024 Premier Division will stand. It means that Fatima College will be crowned champions of the SSFL’s top tier league competition.

St Benedict’s principal Gregory Quan Kep has until Thursday 16 January 2025 to decide whether he wants to take the matter to arbitration.

St Benedict’s College principal Gregory Quan Kep (third from left) mingles with football team administrator Lystra Lara (second from left) and goalkeeper coach Terrence Lewis (far left) after their 2-0 win over Fatima College in the the National Intercol final at the Ato Boldon Stadium on 5 December 2024.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868

Coach Randolph Boyce used Garcia in three matches for St Benedict’s before he attended a single class for the term—or close to 18 months—and a fourth in less than 72-hours before his first official appearance in a classroom, failed to convince the Appeals Committee that they were unfairly punished at the Disciplinary stage.

However, the Appeals Committee, headed by former principal Derek West, declined to add to St Benedict’s punishment either. The school could have been relegated from Premier Division for using an invalid student, as appeared to be the initial claim by the relevant school supervisors.

St Benedict’s may have acting chief education officer Aaron Ramrattan to thank for the fact that they remain a top flight school.

According to Ministry of Education (MoE) rules, St Benedict’s principal Gregory Quan Kep should have informed his direct school supervisor when Garcia served notice, through his parents, that he was migrating to Spain for a football opportunity in July 2023.

St Benedict’s College attacker Derrel Garcia (right) tries to initiate an attack for his team while San Juan North midfielder Daniel Lewis watches on during SSFL Premier Division action in Bourg Mulatresse on 13 September 2023.
According to MoE records, Garcia had not attended class for St Benedict’s since June 2023 when he featured in this match. It was his last game of that SSFL season before he headed to Spain.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868

At the time, the 15-year-old Garcia had just completed form two.

If Quan Kep did his job in July 2023, Garcia would have been removed from the school’s official roll. The gifted footballer would then have needed the Ministry’s permission to be reinserted into the school system—whether at St Benedict’s or elsewhere.

Quan Kep kept Garcia’s name on the school roll though.

The school supervisors claimed that Garcia’s status as a St Benedict’s student was automatically voided once he missed a term (and he missed three and a half terms in total) and recommended punitive action against Quan Kep, including suspension.

St Benedict’s College principal Gregory Quan Kep (far left) poses with students.

However, the Disciplinary and Appeals Committee, based on Ramrattan’s decidedly softer stance on the actions of the south school principal, ruled that Garcia remained a student.

So, ironically, Benedict’s won this crucial aspect of the case due to Quan Kep’s failure to do his job, as mandated by the Education Act. And, as a result, Benedict’s were allowed to retain their National Intercol title and Premier Division spot.

But the La Romaine still wanted the league trophy too.

St Benedict’s, represented by attorney Christophe Brathwaite and teacher and school manager Ravi Ramgoolam, listed four grounds for appeal.

St Benedict’s College players and officials are handed the 2024 National Intercol trophy by SSFL president Merere Gonzales (centre, light blue shirt) after their 2-0 win over Fatima College in the final at the Ato Boldon Stadium on 5 December 2024.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868

First, they claimed that the Disciplinary Committee “took into consideration incorrect information to determine the issue, consequently arriving at an irrational decision”.

The Disciplinary Committee, chaired by Adesh Dwarika, used the school’s official roll, as relayed by the Ministry of Education, which gave 8 October as Garcia’s first day in school.

Despite missing the entire third form, the school placed the now 17-year-old Garcia into fourth form.

Trinidad and Tobago flanker Derrel Garcia tries to control the ball during Concacaf U-20 Qualifying action against St Vincent and the Grenadines at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on 23 February 2024.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868

“The Disciplinary Committee was told that Master Derrel attended [school] on 30 September 2024 for the purposes of updating his class status and choice of subjects for form four,” stated Quan Kep, in his school’s appeal.

As “evidence”, Quan Kep submitted a photograph of Garcia in a jeans and tee-shirt at the school compound which was supposedly timestamped at 2.15pm on 30 September.

“The Disciplinary Committee’s failure to consider such evidence in their analysis should not be to the disadvantage of [St Benedict’s] nor affect the procedural fairness of the assessment,” stated the principal.

St Benedict’s College manager Ravi Ramgoolam (left) has a word with NLCL Community Cup chair Brian Jordan after the South Zone Intercol semifinal at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella on 23 October 2024.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868

“In furtherance of the claim, [St Benedict’s] submits two sworn affidavits from Mr Ravi Ramgoolam and (other teacher named) which prove that Derrel Garcia was in school during normal school hours.”

The flaw in Quan Kep’s defence appeared obvious. Article 16 of the SSFL Constitution states that “students must attend classes at that school during normal school hours”.

And Garcia did not attend class at St Benedict’s on 30 September.

The Appeals Committee ruled that the Disciplinary Committee could not be faulted for following the Ministry of Education’s missive—which it deemed an “independent authority”—on when Garcia began school.

St Benedict’s College players look on nervously during their penalty shootout with Signal Hill Secondary in the National Intercol semifinal on 29 November 2024.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868

“The Appeals Committee unanimously agreed that the Disciplinary Committee took into consideration information from the Ministry of Education, which has by law responsibility for the conduct of all matters of education in all public secondary schools…”

St Benedict’s College claimed that Article 16 of the SSFL Constitution “does not stipulate whether the student must attend classes before participating” in its competition and is “vague ab initio and unclear as it does not specify how many hours or days a student must attend classes before his first match”.

“[…] And in the absence of clarity, no penalty should be imposed.”

Quan Kep was not only arguing for the right to play a student who had not attended class in over a year, but he contended that the words “students must attend classes at that school during normal school hours” was vague ab initio.

St Benedict’s College captain Derrel Garcia attempts to silence his opponents during SSFL Premier Division action against Presentation College (San F’do) at Marbella on 23 October 2024.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868

The Appeals Committee disagreed.

“The Appeals Committee unanimously agrees that Article 16 is specific in its requirements for registration of players, and that in the case of Derrel Garcia these requirements were incomplete.”

St Benedict’s third point was that Garcia was given a SSFL ID to play. As a result, the school insisted the player had a “legitimate expectation” that he was cleared to play.

“The doctrine of estoppel, as understood by the common law, prevents a person from asserting one thing and then subsequently denying it,” stated Quan Kep. “[…] It is an undisputed fact that Mr Garcia was supplied with a SSFL 2024 ID (which) proves that Derrel Garcia was legitimately registered…”

SSFL president Merere Gonzales (centre) shakes hands with St Benedict’s College captain Derrel Garcia (second from left) before kickoff against Fatima College at the Ato Boldon Stadium in the National Intercol final on 5 December 2024.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868

Once more, the Appeals Committee was unconvinced.

“The Appeals Committee unanimously agrees that the principle of legitimate expectation and estoppel does not apply as there was at the time in question a legitimate reason to pursue an investigation and any arising sanction could be applied that the status quo remained in place.”

Finally, Quan Kep argued that the Disciplinary Committee considered several supposedly irrelevant bits of information on the matter and was prejudiced against the school.

Quan Kep suggested the Disciplinary Committee’s claim that he submitted registration info for Garcia while knowing that the boy was not attending school was “an allegation of fraud”, which he felt the body did not substantiate.

St Benedict’s College principal Gregory Quan Kep (right) congratulates a member of his football team’s technical staff after their win over Fatima College in the the National Intercol final at the Ato Boldon Stadium on 5 December 2024.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868

“In light of the above, the appellant submits that such considerations implies criminal intent on the part of St Benedict’s College that may have adversely prejudiced any rational and fair decision from the Disciplinary Committee,” stated Quan Kep.

And instead of taking responsibility for Garcia’s absence from class while representing St Benedict’s across two SSFL seasons (the player was MVP in the 2023 SSFL NGC Super Cup and featured against San Juan North Secondary that season, despite not attending a single class that term), Quan Kep retorted that Garcia’s school attendance was unfairly singled out.

Why, he argued, did the SSFL not request attendance records from all schools as a part of its registration process?

St Benedict’s College captain Derrel Garcia (centre, #10) is hugged by supporters at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium after his team’s 2-0 SSFL Premier Division win over Presentation College (San F’do) on 23 October 2024.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868

“It seems that Derrel Garcia’s attendance was the only information requested among all other players participating in the 2024 SSFL season,” stated Quan Kep. “Such actions are biased, prejudicial and show evidence of inequitable treatment.”

The Appeals Committee again comprehensively dismissed St Benedict’s submission.

“The Appeals Committee unanimously agrees that there was no inequality of treatment and or bias during the process of this inquiry.”

St Benedict’s can still turn to a tribunal, if they choose to further pursue the matter. But it would be the last legal rung available to the school.

St Benedict’s College coach Randolph Boyce (seated) speaks to his players during halftime of their SSFL Premier Division contest against Fatima College at the Mahaica Sporting Complex in Point Fortin.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868

Should they stop now, St Benedict’s will accept a fourth place finish in the 2024 Premier Division season while Fatima will be officially crowned as back-to-back champions and in line for an unprecedented hattrick of Premier Division titles this year.

Naparima College were back-to-back winners in 2014 and 2015 and again in 2018 and 2019. However, no school has managed three straight titles.

Coach Hutson ‘Baba’ Charles will not have the chance to make history as he was sacked by Fatima at the end of the 2024 season. The school is yet to name his successor—although it is expected to be Pro Series coach Kerdyn Moe, who led Fatima to the National Under-16 title in 2023 and 2024.

Fatima College forward Luke Correia (centre) is congratulated by teammates after his decisive goal against St Augustine Secondary during SSFL Premier Division action at Warren Street, St Augustine on 23 September 2024.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868

2024 SSFL Premier Division

PosClubPWDLFAGDPts
115122150113938
215112233102335
315110438191933
41592428161229
51566326141224
6157352419524
7156452619722
8157172827122
9156362628-221
10156273032-220
11155191729-1216
12154381134-2315
131541102030-1013
14153392134-1312
151540111427-1312
16152112851-437
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One comment

  1. St Benedict’s will still be the spectators choice for the best schools intercol team 2024…Darrel Garcia has made an impact as one of the best forwards and striker for the season and is proving so at Pro League also…congrats Champs…👏👏👏👏👏

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