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Despite going unbeaten in the Under-15 division of the 2017 Republic Bank National Youth League (RBNYL), Trendsetter Hawks will not be among the teams contesting tomorrow’s semifinals at Constantine Park in Macoya, as they were ousted for the use of two players who were deemed illegitimate by the RBNYL.
The Hawks put in a solid display to defeat FC Santa Rosa by a 5-2 score line in their quarterfinal matchup at the Queen’s Park Savannah on Saturday 17 June. However, the “Big Cannons” subsequently protested the usage of Josiah Edwards and Antonio Chee Ting.
Edwards, who is a National Under-15 player, treated himself to a few goals as Hawks won 11-1.
(Courtesy Nicholas Bhajan/Wired868)
The duo, both National Under-15 players, were former San Juan Jabloteh players and Santa Rosa charged that the pair were representing Jabloteh and Trendsetter simultaneously.
Checks by the Flow TT Youth Pro League and RBNYL showed that Edwards and Chee Ting did not play for Jabloteh once the latter competition kicked off. However, the players were still registered as Jabloteh players for the Pro League competition due to mishaps in the transfer transaction between the two clubs.
Santa Rosa President Keith Look Loy, who is also the interim President of the Trinidad and Tobago Super League (TTSL), was adamant that the two players never transferred from Jabloteh. And as it turns out, Look Loy was right.
“[The TT Pro League] has no document showing that the players were transferred from San Juan Jabloteh to Trendsetter Hawks,” stated Pro League secretary Julia Baptiste via e-mail on Tuesday evening. “The attached form from the Northern Football Association is a transfer request form and is supposed to be brought to the TT Pro League in order to have a transfer certificate prepared. Because [the transfer request form was not brought to the TT Pro League] the players will not appear to be transferred.”
Crown Trace won 7-0.
(Courtesy Sean Morrison/Wired868)
Anthony Harford, of All Sport Promotions, suggested that he never felt as though Trendsetter acted maliciously. However, he conceded that the Anthony “Dada” Wickham-led team had fallen prey to a technicality.
“Everybody is satisfied that Trendsetter did not wilfully do anything wrong. [The players in question] have not played for Jabloteh since the start of the RBNYL,” Harford told Wired868. “[…] but because the transfer certificate did not come from the Pro League, the game was given to Santa Rosa.”
All documents relating to the transfers were sent prior to the start of this year’s RBNYL but still managed to go undetected by All Sport and NFA administrators up until this point. And Harford suggested that the administrators responsible were under the impression that the right documents were sent.
It now means that Santa Rosa will benefit from their second technicality in the RBNYL quarterfinals. Last Saturday, they defeated Ste Madeline Strikers without breaking a sweat in the Under-13 division as their opponents were tardy for kickoff at the Queen’s Park Savannah.
On the other hand, the Hawks were left feeling aggrieved and let down by the relevant administrators.
The Hawks romped to a 11-0 win.
(Courtesy Sean Morrison/Wired868)
The transfer forms for the two players were seen and signed by officials from both clubs and their parents before being sent to the Northern Football Association (NFA) and then the RBNYL. But they erred in not included the Pro League in the process.
Yesterday, Hawks official Nicholas Lochan appealed to Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president David John-Williams for a speedy resolution to the matter.
“Trendsetter Hawks would like to indicate that to the best of our knowledge, there is and has never been a strict procedure regarding Transfer Certificates for non-contracted youth players,” Lochan said. “I have not seen a TTFA document specifically identifying a clear registration process for youth players!
“Trendsetter Hawks Football Academy has and will always abide by the rules, but this ‘technical’ decision seems very unfair since, in absence of clear policy, we followed general, consistent and historically accepted procedure.”
Veteran Trendsetter coach “Dada” Wickham was also disappointed as he felt his club should have been notified of their slip-up long ago since they sent in the transfer documents prior to the start of the tournament in April.
(Courtesy Allan V Crane/Wired868)
“We didn’t use over-aged players [and] we didn’t use unregistered players,” Wickham told Wired868. “I am so disappointed by this whole thing… I didn’t bring in [the transfer documents] yesterday.”
Realising that the odds were stacked against them being victorious in the matter, Lochan and the Hawks dropped their appeal this afternoon and conceded the semifinal spot to Santa Rosa.
“Unfortunately the result of the protest stands in favour of FC Santa Rosa and as such Trendsetter Hawks Football Academy will abide by the decisions of the regulatory body,” Lochan said. “I do feel tremendous disappointment for the youngsters that despite progressing unbeaten and winning their quarterfinal match against FC Santa Rosa 5-2, they were disqualified through no fault of their own.”
The Santa Rosa Under-15 team will play Police FC tomorrow from 11.30am.
Meanwhile, Trendsetter will hope to take out their frustration on Jabloteh and Central in the Under-11 and Under-13 Divisions respectively. Their chance of a clean sweep of titles in age divisions is now gone.
(Courtesy Nicholas Bhajan/Wired868)
Republic Bank National Youth League Semifinal Fixtures
(Saturday 24 June)
[All games at Constantine Park, Macoya]Under-11 Division
Defence Force vs QPCC ‘A’, 10am;
Trendsetter Hawks vs San Juan Jabloteh, 11.30am;
Under-13 Division
FC Santa Rosa vs Cunupia Extreme, 10am;
Trendsetter Hawks vs Central FC, 11.30am;
Under-15 Division
RSSR vs QPCC, 10am;
Police FC vs FC Santa Rosa, 11.30am.
Police won 5-0.
(Courtesy Sean Morrison/Wired868)
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So it is ok for a player to play for one club stop playing just so and then go and play for another club in the same year even though both leagues are related. The same coach coaching both teams andpretending he eh know he cant do that
The only problem here was that the transfer didn’t go through the right body. There was no either issue whatsoever based on all the information.
There was nothing wrong with the boys changing clubs. Just that Trendsetter Hawks didn’t go through the right body.
I’m sure you didn’t hear anyone here say anything about thieving. Wrong thread. Open your own post with that topic.
Told you yuh was on the wrong thread!
Its youth football why coaches does be thieving to win shit come on man its kids they did nothing wrong Santa Rosa lost accept it
Sosa yuh sure you on the right thread?
Then what is the issue Nicholas if you all did the right thing?
Not BS Timothy! We operated under a ‘football culture’ which was trumped by correct football law applied by your club! If you read the article you would see all our past history with Cale/Rangers/Jabloteh; as amateur players we used transfer forms and parental consent and WERE approved to participate; both in Pro League and other Leagues. It’s not like we would have intentionally not paid the certificate to face disqualification.
Play the game without the 2 players or transfer them and play it over
That is real bs its kids we dealing with at least have a replay because its obvious trendsetters did not know of that law its u15 football for Christ sakes its not world cup
Interesting article as well Lasana.
Was it? How so?
Always Interesting reading with your articles.
#desiredresponses
Okay. Well this one was written by Roneil K Walcott. Credit to him, Timothy.
Bless
Roneil is impressive.
Thanks Joan. That’s very flattering.
Trust me, it is the truth.
#gamegotrules
Such BS Nicholas. You of all people should know how a player needs to be transferred. As to the better team I guess we will never know. The word honourably is used so loosely.
Hahaha. Timothy
Did the two players in question played the whole game?
If not how come, seeing that they are Nat U-15 players?
Doesn’t the rules say all FIFA rules apply…after stating the competition specific rules?
I wrecked two phones in a month so i kinda real out of it .i take it ya ll talking about the republic cup game . First of all we got transfers for ALL our players who were registered with pro league teams ,ALL. Muly to hear this week that santa rosa protested and that tony harford and co. awarde them the game because the transfer docs was supposed to be given to the pro league office and not the republic bank/ north zone ppl . Now if that was the case a month ago when we registee for the republic bank cup why were nt we told to do this ? And how could santa rosa know that the pro league didn t have those transfers ? Being the conspiracy thesist i am i will answer . The team from the ghetto reach the semis in the U11 U13 U15 and the final in the U19 north zone league and the powers that be cant allow a clean sweep cause laventille only good for criminals
Wow! Truly amazing. Didn’t think about that.
What is quite obvious though is that some teams do their homework and don’t leave anything to chance.
#gamegotrules
Lasana Liburd, really?
I listen to conspiracy theories but I never repeat them. I only believe in what I can find evidence to support. So can’t comment on that.
Home work ??? We do ours on the field 😉 not in folder looking to see who registered or who over aged but i don t blame santa rosa i blame tony harford and co. You figured before hand you might get flogged so you fought on another front
I hear you lass, well as i said its a theory. Lets look at the evidence the tram were given over a month ago and only at the end of the group games we are told that they were to be given to the pro league
Can I ask a question? Whose responsibility it was to ensure that the transfer was signed off by the pro league?
Bro admit it was a bitch move, and go do some homework on the field so you can win some games on the field lol
Many games have been lost and it was accepted which is why we are still around to fight another day. #gamegotrules
Really bro. The team lost one game to a team with two illegal players. What kind of move do we call that.
I do think Trendsetter should have been better guided by the tournament organisers. The players were not playing for two clubs simultaneously.
So I do sympathise with Trendsetter because it was not a malicious error or an attempt to cheat.
One game 5-2 lol . Me personally my footballing pride would not allow me to protest
I hear you guys loud and clear. Nuff respect still and God speed.
Ultimate respect to you as well Dada. All the best bro.
Another thing lass . Jabloteh won 2 pro leagues in a row using our players when we asked for them to be transfered back thats when the problems started these so called pro league teams have no youth programs ALL Of them let youth clubs play under their names in the pro league with the knowledge of skeene and co. I ask is that legal ??? This country full of double standards and hypocrites
Love still timo you know me cant go down without a fight ,this football thing for us is about limiting the recruits for the gangs. straight up
All the best
The ultimate crime plan Travis. We doing good work.
I agree on that Travis. I think we should have a real national youth league that involves Pro League, Super League and zonal clubs.
I hear that then the so called ‘small team’s would be able to keep their gifted players and everyone would be on the same playing field
Exactly. And we can really gauge the various teams and their youth programmes. How could Skhy be representing Defence Force? To me that doesn’t even help Skhy’s brand. It is just senseless.
If Josiah Edwards goes on to get signed by Chelsea, who will get the developmental money? Bet you Jabloteh would take it as the bigger team in the relationship. That’s not fair.
They are waiting for something like that to happen to wake up.
Central FC “adopted” a youth team that plays in the north zone. If one of their players makes it big, who gets the money?
That is just one of many considerations here.
Well my main mandate for coaching at trendsetters was for the club to get its due in that regard . Jomol Williams went to mexico when we made am enquiry Connection said they received no transfer fee for him our board let it did a natural death . Guerra went to finland nothing and i can call e few more who dada developed in the part and received nothing for
Past
Whether a transfer fee was received should not have mattered, once he is under-23 then Trendsetter Hawks could have applied to FIFA to receive a developmental fee. They calculate it based on every year that he was registered and played for Hawks.
Are you unsure as to what, if anything, you are owed when a player you developed after the age of 12 turns professional? Wired868 publishes the FIFA by-law governing training compensation for players up until the age of 21, so you can figure it out yourself:
http://wired868.com/2014/10/06/training-compensation-what-fifa-says-youre-owed-for-developing-talent/comment-page-1/
Thanks Lasana
Congrats to Santa Rosa FC! The result showed they were not the better team but used an administrative faux pas to allow their progression. Trendsetter Hawks Football Academy honorably accepts the result!
Tough break. I saw that Trendsetter Hawks under-15 team play twice and I was impressed.