SAN Juan North Secondary plans to query the decision by the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) to change the final point standings of the 2016 Premier League competition, which saw the Intercol champions relegated.
San Juan North managed to survive relegation initially and, with renewed confidence, went on to win the Intercol title. However, a media release by the SSFL on Tuesday stated, “two matters (that) were raised by two schools, which after review by both the Credential and Disciplinary Committees resulted in the reversal of the final results.”
The SSFL revealed their ruling on a pair of matters involving two footballers who played in the 2016 season - Abdus Ramcharan of East Mucurapo Secondary and fellow defender Kori Cupid of Presentation College in San Fernando - but were ineligible.
Ramcharan, a Lower Six student, was not eligible to play in the 2016 season because he did pass enough subjects. Cupid, who wrote the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) in 2008, is in Secondary School for more than eight years which makes him ineligible to play.
As a consequence, the results in a number of matches involving East Mucurapo and Presentation San Fernando were changed. The new standings saw San Juan North (13th), Pleasantville (14th) and East Mucurapo (15th) finish in the bottom three, which saw the teams relegated.
Vice principal of San Juan North, Joseph Taylor, said the school’s hierarchy are not accepting the decision, having already met with the SSFL two or three times.
Taylor said, “I am a person who never thinks anything is cast in stone.” Taylor said there were protests questioning the eligibilities of a few players during the season, but he believes the League did not deal with the situation quickly.
“If they had dealt with these things in an expeditious manner, in a timely manner, then we will not be in this position. My coach (Jerry Moe and) the players played their heart out down to the last game and we were not relegated.
Because of that their spirits were lifted and motivated by the coach and we went on to do what people might think was the impossible.
We won the Intercol because we know we have the talent, but only now to find ourselves in this position.” Taylor said the accomplishment of San Juan North has made the entire community of San Juan and Santa Cruz proud.
“It is a community school, we really lifted the feelings of people in San Juan and Santa Cruz. People were out (supporting) when we won the Intercol, the Zonal and the East. We were even successful in T10 cricket, we always doing good things in cricket.”
Taylor said sporting heroes have come from Santa Cruz and sometimes schools such as San Juan North may only be recognised through sport.
“These are the things that schools like mine are recognized by and communities are motivated. When we look at the Santa Cruz valley, we have Ato (Boldon), we have (Brian) Lara, we have (Arnold) Dwarika from Santa Cruz also. We look forward to these things. I am from Santa Cruz, everyday when I walk (in the area) people ask me what is the position (with the SSFL ruling).”
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