Guaya United FC was given by 1 pm yesterday afternoon to provide details and information about the transfer and approval of striker Derron John, who has been the subject of an ongoing battle between the southeast team and Harlem Strikers for the overall sixth position in Tier 2 of the T&T Premier Football League.
The teams were locked on the same points and goal difference after the final day of action in round one of the competition on Saturday, but Guaya got the edge for the sixth position on a head-to-head comparison, which put them among the six qualifiers for the Big Six Play Off that was scheduled to begin yesterday afternoon.
Coincidentally, Guaya was down to face Police at the Barracks on Long Circular Road in St James, before a protest by the Strikers forced the T&T Football Association to stop the contest until an investigation is done.
On Tuesday night, Amiel Mohammed, general secretary of the TTFA, issued a release in which he mistakenly said the Guaya player was successfully transferred instead of unsuccessfully transferred.
“The T&T Football Association (TTFA) and T&T Premier Football League (TTPFL) would like to draw the attention of Guaya United to a matter related to the eligibility of player, Derron John.”
“In accordance with the records available to the TTFA and TTPFL from the FIFA Connect, Mr John was successfully transferred to Guaya United from San Juan Jabloteh on 13 August 2023.”
“The initial request to facilitate this transfer is dated 11 August 2023. A correspondence to TTPFL Tier 1 and Tier 2 clubs dated 16 August 2023, indicated that a Domestic Registration Window will be opened from 17 July 2023 to 27 July 2023. We would like to invite Guaya United to kindly provide any details and further information related to Mr John by no later than 1 pm (AST) on 13 September 2023.”
When contacted by Guardian Media Sports yesterday, Hagley urged the football association to check the new computerised system for the registration of players that was adopted by FIFA.
According to Hagley: “I am the person who handles all registration for Guaya United, so let me respond. Let these people go back on their system and check that. We sent a transfer request to his previous club requesting him, and they approved him. Once the window is closed, you can’t do or approve any transfer requests. The system is designed to be fool-proof so that no one other than the TTFA Admin can do the final approval of a player after his club approves the transfer request.”
Hagley, the Guaya manager of Guaya team said their request for John was made between mid-June to early July which was well inside the transfer window.
It was later approved by Jabloteh and put into the system for TTFA approval within the July 27 deadline, Hagley said yesterday. However, the player was only registered on August 6 when the team played against FC Phoenix at the Guaya Recreation Ground in a match that ended 2-2. In that match, he could not play, as there was a grace period to submit names for the game.
Gregory McSween, manager of Harlem Strikers, on Tuesday night said it was not their concern whether there was a blunder in the registration or not, saying the fact there John was not registered in time was all that mattered to them.
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