St James referees red-carded by Football Association

[Karl]

St James referees red-carded by Football Association
published: Saturday | October 20, 2007

Adrian Frater, News Editor

Prendergast - File and Powell - File


Western Bureau:
St. James' football was thrown into a crisis on Thursday night when the executive of the parish's football association took a decision to suspend the St. James Referees' Group (StJRG), with immediate effect, for seeking to bring the parish's football into disrepute.

"The StJRG has refused to recognise the St. James Football Association (StJFA) as its parent body and is behaving in a manner that is not in the best interest of our football," said St. James FA president, Orville Powell. "We believe we have a duty and responsibility to sort out this affiliation issue before we do any further business with the referees."

The situation came to a head during a meeting the StJRG demanded with the board on Thursday night.
During the meeting, the referees made a number of demands, some of which the board deemed unreasonable.

The demands included a request for two uniformed policemen to be present at all games and for a $30,000 cess to be paid to the group for administrative duties.

Flat refusal
The meeting broke down when the board requested a profile of all the referees operating in the parish and the StJRG rejected, stating that the board did not have the authority to make such demands of them. It was during that exchange that the referees flatly refused to recognise the FA as their parent body.

"While we are affiliated to the StJFA, our parent body is the Jamaica Football Referees Association (JFRA) and they are the organisation that we are answerable to," said StJRG spokesman, Everol Jenkins. "Also, in this light, we don't believe the FA has the authority to suspend the group.

"While we are willing to work with them, we will not allow them to tell us how to do our jobs," continued Jenkins. "What you are seeing is a case of trying to exert unreasonable power through ignorance in an attempt to bully us into accepting unsuitable working conditions."

When Peter Prendergast, president of the JFRA, was contacted for a comment, he said he was aware of the situation but was awaiting a formal letter from the St. James FA outlining the situation.

"Once we receive the letter from the St. James FA, we will examine the contents and then make a determination as to how we will proceed in handling the matter," said Prendergast. "What I can tell you for a fact is that the parish association is responsible for all football in the parish, including the referees."
As a follow-up to the suspension of the referees' group from St. James' football, president Powell said the board would be writing to the Jamaica Football Federation requesting that all members of the StJRG be suspended from all competitions islandwide until the matter is resolved.

[Karl]

Interesting!
From which of the many groups do referees take their directions? ...and, with which of the many groups is there mutual coorperation?
What are the lines of communications with the various groups?

In my time all our JFF licensed referees were members of the JFRA (the Jamaica Football Referees Association).

As stated all properly licensed referees and those who receive authorisation to manage matches as the 'person in the middle' or on the sidelines receive such licenses and authorisation from the JFF.

The JFRA ('new name' - successor to the JRA), was the first referee body established by the referees. Later there were also established regional referee bodies of which the WRG was the first created. The regional referee bodies arose out of the recognition that the JFRA parent body could best work in the 'regions' and with regional bodies if local referees had direct communication with the local entities whereby referee needs would be more speedily and efficiently met.

The coming into being of these regional referees groups did not sever the long standing line of hierarchy - namely JFF<---> JFRA <---> Referee or JFF <--->Referee. Rather in line with striving for greater service, improved efficiency and openning lines of communication to aid swift solutions to local problems the JFF gave authority to the JFRA to act on its behalf and the JFRA enpowered its Referees Groups to carry out some of the required duties.

One of the duties carried out by the Referees groups is, on request, providing referees for JFF affliates i.e. JFF Confederations, local Parish FAs and other affiliates.

In my time the rules and regulations made it within the right of any FA or affiliate to refuse to use local referees within the area for which it was responsible...and it could administer a censor and or request the non-appointment of a referee or of referees ...but, the fining, suspension or expulsion of a referee or referees was the JFF's prerogative.

No JFF affiliate acting on its own can suspend or expel any referee from performing referee duties. The matter of suspension and or expulsion of a referee can be carried out by two bodies only...but, there are differences in levels of suspension and or explusion.

Firstly: The JFRA can censor, fine, suspension and expel a member or members from its ranks and or the ranks of its affiliates. The referee affiliate can exact the same punishments on a member from its rank but, not from the JFRA.

In the case of the JFRA suspension or expulsion of a member from the rank of its affiliate that would be done with great attention to the wishes of the affiliate. It would not be a matter entered into lightly without considering the sensibilities of the affiliate.

All censors, fines, suspensions and or explusions would be arrived at after a careful review of facts and the referee or referees being provided all opportunity to defend self/selves.

It is important to note that an issued censor, fine, suspension or expulsion of a referee or referees by the JFRA does not of itself mean the referee or referees would necessarily receive similar treatment from the JFF. The JFF it must be emphasised is the supreme body to which referees report. The JFF decides of its own accord if and or any punishment type and or combination of censor, fine, suspension or explusion will be handed down by it.

In fact the possibility of an 'odd' situation could arise where a referee punished by the JFRA is appointed by the JFF to a match and JFRA members appointed to the same match having no legal option but to honour the JFF appointment.

It is for that reason any decision comtemplated by the JFF affiliated JFRA or its affiliates must be and were always arrived at after due deliberation and consideration of facts and possible consequencies.

That then brings us to the second manner in which a referee or referees can be suspended and or expelled.

The JFF has the power and authority to for any reason it deems necessary censor, fine, suspend and or expel a referee. Simple and straightforward - The JFF issues licenses to referees to operate and is mandated to ensure the referees operate within the 'FIFA laws', rules and regulations and any other rules and regulations the JFF may enact to be carried out within the JFF's jurisdiction. The JFF has the power to 'take away' (suspend or revoke) its license.

The St. James FA bosses and suprisingly the president of the JFRA, the person tipped to become the next Chairman of the JFFRC (Jamaica Football Referees Committee) seem to be suggesting that the St. James FA has the authority to suspend referees affiliated with the WRG and or to suspend the WRG as a whole.

The St. James FA has not the power to suspend and or expel any referee or group of referees from the JFF or JFRA.

If what was meant is the St. James FA will allow only referees from other parts of the island to handle their competitions and competitions of their afiliates then that would be within their right.

I would suggest that the St. James FA has over-reached when there was no reason so to do. It will be embarassing if referees from the WRG were to honour appointments in St. James that were made and approved by the JFF (NPL games, national teams practice games, etc.) and other JFF affiliaites (e.g ISSA and ISSA affiliates - D'Cup).

I wonder if there is any FIFA referee or NPL grade 1 and or other appointed referee from the WRG group? What is the WRG trying to do disrupt the NPL and other JFF affiliates competitions and embrass the JFF and those affiliates?

...disrupt possible FIFA, CONCACAF, CFU or other regional referee appointments and matches? ...or, where its leaders just showing lack of leadership qualities, here?

The St. James FA should also realise that in Jamaica refereeing is a 4th tier job...any of a very many number of reasons...legitimate reasons...including referees deciding to take a break from refereeing in St. James...could see referees 'no shows' and a breakdown or worse...in St. James FA affiliated competitions. The referees have no reason to get in a huff...a simple decision on personal safety may mean it is not worth it to referee St. James FA matches. The vindictive calling for a wholesale suspension of referees is a nonsense move! Prendergast's genuflecting is unworthy.

[Sickko]

Oh MY God! Karl all you need to say is if the referees have a vote in the St JFA elections, it means they are an affiliate...simple...

[Mosiah]

Did you read all that?