Is the Ambassador OK?

[OJ]

This is the appropriate action. ( if the lights went out or adverse weather such as lightening or something.) What was ksafa basis of replying the last 15m.

JFF hands Jackie Bell trophy to H'View
. Overturns KSAFA's initial ruling By Howard Walker Observer staff reporter walkerh@jamaicaobserver.com
Saturday, February 23, 2008

The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has handed the aborted Western Union/Jackie Bell final to Harbour View Football Club.
STEPHENSON. I don't know what decisive action they expected After an emergency meeting on Thursday night, the JFF overturned the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association's (KSAFA) decision to play the last 15 minutes of the final at a different venue.
The Jackie Bell knockout final ended abruptly on Sunday after referee Karl Tyrell disallowed a Waterhouse goal in the 77th minute.
Harbour View were leading the contest 1-0 when all hell broke loose and the game was called off.
Stewart Stephenson, KSAFA's president, said the JFF clearly interpreted the rules different than his organisation.
"It was an appeal by the Waterhouse football club to the JFF and it is clear they have interpreted the rules differently from us," Stephenson told the Sporting World yesterday.
But the KSAFA president said, although the two organisations have different views, he will just have to work with it.
Said Stephenson: "We are bound by the JFF, so there is nothing else I can do. They asked for a report from us and I was there when they made the decision, but I could not say anything because we would have a conflict."
The JFF statement also said it deplored the failure of KSAFA to take firm and decisive action on the matter.
"I don't know what that means. We imposed a fine of $75,000 and they interpreted the rule differently and gave the game to Harbour View. I don't know what decisive action they expected. We acted very quickly and took a decision on the basis of the match referee's report," refuted Stephenson.
The JFF release also said the decision by its board is in furtherance of the principle that violence in football by spectators and team officials will not be tolerated nor condoned in any manner and where culpability is determined, the harshest possible penalties will be applied to the offending party or parties.
The fine of $75,000 imposed against Waterhouse Football Club remains in place.
Peter Hibbert, president of Waterhouse FC was a bit disappointed with the ruling based on an incomplete report from the match officials.
Said Hibbert: "As leader of this organisation I have no issue with the sanction that were levied against Waterhouse and even with the JFF position we have no issue with it.
"It is my belief that it was our fans that took the title away from us," he noted.
"But the decision was arrived at by inadequate report. A report that omitted other aspects of the game. It was all about Waterhouse players and management. Now use the same metre rule and measure everybody.
"No mention of the red card with the player not wanting to leave the field, why isn't that in the report?" asked Hibbert.
"Don't use our past against us. The game was stopped because of Waterhouse's prolonged protest, bottle throwing. But it was gunshots that stopped the game. Don't move the goal post, use a level playing field," Hibbert reiterated.
"However, I would like to congratulate Harbour View on their award of the title," he added.
Meanwhile, Carvel Stewart, Harbour View's president, said they regretted the incident, but agreed with the ruling which should send a strong message to the wrongdoers.
Said Stewart: "We at Harbour View regret the event that took place on Sunday night to abort the game and to do damage to Jamaica's football.
"In respect to the decision, we believe that this should go a far way in sending a signal to those who would take such action and hopefully will assist the leadership of the club in their work and their efforts to eliminate this kind of behaviour around sports so that in the future, we will have a sport that is free from disruption," he added.

[Mosiah]

I must try and set some facts straight.

This is the appropriate action. ( if the lights went out or adverse weather such as lightening or something.) What was ksafa basis of replying the last 15m.

Firstly, I think KSAFA didn't want to ruffle Waterhouse's feathers, trying to please both parties. They have a bigger responsibility than that and missed the boat. I agree with the JFF's decision, but can understand KSAFA's earlier ruling on the matter.

Stewart Stephenson, KSAFA's president, said the JFF clearly interpreted the rules different than his organisation.
"It was an appeal by the Waterhouse football club to the JFF and it is clear they have interpreted the rules differently from us," Stephenson told the Sporting World yesterday.

So Waterhouse appealed to the JFF and got kicked to the curb? Makes me wonder if their large number of invitees to the Brazil camp is a way to appease them.

But the KSAFA president said, although the two organisations have different views, he will just have to work with it.
Said Stephenson: "We are bound by the JFF, so there is nothing else I can do. They asked for a report from us and I was there when they made the decision, but I could not say anything because we would have a conflict."
The JFF statement also said it deplored the failure of KSAFA to take firm and decisive action on the matter.
"I don't know what that means. We imposed a fine of $75,000 and they interpreted the rule differently and gave the game to Harbour View. I don't know what decisive action they expected. We acted very quickly and took a decision on the basis of the match referee's report," refuted Stephenson.

I see serious problems ahead. Very serious problems.

Peter Hibbert, president of Waterhouse FC was a bit disappointed with the ruling based on an incomplete report from the match officials.
Said Hibbert: "As leader of this organisation I have no issue with the sanction that were levied against Waterhouse and even with the JFF position we have no issue with it.
"It is my belief that it was our fans that took the title away from us," he noted.

He understands the importance of falling in line.

"But the decision was arrived at by inadequate report. A report that omitted other aspects of the game. It was all about Waterhouse players and management. Now use the same metre rule and measure everybody.
"No mention of the red card with the player not wanting to leave the field, why isn't that in the report?" asked Hibbert.

Hue's red card is immaterial to what went down after the goal was disallowed. Hue gave the ref a hard time when he got the red card and did not leave the field immediately. People do that all the time and it's never a big deal. Clubs don't get punished for that. The "not wanting to leave the field" bit has to do with the ref restarting the game while Hue was walking off. It was the ref who looked stupid then.

"Don't use our past against us. The game was stopped because of Waterhouse's prolonged protest, bottle throwing. But it was gunshots that stopped the game. Don't move the goal post, use a level playing field," Hibbert reiterated.

What exactly stopped the game, Peter? "The game was stopped because of Waterhouse's prolonged protest, bottle throwing. But it was gunshots that stopped the game." And Peter, it is exactly your past that will be used against you. TK reminds us that past behaviour is indicative of future. And it's just not true that it was the gunshots that stopped the game. It seemed rather clear to me and people around me that the game was never going to be restarted if the ref was not going to allow the offside goal. That was clear long before the gunshots! In fact, the authorities took too long to abandon the game once the bottle throwing started.

"However, I would like to congratulate Harbour View on their award of the title," he added.

An insincere statement if there ever was one.

Meanwhile, Carvel Stewart, Harbour View's president, said they regretted the incident, but agreed with the ruling which should send a strong message to the wrongdoers.
Said Stewart: "We at Harbour View regret the event that took place on Sunday night to abort the game and to do damage to Jamaica's football.
"In respect to the decision, we believe that this should go a far way in sending a signal to those who would take such action and hopefully will assist the leadership of the club in their work and their efforts to eliminate this kind of behaviour around sports so that in the future, we will have a sport that is free from disruption," he added.

The idiot engineer from Waterhouse, the one who approved that tragedy in St. Elizabeth, is right on this occasion.

[Mosiah]

THE JAMAICA Football Federation (JFF) overturns KSAFA verdict: H View awarded Jackie Bell KO title
published: Saturday | February 23, 2008

Audley Boyd, Assistant Editor - [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Sport[/COLOR][/COLOR]

Burrell and Stewart
THE JAMAICA Football Federation (JFF) has overruled the decision of its [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Kingston[/COLOR][/COLOR] and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) affiliate and awarded title-holders Harbour View the Western Union Jackie Bell KO title.
It also upheld the $75,000 fine imposed on Waterhouse Football Club and "... deplored KSAFA for failing to take firm and decisive action".
The final was aborted in chaotic fashion on Sunday night following a second bout of bottle throwing - amid protests for a disallowed Waterhouse goal; then the sound of gunfire from the hills overlooking the stadium that sent fans scam-pering.
A bottle-throwing incident had taken place earlier when Harbour View midfielder Jermaine Hue was red carded in the 55th minute.
At the time of the final disruption, with 15 minutes left on the clock, Harbour View led 1-0.
The KSAFA Council, headed by its president, Stewart Stephenson, wasted no time in dealing with the matter in a meeting involving both clubs the following night.
Arising from the deliberations, Waterhouse were fined $75,000 for the unruly behaviour of their supporters, invading the field of play, throwing missiles on to the grounds and verbally abusing the referees.
The KSAFA Council had also decided on a continuation of the final from the 75th minute, which had actually been scheduled for yesterday evening at Tivoli [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Gardens'[/COLOR][/COLOR] Edward Seaga Sports Complex, without spectators.
Unanimous decision
However, the island's ruling body for the sport, the JFF, held a meeting among its board of directors on Thursday and, according to a release signed by its president, Captain Horace Burrell, "... unanimously decided to overturn the decision of KSAFA with respect to the continuation of the game".
Further, it stated: "The game will not be continued and has been awarded to Harbour View Football Club. The fine of $75,000 imposed against Waterhouse Football Club remains."
It added: "The decision by the board is in furtherance of the principle that violence in football by spectators, team members or team officials will not be tolerated nor condoned in any manner and where culpability is determined, the harshest possible penalties will be applied to the offending party or parties."
Captain Burrell pointed out to The Gleaner yesterday that the JFF had requested the report on the findings to review the matter.
"The mere fact that they (KSAFA) fined them $75,000, it means they're saying they are wrong. If they're wrong, then you have to deal with the matter according to the rules, you can't do it halfway. It's like giving a penalty without issuing a card."
Top executives of both clubs reacted positively to the altered ruling.
Waterhouse chairman, Bruce Bicknell, said: "I have no problem with that ruling. The fact is we were wrong."
Bicknell tendered a public apology, on behalf of the club, in an article carried yesterday in The Gleaner, to the Bell family, in whose honour the competition is held, the sponsors, KSAFA, Harbour View FC and the football fraternity in general.
Bicknell apologises
While accepting the punishment meted out to his club, Bicknell had expressed disappointment earlier with the KSAFA ruling on the basis that it was biased, giving his view that Harbour View should also have been penalised. He had also lashed out at its president, Stephenson, but apologised in yester-day's [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]interview[/COLOR][/COLOR] with The Gleaner.
"I don't want the people to get the wrong message that he's a bad guy. He's a volunteer, he's not paid to do the job and I apologise for what I'd said about Stewart," said Bicknell. "Stewart Stephenson is a good friend of mine and he has dedicated a tremendous amount of his time to football in [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Jamaica[/COLOR][/COLOR] and although angry at the ruling, my intention was not to personally attack Stewart.
"In fact, I've invited him to be the guest speaker on many occasions at functions and he's a man of high integrity."
He added: "Our fans' behaviour was atrocious and that's what really cost us ... and not the referee's decision. We need to stop this nonsense once and for all. It damages all the positives that we're looking to create in Waterhouse on a daily basis. They should not come to the games if they can't respect the referees' decisions."
Stephenson, an Attorney-at-law, had tackled the 'biased' notion as incorrect in the same Gleaner story, based on evidence presented at Monday's hearing and the fact that "at least six members of council were present and all decisions taken were unanimous".
PROFOUND MESSAGE
Responding to the JFF verdict, Carvel Stewart, chairman of Harbour View FC who have lifted the title for the second straight year, said: "I did say that I disagreed with KSAFA's ruling, I said it on Monday publicly on radio. I believe we must be honest at all times.
"The JFF ruling would have sent a much more profound message to the people who were throwing bottles directly, and the leadership of the club who work hard to ensure that the people, who by their actions, are destroying the club's football. That action is destroying Waterhouse's football specifically, and generally, Jamaica's football," noted Stewart, a KSAFA vice-president who was also hit with bottles, along with fellow club executive Michael Jureidini, when they were removing bottles from the pitch. "My concern is we must say to the people who mash up the game that we're not tolerating you. I don't care where you're from," Stewart added. "They must have them disassociated from the club and go somewhere else and let the club grow."