Shiva Boys to be relegated

Principal of Shiva Boys Hindu College Dexter Sakal is doubtful the school will protest the decision by the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) to deduct 17 points from the school for fielding two players improperly registered this season.

Shiva Boys’ Kierron Mason played a Super League game for Marabella Crisis Centre while Matthew Beal played for Siparia Angels in the Southern Football Association. Both games were on September 2, prior to the start of the SSFL season. The SSFL rules state that players must seek clearance from the league to play in other leagues after August 31. As a result, Shiva Boys now lie last in the SSFL standings with six points and will be relegated to the championship division next season. The SSFL contacted Shiva Boys yesterday and informed the school of their decision.

This season has been marred by controversy as Fyzabad Secondary were thrown out of the league last month due to two of their players being registered with false CSEC passes.

Sakal said the infraction by the two Shiva Boys players took place before the season started and the school found out about the situation late in the season. “Honestly we were not aware of this because the 2nd of September is before school started. We never asked the first player and we found out about it quite late in the season and we did not pay attention to that rule. Coming down late in the season, we realised we had another player in the same situation.”

Sakal said he is uncertain if the school will appeal the decision as the number of protests during the season has left him exasperated.

“This season has been so hard with all these protests that I will not really pursue it anymore. Since the start of the league, I have been having so much (stress because) of protests because of this same situation off the field. The season has ended, it is two months now and I am just going to leave it there, and next week I will see what I will do – if I am going to do anything. I have not made a decision yet. It is very doubtful that I will continue with anything.” Sakal said it is unfortunate because the Shiva Boys played at a high level throughout the season and were it not for protests, would have been top of the standings.

“My players are suffering the most because they played well. It is just because we did not pay attention to this 2nd of September business that all this trouble came up on us. I don’t know if the players were even aware of the rule. We were not paying attention to it because it never affected us in the past, so it is really a difficult situation for us to have played so good and then reach (so) low.” The league concludes today.

TODAY’S FIXTURES
(3.40 pm)

Naparima College vs Trinity College Moka, Mahaica Oval
Fatima vs Presentation College San Fernando, Fatima
St Benedict’s College vs Shiva Boys Hindu College, Barrackpore
St Anthony’s College vs St Mary’s College, St Mary’s