Naps, Benedict’s each fined $500 for sponsorship breach

NAPARIMA College and St Benedict’s College were each fined $500 by the General Council of the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) for sponsorship breaches which occurred last week. Both schools caused the ire of the SSFL after fielding jerseys with the logo of their sponsors Tiger Tanks Limited, instead of the new Joma uniform with title sponsors Digicel, during their respective Premier Division First Round matches against St Mary’s College and Trinity College East. The Naparima-St Mary’s game was the scheduled game to be aired live by regional sports cable channel SportsMax (who is another major SSFL sponsor), but the network cancelled its feed shortly after the kick-off.

The General Council had a meeting yesterday morning, at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva where they “unanimously accepted the verbal and written apologies from Naparima College and St Benedict’s College.”

In a media release, the SSFL said, “Notwithstanding the apologies preferred by (both schools), after extensive discussions, the General Council cautioned, censored and imposed a fine of $500 each on the two schools.”

Last Thursday, principals Dr Michael Dowlath (Naparima) and Gregory Quan Kep (St Benedict’s) issued unreserved apologies and agreed to comply with all the rules and regulations of the League going forward.

The League will be preparing sponsorship/branding proposals to their sponsors, including Digicel and SportsMax (who are both in the fourth year of a five-year deal), Shell and First Citizens, “after consultations with all schools which shall be presented for discussion on December 29.”