Fatima manager: Players, staff conflicted after SSFL ruling

FATIMA College manager Stephen Williams said it’s a proud moment for the school to win back-to-back Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) premier division titles, but he, the players and the remaining staff have had mixed emotions since the league elevated them to champions on December 30, 2024.

In a matter that was the talk of the town for much of the 2024 SSFL season, the league ruled decisively on December 30 when it stripped St Benedict’s College of the premier division title for the use of star forward Derrel Garcia. Benedict’s, who initially finished the season unbeaten on 41 points, were docked 12 points for the use of Garcia in four matches in one week – elevating Fatima to the top of the table with 38 points.

Though it feels anticlimactic for Williams and company, their ascension now represents premier division trophies in both 2023 and 2024, to go along with the 2022 national intercol crown.

“To win the premier division back-to-back is obviously a great feat,” Williams told Newsday on January 2.

“Unfortunately, the players wouldn’t feel like that at this moment, especially as...for a better choice of words, they would have preferred to celebrate it at least closer to their last premier division game or even before the intercol started.

“(The players) said ‘finally we were able to be crowned champions,’ and then another player said ‘Benedict’s could appeal.’ We don’t even know if to celebrate or if to not celebrate as yet.”

In its ruling, the SSFL said St Benedict’s had until January 3 to appeal the decision of the disciplinary committee. On December 31, St Benedict’s principal Gregory Quan Kep told Newsday his school would do just that.

With questions raised over Garcia’s eligibility since October, Williams felt the league took too long to make a final decision.

“My personal view is if the information they got from the Ministry of Education and the time they got it was sufficient enough for them to make the decision they eventually made, it was sufficient time for them to make a decision (sooner),” Williams said.

“I’m not part of the disciplinary committee, so that would just be my opinion on it. I think they had the important information from the ministry to make a decision they took, which took roughly about two months. They could have done it in early November when the league finished.”

In the last two seasons, the on-field brilliance of players such as Garcia has been overshadowed by off-field registration issues, and the league has also faced similar challenges in the past – namely the 2017 premier division season when both Fyzabad Secondary and Shiva Boys Hindu College were severely punished for their use of ineligible players.

“Being around the TTFA…system, I think they have somewhat of a flawless system in place. I’m not too sure if the schools can go onto that system and work parallel. I know there are a lot of schoolboys who play with clubs, but if we can find a way for that to work.

“We don’t have those teething problems at all with the TTFA in that system where when you register a player, the league has to approve it before he even comes up on your team sheet. If he’s not on your team sheet, you won’t be able to feature him in a game,” Williams said.

With Benedict’s making their intentions clear to appeal, Williams said Fatima would once again have to play the waiting game. The teams finished one-two in the premier division before the disciplinary committee’s ruling sent the league title the northern school’s way.

Benedict’s landed a big blow in the rivalry between the teams when Garcia settled the national intercol final on December 5, but Williams and Fatima will hope the SSFL upholds its latest decision so they can finally exhale and celebrate the 2024 premier division crown.