SSFL arbitration panel to meet on January 21 on Garcia matter

St Benedict's College will have their final chance to overturn a 12-point deduction from the 2024 Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) premier division campaign when a three-member arbitration committee meets on January 21 to decide their fate in the Derrel Garcia registration impasse.

Benedict's finished atop the premier division table with 41 points after going unbeaten throughout the season. However, on December 30, they were deducted 12 points by the SSFL's disciplinary committee for their use of Garcia in four matches – propelling Fatima College to the top of the table with 38 points.

Benedict's have appealed the decision, but on January 10 a three-member appeals committee – Rudolph Hope, Forbes Persaud and chairman Derek West – upheld the disciplinary committee's decision after unanimously agreeing that "St Benedict's College failed to present sufficient information for the overturn of the decision of the disciplinary committee."

On January 16, Benedict's wrote to the league to take the matter to arbitration, with the league disclosing the three-member panel on January 17.

A release from the SSFL said former SSFL presidents Anthony Creed and William Wallace will be on the arbitration committee, alongside Ruben Hansraj, a former vice-president and treasurer of the Secondary Schools Cricket League. Creed will chair the committee.

For the 2024 premier division season, the 17-year-old Garcia, who had returned to the school after a stint in Spain with the Intercity Academy, allegedly played three matches against San Juan North Secondary, Fatima and St Anthony's College before his first attendance of the school term on October 8. Garcia, who led Benedict's to the 2024 national intercol title, also played and scored in a 2-1 win over Queen's Royal College on October 9.

Benedict's were stripped of points for the use of Garcia in all four games.