Shiva Boys was handed a spot in the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) National Coca-Cola InterCol semifinal against title-holder and North champion, St Anthony’s College, after it was awarded the win by default in its semifinal match against Presentation College, which was ordered to be replayed, yesterday.
Presentation College of San Fernando, followed through on statements made by vice-principal Preston Kissoon that it will not replay the semifinal encounter with Shiva which was abandoned in the 80th minute on Monday, following the invasion of the field at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, by a spectator which resulted in assistant referee Kevin Charles, sustaining a head injury.
At that time, Presentation was ahead 2–1 and ten minutes away from completing the South Zone League and InterCol double. However following the incident, a decision was first made by the SSFL executive to play the final ten minutes of the match, which was also scheduled to be played, yesterday.
But later on, the T&T Football Federation (TTFF), the body responsible for all football in T&T, advised the SSFL that the South Zone InterCol final be replayed in its entirety, behind close doors. A decision which Presentation also objected to.
In a release from the SSFL assistant secretary, Gerald Elliot, stated its executive was informed via letter from the Principal of Presentation College, San Fernando that the team would not be participating in the rescheduled match on Wednesday (yesterday) at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium.
As a consequence, the SSFL made a decision to award the outcome of the SSFL South InterCol final to Shiva Boys, which now faces the “Westmoorings Tigers” in the national semifinal tomorrow with the match being shifted from Marabella to the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, for the right to face East Zone champion, St Augustine Secondary, in the national final on Monday at a venue to be determined.
With regards to Charles, the SSFL said it would like to empathise with him and his team, who were involved in the incident.
The release also stated that “at these matches, the safety of all our stakeholders, players, spectators and referees are paramount to the SSFL and as such there were a 12 police officers, 15 private security officers and an ambulance with two paramedics in attendance while similar is provided at all other matches held under the auspices of the SSFL executive.”
16