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HOME	JANUARY 08th, 2005

JAN 08

QUEEN'S PARK RANGERS FOOTBAL CLUB has approached high court judge, Kenneth Benjamin to hand down jail sentences on five of the island's football bosses for contempt of his court order.

The legal action has been filed against President of the Grenada football Association (GFA), Ashley "Ram" Folkes, and fellow executive members Cheney Joseph, Kelly Patrick, Victor Daniel, and Roderick Griffith, as well as national referee Valmon Bedeau.

Attorney for Queen's Park Rangers (QPR), Ruggles Ferguson of Ciboney Chambers was expected to file the Order Thursday at the St. George's High Court seeking the committal of the group in violation of a court order issued by Justice Benjamin on December 14.

Rangers is challenging a decision of the GFA to go ahead and play one of the matches in the Digicel sponsored GFA Championship on December 17 last year involving Police Sports Club and Balldogs.

The River Road team moved against the football body after four of its players, Patrick Modeste, Ricky Charles, Desmond Noel and Arkenson Neckles were debarred from playing in the quarter-final involving the policemen.

A memorandum sent out by GFA sought to prevent a number of players from taking part in the quarter final round of the competition from December 10-19. The association said it had taken the decision to prevent national players from taking any further part in the competition in order to adequately prepare the Grenada team for the CFU/DIGICEL Cup which was scheduled for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Rangers is challenging the GFA directive on the grounds that there were no such rules at the beginning of the competition with regard to players and their non-availability for their clubs in the national interest. The River Road outfit is arguing that none of the four players had any contractual obligation with GFA disallowing or in any way restricting them from playing in the competition.

Modeste, Charles, Noel and Neckles represented the QPR in the quarter-final game against Police which ended 2-0 in favour of QPR and ensuring them a place in the semi-finals. It is reported that on December 14, QPR received a letter from GFA which stated that 'the on field score of 2-0 in favour of QPR has been nullified' and that the game has been awarded to Police Sports Club by a 3-0 margin".

The club approached the high court and was successful in getting Justice Benjamin to grant an injunction order to stop the semi-final game with the lawmen whom they had defeated. According to a copy of the injunction obtained by this newspaper, Rangers claimed that the decision of the GFA prevented the team from being in the competition despite winning all their games and would see them no longer having an opportunity to win the championship prize of EC$7250.00.

Attorney Ferguson challenged the GFA ruling in the High Court and asked the judge to rule that the "purported decision" of the GFA bosses to nullify the 2-0 victory by QPR over Police was null and void and of no effect.

QPR also asked the judge for a declaration to be made allowing the club to play in the semi-final of the competition based on its unbeaten record and more particularly its defeat of Police in the quarter-finals.

GRENADA TODAY understands that the Order was granted by Justice Benjamin served on GFA during the match involving Police and Balldogs while referee Bedeau was officiating. Sources told GRENADA TODAY that the injunction was served on the referee himself.

According to the source the game continued and only came to an end after the injunction was served on GFA executive member Cheney Joseph about two minutes before full time. The order from the court was scheduled to have been terminated on January 11, 2005 or until a further order was issued.

Police ended up in the final after winning on penalty kicks and got a berth against Andall School of Modern Soccer (ASOM) which emerged as winners from St.Andrew's (Southern Zone). Police went on to beat Andall by a one-nil margin to win the Digicel Tournament and the prize money.