By Nodley Wright, Freelance WriterTO SAY that Patrick Roberts of Shocking Vibes Limited is a shrewd businessman would be an understatement. Outside of the music world, he may have pulled off his shrewdest piece of business to date when in August of last year he entered into discussions with Reggae Boy Onandi Lowe to have him represent the club in the Wray and Nephew National Premier League.
That situation could be revived very soon.
At that time Lowe was almost like an untouchable in football
circles as a drug cloud was
hanging over his head and nobody wanted any part of him. Just weeks into his biggest contract yet with English First Division club Coventry City, he had his contract cancelled as he was charged with being a part of a ring attempting to smuggle drugs into the United Kingdom. Even the national team dropped him.
But where others saw darkness, Arnett Gardens' Roberts could see only light.
"I can tell you that from the beginning I was optimistic that he would have been acquitted," Roberts told The Gleaner
yesterday.
NO ILLEGAL SIGNATURE
"Even on Wednesday of last week, I was discussing the case at the Harbour View/Portmore game with some members of my security detail and I said to them that the jury must return a
verdict of not guilty and they asked me if I was a mad man. My reasoning though was that he did not sign for anything illegal and the fact that the package was tampered with. Based on that, I believed that justice would have prevailed," a delighted Roberts continued.
From as early as August, one of the lowest points for Lowe, Roberts said his club sought to get an association with the player. "His new situation started in about July when the allegations first came to light. He was released by Coventry soon after in August. It was during August we entered into an agreement for him to start the season with us.
"Upon his return to the UK in September they charged him, so we opted not to compromise his situation by flying him in and out of the country on a regular basis. This too would have been expensive as as we also had to post his bond," Roberts explained.
Since the player's acquittal on Friday, Roberts said he had not spoken to Lowe, as he felt he needed time by himself, to think about his situation and to decide what he wants to do. That situation could change this week as Lowe will be contacted to see if he is still interested in donning the black and red of Arnett Gardens.
If Lowe is still interested, it could take anything from a week to two weeks before he becomes
eligible as his international
clearance which was in the
possession of Arnett Gardens as early as August was sent back to Britain in November of last year.
INTERNATIONAL CLEARANCE
"If he decides that he still wants to come, what it would mean is that we would have to reapply for his international clearance as we had sent it back in November," Roberts said.
"We got his clearance in August last year but in November, when it looked as if the case was going to drag out and a lower division club in England had expressed an interest in having him play some football for them, we instructed the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) to send back his clearance."
During that time Roberts, who is also a third vice-president of the JFF, said he kept in constant touch with the player. "We at Arnett Gardens have a special relationship with Onandi. This goes way back. Remember that in 2001 Onandi played an integral part in us
winning our first national
championship in 23 years.
"In January 2001 in the end of round final before going to Rushden and Diamonds he played in that game and scored twice to help us take home the trophy. He even had an injured shoulder and was instructed by the doctors not to play but he defied their orders and continued the game. Ever since that time we have looked at him differently," explained Roberts.
Lowe's manager, Patricia Garel, confirmed Arnett Gardens had acquired the rights to the player's services last year and had kept faith with him. She also revealed that former technical director Rene Simoes called recently to ask about the player and to offer his best wishes.
