Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer

St. Elizabeth-based football club Valu P are citing victimisation as the reason for their non-involvement in the South Central Confederation Super League play-off competition, despite the passage of seven rounds so far.

"I am beginning to think that the situation is personal now because we have done what they have asked of us but we have not been put on the fixture, we have not played a single match and yet they are saying that we are still in the competition," said Paul Fearon, president of Valu P.

"The executive of the confederation was saying that we owed them and that we would not be allowed in the competition until we paid. We had a meeting with them over two weeks ago and they said that we owed them. When they presented what they said that we owed and we pointed out to them how much we are owed by the confed it turned out that they still have money for us," Fearon added.

Dale Spencer, chairman of the confederation, which includes St. Elizabeth, Manchester, Clarendon and St. Catherine, admitted that the club has not received any fixtures but are still considered a part of the competition.

"That is a reasonable contention (that they have not been fixtured and yet have not been kicked out of the competition)," Spencer told The Gleaner when presented with the complaints of the club.

"They have not completed the registration. I just spoke with the president of the St. Elizabeth FA and they are supposed to have a meeting later today.

"The truth is that they have let the confed down. We set out some criteria for them to follow and they have not. Valu P's case is a special case," Spencer said, implying that the club has a history of being irresponsible.

Trying to amplify his point, Spencer said two years ago, Valu P sent a letter to the confederation in the middle of the season indicating that they wanted nothing to do with football. Even with that being the case, his organisation has tried to work with the club, Spencer contended.

"We have bent over backwards to allow them to get everything in order and they have not responded. I hope that out of this meeting we will have some positive word," Spencer added.

Courtney Brown, president of the St. Elizabeth FA, confirmed that a meeting was scheduled with Valu P but made it clear that the chairman's directive would not be feasible.

Suggestion not legal

"I will meet with Valu P but I cannot force a three-man committee on them as the chairman is suggesting. What he is suggesting is that a three-man committee to run the club is put in place and that Valu P signs to this, but this cannot be legal," Brown said.

"He (Spencer) is saying that in addition to the committee being put in place, the fines must be paid before putting them back on the fixtures."

According to Brown, the situation is dragging out much too long and the suggestion made by Valu P of using the money owed to the club by the federation to absorb their debt, could be a simple solution.

"The outstanding fees add up to $57,400. This figure includes this year's registration of $10,000, a late registration charge of $5,000, and a personal fine of $3,000 for the manager, Mr. Fearon, a total of $18,000, which has been paid and is in the possession of the St. Elizabeth FA.

"The balance is $39,400 and the confed has $20,000 for Valu P this season for logo rights and they are still owed $25,000 from last year for travelling and this is not in dispute. This figure could be used to absorb what Valu P owes and this is all Valu P are asking them to do and I think it is more than reasonable," Brown posited.

Brown's formula would mean that Valu P, after the deductions, would be owed $5,600.00 and would also support the contention of Fearon who has maintained that it is the confederation that should be handing over funds and not his club.

But while Brown appears to be backing Valu P, he made it clear that the club should not be absolved of any blame. Valu P, he said, were very late with their registration fee, paying a part of their fees just a day before their first scheduled match. That, he said, was the reason for the late registration charge but with that fee already paid, the situation should have already been sorted out.

"Of course Valu P are at fault but two wrongs do not make a right and the way things are right now leads me to believe that something personal is going on and I am not comfortable with the situation," said Brown.

Even if the situation is sorted out, Brown suggested that it could still be problematic.

"With a number of rescheduled matches to be played, we are about two rounds of matches from the mid-season final. It would be interesting to see how they are fitted into the fixtures now but I can just imagine that you will see them playing a number of matches back-to-back," offered Brown.

Spencer, for his part, said he would not speculate on how Valu P would be facilitated in the fixture if they are allowed to participate.

"I do not know. It is something that we will have to sort out. There will be an emergency confed meeting on Saturday (today) and we cannot pre-empt it. It is really Valu P that have disadvantaged themselves," he said.

The 12 teams in the South Central Super League playoffs are competing for the honour of joining the top teams from the other three confederations where the top two teams will earn a place in the Wray and Nephew National Premier League.