Adrian Frater, News Editor

WESTERN BUREAU;

AN INVESTIGATION into charges that champions Negril FC have been using an ineligible player in the 2006-07 Captain's Bakery Western Super Football League has left the 12-team competition, which should have had its first end-of-round final last weekend, in limbo pending the outcome of an enquiry into the claim.

"We have a complaint before us that Negril's striker, Barrion Arthurs, was registered to Wadadah and never acquired the requisite transfer to move to any other team," said Mark Calvin, the league's co-ordinator. "If the claim is true, it could have serious implications for Negril's further participation in this competition.

Negril, who have been competing in Zone A of the competition, qualified for the mid-season final against Zone B leaders Granville by virtue of accumulating an unassailable 11 points from their five first-round games (three wins and two draws).

"We have placed the matter in the hands of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) as we are having a difficulty making a determination as to which team owns the player," said Calvin. "Negril are contending that they secured the player from Reno FC by way of a transfer but Wadadah are claiming they are the rightful owners of the player."

According to Wadadah coach Anthony 'Follies' Williams, he personally recruited Arthurs from Reno by way of a transfer in the 2005-06 season and while he has not been representing the club in recent times, Arthurs was never released to any other club either by way of loan or transfer.

"After he (Arthurs) came to us, he represented the team for a while but subsequently lost his place on the team," said Williams. "After a while he left but he was not released either by transfer or loan so, as far as we are concerned, he is still a Wadadah player."

Grave implications

Should Negril be found guilty of the charge against them, there could be grave implications on their bid to retain their title as, with Arthurs playing in all their games and based on the rules of the competition, they might be forced to forfeit all the points they now have.

"As far as we are concerned we have not breached any rules. We went on the transfer market and secured a player we were told was available," said a member of the Negril FC executive who wished to remain anonymous. "We can't be blamed. If anyone is at fault it would have to be the Reno management."

However, a Reno official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said that while he knew that Arthurs was released to Wadadah in 2005-06, he was under the impression that it was a loan and not a transfer. However, he was not able to say what was written on the document releasing the player to Wadadah.