Last year’s highly publicized impasse between former Barbados Football Association general secretary Chris Graham and the president of that association, Randy Harris, has reached the law courts.

Chris Graham demonstrating how he was held. (FP)

Harris is to appear at the District “A” Magistrates’ Court on June 26 on a charge of assault. The charge brought against Harris by summons, stems from an incident that allegedly occurred on September 10, 2013, while a number of BFA members were at the association’s Fontabelle, St Michael headquarters.

The incident is alleged to have also involved other members of the BFA’s hierarchy.

Graham had been on the job fewer than 18 months after replacing the previous general secretary David Hinds.

But Graham’s court action could have professional repercussions for him and his company CG Sports Management.

Graham had sought to take the FIFA Players Agents examination through the BFA but has had this request rejected.

In a letter to Graham from Harris, dated March 28, 2014, the BFA president informed him that the association could not accede to the request since there was an outstanding court matter involving Graham and three senior BFA executive officers.

Harris reminded Graham he was in contravention of Article 68 Obligation Item 2 of the FIFA statutes which prohibits the recourse to “ordinary courts of law” among members unless specifically provided for in FIFA regulations.

“Recourse to ordinary courts of law for all types of provisional measures is also prohibited,” Harris wrote.

Graham had made the approach to the BFA after striking up a deal with Costa Rican sports club Deportivo Saprisa.

In correspondence to Graham on February 24, general manager of the club Galliano Luconi Callan informed him that the club would allow three footballers to train with his organisation’s minor league from March 1 to May 20 this year.

Callan told Graham that expenses such as airfare, room and board, insurance and transportation would be the responsibility of CG Sports Management and Saprisa would make all necessary efforts to provide adequate training.

Ironically, this is the second occasion within ten years that FIFA regulations have been in conflict with BFA members’ attempts to bring court action against each other.

Nine years ago the BFA was suspended by FIFA after Harris went to the Supreme Court with a matter involving then BFA president Ronald Jones.  FIFA’s action was prompted by an impasse between the two when Harris, then general secretary, contested Jones’ win in the September 2004 BFA presidency elections.

When FIFA arbitrators ruled in favour of Jones, Harris took the issue to the Barbados High Court prompting FIFA to suspend the BFA.

FIFA said then it took action against the BFA because Harris had violated the FIFA statutes.

This is the latest controversy to hit the BFA following revelations by Harris of inherited financial infelicities when he assumed the office of president. FIFA has since instituted a forensic audit into the affairs of the BFA.

Pinelands were on top of their game winning 3-0 over Paradise in one of the main matches of the Barbados Football Cup tournament played at the Weymouth Grounds today.

Playing in the under-15 division, Pinelands drew first blood through mid-fielder Ray Francis who received a well measured pass up the left flank from striker Chad Massiah and he finished the job brilliantly by placing the ball into the back of the nets with a left-footed strike in the ninth minute.

Two minutes later things got even sweeter for the Pinelands boys through midfielder Kashawn Browne who took a shot at goal from outside the 20-yard box which deflected off the hands of Paradise’s goalkeeper Diara Gilkes and ended in the back of the nets. This caused the fans on the sideline to erupt in celebration along with the players.

Just about three minutes before half-time Paradise missed a golden opportunity at goal when Pinelands’ left-wing Shem Yearwood brought down Kemshon Wilkinson of Paradise in the box which resulted in a penalty. Wilkinson stepped up to take the penalty but missed a golden opportunity with a weak shot. The teams went into the break with the scoreline reading 2-0.

When the second half resumed Pinelands almost immediately made it 3-0 when right-wing Davene Gale-Forde sent a beautiful ball from the right of the field to Chad Massiah but he missed the ball completely.

Paradise continued to let their guard down and Pinelands capitalized on another goal-scoring opportunity in the 44th minute when Chad Massiah deflected a ball which went through Gilkes’ hands and into the back of the nets.

In other encounters in the under-15 division Cox Coaching Academy from Trinidad and Tobago defeated Notre Dame 3-0. Ronaldo Edwards scored two goals and man-of-the match Tyrell Emmanuel scored the other. Tang Parkinson and Kick Start played to a 3-3 draw. Darian Maloney scored two goals for Tang and Jard Maxius the other. While Brandon Sidaway, Elijah Downey and Ramon Walters each scored for Kick Start.

Cliff Gooding-Edghill keeping Tang Parkinson’s defenders at bay during their 3-3 draw.

Meanwhile in the under-17 division games played at the Harrison College ground, Gasparillo Youths from Trinidad and Tobago played against Gall Hill and this ended in a 2-2 draw. Gasparillo striker Levi Garcia scored two goals for the visitors while midfielder Timeko Layne and right-wing Daquon Gill scored one goal each for the home boys. Whitehall Football Academy defeated Cosmos 3-1 with Barbados under-17 player and striker Rashad Phillips scoring two goals and team-mate Shaquan Joseph scoring the other. Nathan Broomes managed to pull one back for his team but by then it was too late.

Barbados Soccer Academy thrashed Empire 6-1 in a one-sided encounter. Rashad Grant scored two, Jadan Norville, Deyonte Monroe, Edward Okey and Romario McDonald scored one each. Shanell Osbourne was the lone goal scorer for Pro Shottas. The game between Pro Shottas and Paradise ended in a 1-1 draw with Shaquille Harewood scoring for Paradise and Gabriel Best for Pro Shottas.

More photos available in our 15/04/2014 digital ePaper at http://epaper.barbadostoday.bb.

All is not well with the Barbados Football Cup which goes into its final stages tomorrow.

And director George LasCaris has attributed the problems experienced over the past few days in the tournament to the “dark side” of some of those on whom such an event would have depended.

George LasCaris

The longtime football organizer and administrator has had to conduct this year’s competition without linesmen and Lascaris has complained that these football officials have basically been trying to overchrage organizers.

Speaking to Barbados TODAY LasCaris said this was the first time this situation had occurred and was due to local linesmen deeming the 2014 Barbados Football Cup an international meet and thus requesting additional moneys.

“The linesmen felt this was an international tournament and they wanted to be paid a rate that was not commensurate with their ability or experience and we refused. We had eight referees last year’s tournament who were paid over $285 for refereeing the under-13 and under-15 matches and two referees who were paid $340 for refereeing the under-17 and under-19 matches.

“The linesmen this year decided that this was not enough for them and some of them don’t even get that for a whole year in the BFA [Barbados Football Association] competition but I guess because we have international teams coming that they felt this was an opportune time . . . ,” LasCaris said.

WIBISCO manager and parent of one of the players in the tournament Clifford Gooding-Edghill told Barbados TODAY that for a competition called the Barbados Football Cup to be played without linesmen was very poor.

“This is very poor and embarrassing and for a cup which bears the name or is labelled as the Barbados Football Cup. The officials should be wearing identification cards so that the players and even the parents could know who they are. And yet still we say we want our football to be better but we need to look carefully at these things,” he said.

However LasCaris said the show had to go on and organizers did not intend to let the unavailability of linesmen adversely affect the longstanding tournament which has been in existence for 27 years.

“All the games are being played to their natural conclusion and the referees who have turned up I thank them sincerely because they have done a good job under trying circumstances. Every coach wants to win and they try every trick when they are no linesman to put pressure on the referees
for him to call it their way. But the referees have been professional, hard-working, and abused, but they have stuck to their guns,” LasCaris stressed.

Even though the BFA is not affiliated with the tournament in any way, LasCaris said he had received tremendous support from the National Sports Council which had used its coaches to coordinate the tournament.

He noted the Barbados Football Cup was the longest running football tournament on the island and had come a long way. He said he was very pleased with the progress made but added they still need some much needed assistance.

“I am very pleased because we started with eight teams in two age groups at one venue when the tournament first started and now we have sixty teams in five different age group for boys and one for women at six different venues. However we still need help because the finances have escalated,” LasCaris said.

Looking ahead to next year he said that the committee would be looking to limit the number of Barbadian teams.

“The committee is recommending that we limit the number of Barbadian teams so that if you place first to fourth in the local BFA competitions you automatically get the opportunity to play in the Barbados Football Cup which is the qualifying bar. We are trying to get more teams out of Canada and the United States so that you can’t just come and play in the BFC. You have to earn your play. That would only become a reality if we get the finances
to continue next year,” LasCaris said.

Please see also Pages 44 & 45 of our 17/04/2014 digital ePaper at http://epaper.barbadostoday.bb.

The stage is now set for an exciting finale to the 2014 Barbados Football Cup at the National Stadium tomorrow.

Several teams have booked their places in the finals and among these are Barbados Soccer Academy (BSA) who won a penalty shootout 4-3 over Pro-Shottas in the under-17 semi-finals showdown today. 

Defending champions BSA stamped their authority early in the 22nd minute of play at the Harrison College ground when the ball went over midfielder Torian Went’s head to the far post on the left of the field and Jadon Norville was there to finish the job as he headed the ball past Pro-Shottas’ goal keeper Jerome Blackman.

BSA extended their lead in the 32nd minute when a clearance from goalkeeper Codee Scantlebury bounced over midfielder Zaid Quintyne’s head and was headed on by striker Carl Hinckson who used his speed to get clear on goal and then sublimely lobbed Pro-Shottas goalkeeper Blackman for a sensational finish. At half time the score was 2-0 and at this stage many believed that BSA would secure an easy victory.

Antoine Greaves of Pro Shottas (left) was brought to the ground by the KFC Pinelands defenders.

But Pro-Shottas came out in the second half with a different approach to their game where they were pushed the ball more up the field and often kept possession for lengthy periods. It was just a matter of time before they were rewarded for their industry and it came in the 60th minute through midfielder Quintyne who received an overhead pass from defender Albert Collymore and took a shot at goal but the ball was fumbled back into play by the BSA goalkeeper. This allowed Quintyne to follow through and score from the error.

In the 70th minute Pro Shottas’ confidence grew even more when midfielder Akeil Smith received a through ball from midfielder, D’Cangelo Ward which Smith cut back and right booted past the BSA custodian. There were ten minutes of extra time and both teams failed to add a goal which meant that the game went down to penalties which went BSA’s way.

Gall Hill would be the team standing in BSA’s way of retaining the championship after they defeated Cosmos 2-0 to secure their berth in the finals. The Christ Church-based team began their quest when the ball was played over the top by midfielder Rajohn Oxnard from the left of the field to striker Khalil Gill who slammed the ball to the right of Cosmos’ goalkeeper Donte Hinds in the 41st minute.

A couple minutes later in the 58th minute Oxnard played the ball to the left of the field to striker Shaquan Newton who then right-booted the ball to the left corner of the goal bars and past a diving Hinds.

A new champion will definitely be crowned in the under-15 division after last year’s champions Barbados Soccer Academy were defeated 1-0 by Cox Coaching Academy (CCA) out of Trinidad and Tobago in today’s semifinal.

Playing at Weymouth, the visitors were impressive and it came as no surprise when a deft pass from midfielder Tyrell Emmanuel from the left of the field eluded three of the BSA defenders and found striker Ronaldo Edwards who crashed the ball to the right of BSA’s goalkeeper Akeem Scott and into the back of the nets.

The Trinidadians will come up against local team Pro-Shottas who won over KFC Pinelands 1-0 thanks to an excellent goal by midfielder Aluko Callender. 

 The Barbados Football Association is sending out a referees SOS.

And as the BFA’s referees’ manager Mark “Bob” Forde highlighted the growing concern, he told Barbados TODAY the officials workload had increased particularly this year because of the introduction of the reserve league being played on Fridays.

Mark ‘Bob’ Forde

“The reserve league now plays on Friday, so that day has now become one of our more active days. We end up playing premier league reserve which is five, first division reserve which is six and division two reserves which is four, which are fifteen additional matches in total on Fridays. So the workload has increased in terms of the days that officials referee, especially Friday which was once an off-day for the referees.

“Our challenge is that we have division one games which are refereed by senior officials and for all the division one matches we provide officials and these are six matches, so it means we have 18 officials. And sometimes we have division one matches playing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Then we have the premier league which plays on Sundays, Thursdays and Tuesdays and because these referees are involved in both, you can see where they would be refereeing sometimes one or two or three or four games a week which we do not want. But the problem is that we do not have enough referees,” Forde said.

He added that in addition to premier league and division one games being played, the referees also had to referee youth, schools and masters football which were being played at the moment.

Forde, who took up the post as head of the referees’ body two years ago, said that instead of not sending a referee to a match because they wanted to give the referee rest, they would rather give the referee an additional game to ensure the game had a referee to avoid situations that resulted in violence because of the official’s absence.

“We only have 45 to 58 active referees this year and these persons have to do thousands of matches a year and there is no getting away from it. I have said to the referee department at the BFA that I am concerned because the referees are not getting good rest and some of them are going to some games tired and if you are tired your concentration level would not be that high as when you would have been rested which can cause mistakes on the job.”

Forde, a long-serving FIFA referee, said one of the suggestions the BFA came up with was to conduct a referee recruitment course which would encourage more individuals to get involved in refereeing.

He noted that previously clubs were able to enter teams in all three forms of competition, inclusive of the premier league, division two and division three, which allowed clubs to have at least three teams in a season which the BFA association felt defeated the purpose.

“We felt that a team should only be playing in one division but what we wanted to do was to allow teams to have the number of players that would still be able to play for the main team, like for instance if you have a division two team, players would still be able to play for the main division two team but if they have a spillover of players, these players can play in a league among themselves and then the coaches can use that reserve league to bring on players who may be performing well in the reserve league.

“And also if players become injured coaches can pull players from the reserve league to replace the players in the main league and we felt that this was a better way to ensure that we improve the standard of football and add some credibility to the division. By doing that we were able to reduce the number of teams but people feel we have increased the number of teams. Before you used to have four zones in division two but now that we have the reserve league we are now down to three zones,” Forde explained.

Forde revealed the BFA would be holding a referees course in July to attract individuals to refereeing which could turn into a potential career.

“We are targeting about 20 to 30 recruits and we will be putting it into the media, schools and the police force in order to get young individuals to man the sport because we seriously need to increase the number of referees we have to match the number of matches we are now called upon to officiate,” he said.

Every aspect of football needs improvement within the region, says FIFA referee instructor and development officer, Peter Prendergast.

Peter Prendergast

He told Barbados TODAY this during the  closing ceremony for the FIFA Futuro III referee programme for technical and fitness instructors at Infinity Hotel on the Beach, St Lawrence, where 36 regional instructors received their certificates.

“In the Caribbean in particular there is work that needs to be done. The professionalizing of the environment in which the referees operate needs attention by the member associations and the fields and conditions are not necessarily the best that we have to work with. The entire game needs improvement and all will improve together once the professional approach and environment gets better,” Prendergast said.

According to the development officer, even though the region received support from football’s main body FIFA, the support from the government in each country was important.

“Football is for the world and is one of the sports that brings all classes and races together and therefore from a social aspect it is very important that governments also understand the importance of the development of the game within the region. And I am speaking not just for football as a sport, but for sports in general. I would encourage the member associations to engage their governments more,” Prendergast said.

Six referees instructors from Barbados took part in the course which was conducted over the past six days. The instructors were taught about new teaching modules, demonstration of the methodology during the classroom and field exercises.

Barbados Football Association referees’ manager, Mark “Bob” Forde said the course was very beneficial and would be very interactive when they have their sessions with the elite referees using the various modules and technology.

“In Barbados we have three FIFA referees and two FIFA assistant referees and it is our responsibility to work with them to get their levels even higher so they can compete with the best referees in CONCACAF, bearing in mind that the best referees in CONCACAF seem to be the American, Mexican and Costa Rican officials.”

The next FIFA Futuro III course is scheduled to take place in July in Jamaica. (ML)

The KFC Champions Cup will be carrying a new format this year, says Mark “Bob” Forde of the Barbados Football Association.

During the launch of the knockout tournament held today at the Barbados Olympic Association, Forde said the tournament which includes all leagues from premier to division one, two and three, would not be seeded in an effort to try something different this year. The competition starts May 10 and the final is slated for June 29.

“This year we are not going to seed any teams like last year when we seeded the ten premier league teams. All teams would be placed in the bucket and we will shake and pull to draw the teams. This year we also allowed the division two and three teams to have their playoff first and at different stages bring in the higher teams because it is an open competition and a knockout competition and a team in the lower division coming through to this round feels confident that they could beat a premier league team and they should be given that opportunity,” Forde said.

He added nothing was wrong with the format and that the BFA was simply looking to add some excitement to the tournament by trying something new. He added if the format did not work out they might go back to the traditional format.

First prize winners will receive $20 000 while the runners-up will receive $10 000, the third place play-off winner takes home $5 000 and the fourth place winner will pocket $3 000.

Marketing coordinator of KFC, Shekelia Barrow, said during the draw that her company was very satisfied with what it had seen both on and
off the field.

“We believe in the power of youth and the power of sports and when you put the two together the sky is the limit for KFC,” Barrow said.

Forde said 32 teams would be contesting the knockout tournament. Rendezvous are the defending champions. 

Defending champions Barbados Defence  Force Sports Programme (BDFSP) and Clayton Kola Tonic Notre Dame played to an exciting and entertaining 3-3 draw when the second round of the Digicel-sponsored Barbados Football Association’s Premier League continued at the National Stadium last night.

Playing in the second game of a triple header BDFSP needed vital points to remain secure at the top of the standings. A victory for Notre Dame would have kept them among the top four.

The match was three minutes old when BDFSP scored their first goal. The ball was gently lobbed within the Notre Dame box and Paul Alexander appeared out of nowhere to head it past goalkeeper Carlyle Gill.

After this early goal by the BDFSP, the Bayland side’s back-line of Renaldo Gilkes, Leon Todd and Kimo Seale became more alert and kept the soldiers’ strike force of Mario Harte, Jamal Chandler and Shaquille Steward at bay for the rest of the first half.

Mario Harte dazzled last night for the BDFSP.(FP)

They continued to do so until the 66th minute of the game. It was at that stage that Harte cast a magical spell on the Notre Dame players. He collected the ball about 35 yards outside of the box, ran solo through the center of the field and gently tapped the ball past the goalkeeper. It was a strange goal which had some of the fans wondering if Harte had cast some hypnotic spell on the Notre Dame players who seemed to just stare at him as he snaked through the center.

The strategy of the BDFSP coach all  season has been to lock down the game by fortifying his back-line with fresh defensive substitutes after his team have established a lead over their opponents. Last night was not an exception but it did not work.

Two minutes after Harte’s mesmerizing goal for BDFSP, Leon Todd responded for Norte Dame. He took the ball down the middle as the BDFSP players seemed unsure whether to challenge him. While they made up their minds Todd booted the ball out of the reach of goalkeeper Albert Brathwaite into the nets to make the score 2-1.

One minute later the match was to take a dramatic turn. Hadan Holligan took the ball from the touch line, waltzed down the field and scored the equalizer. It was the second time in the game that player appeared to hypnotize leaden-footed defenders to score.

Both teams went into attack mode with the scores level at 2-2 with the respective play-makers showing their class as they went on the hunt for goals.

In the 71st minute Harte showed why he is one of the most skilled footballers on the island. He collected the ball in the centre, and took it to the right of the field with several Notre Dame players gathered in the box trying to defend the area. The crafty Harte then kicked the ball through the defenders leaving the goal keeper stranded, and perhaps, blinded, as he scored.

The BDFSP had regained the lead and most of the fans might have thought it was all over for Norte Dame. But the boys from the Bayland came storming back and launched a relentless attack on the army men.

Zeco Edmee scored the equalizer in the 85th minute and it was a gem of a goal. He took control of the ball 18 yards outside of the box, danced around a BDFSP defender and cooly kicked it into the back of the net to level the score at 3-3.

In the opening game, Weymouth Wales defeated Silver Sands 3-2. Lloyd Wilkinson scored for Silver Sands in the third minute of the game. Tristan Parris pulled it back for Wales after 23 mintues. Then a double-strike by Carl Joseph in the 47th and 59th minutes ensured victory for Wales.

Pride of Gall Hill won the nightcap game against Mackeson Brittons Hill. A penalty by Jabarry Chandler was enough to give the Christ Church team the victory.

Sadly this match between two tittle contenders did not grip the attention of the modest crowd at the National Stadium as following the entertainment of the previous match between BDFSP and Notre Dame, it simply failed to sparkle.

The Barbados Football Association is about to get a BDS$2 million financial injection from FIFA to assist with its development plans.

This announcement was made today by FIFA development officer for Barbados, Howard McIntosh, during a media briefing at the National Stadium that was also attended by FIFA consultant, Dr Peter Van Gend, president of the BFA Randy Harris, and BFA senior vice-president, Al Walcott.

“Football cannot be successful whether it is here in Barbados [or elsewhere] without partnerships and FIFA will invest over the next six months in excess of two million Barbados dollars in football here in Barbados. I mention this more so from the stand point of FIFA not just coming to the table with just talk, but putting its money where mouths are and to demonstrate that we are here to see the development of football. In so doing we are hoping that the Government and the private sector would come on board to assist the BFA in the development of the game in Barbados,” McIntosh said.

FIFA has also created an Income Generation Programme which is specifically geared towards helping its members develop the sport. McIntosh said FIFA had the opportunity to sit with Harris and the Minister of Sports Stephen Lashley and discuss certain initiatives and objectives. He added that among these were the national grassroots programme and a women’s football development programme. He stated the National Stadium was also discussed and the fact that it had to be rehabilitated. He noted that another topic discussed was government’s objective of pursuing the development
of a sports industry in Barbados.

“Another initiative is to collaborate between the BFA, the University of the West Indies and FIFA to make sure we make good use of the facilities which it has to offer in terms of sports sciences. In terms of games we intend to use their facilities and collaborate with them. It is all about partnerships and UWI has some good plans,” he said.

The FIFA official explained how the funding would be disbursed.

“The BFA would not be getting any of this money, so it is not going into their accounts at all. It will be going into the accounts of other persons that either would be constructing the facility or developing the technology of what we are doing. But the money would not be going to the BFA. It is structured that way for a number of reasons. It ensures fewer people are involved in the process.

“We have contracts with the different persons so the BFA has a monitoring role . . . . We found that works better and obviously we have situations like this in over 209 countries, so we have a fair amount of experience in that and it protects the BFA and the projects,” McIntosh said.

Van Gend said the outcome of the building project would be monitored closely by FIFA. He said in addition to providing seating capacity for fans in phase two of the initiative, commercial space would also be provided as a means of generating revenue for the BFA. This phase is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Harris said the BFA had requested FIFA to monitor the association because it was a necessity not only for football in Barbados but for the country on a whole.

“Basically we have to monitor ourselves on a whole to make sure that FIFA is satisfied with what we are giving back with such a generous donation to the people of Barbados. This facility will not only serve football but we expect that it will serve other sports who are in the same position as the BFA and we expect to provide services for the sporting community at large. So basically the onus is on us to monitor ourselves and make sure we are the pride to football not only in Barbados but the whole of CONCACAF,” he said.

Addressing concerns which FIFA had raised over the progress of the building project at Wildey and the use of funds previously disbursed, Harris said a forensic probe was carried out in February into the affairs of the BFA and the results would be shared with the public very soon. He also added that the BFA hoped that the Income Generating Project would provide them with the kind of financing in the future that would allow them to help the National Sports Council to develop the field at the National Stadium.

The BICO-sponsored National Sports Council’s Primary Schools Football Competition commenced today at Blenheim, St Michael with a record 76 teams entered, 11 of which are private schools.

Co-ordinator for the tournament Adrian Donovan said the interest in the tournament has been growing over the years and the NSC was very pleased with the turnout this year.

“This is the largest number we have had in the history of the competition with five new teams returning to the competition. Interestingly enough, eleven teams are private schools which are the most we have had in a long time. The interest among the private schools has really increased over the last couple of years,” he said.

Donovan told Barbados TODAY that with the growing interest in football at the primary level, the NSC would be looking to keep the young footballers’ interest through special programmes which the council has in place.

“We try to do our best to keep the players interested in football and at the end of the competition we would be selecting the best fifty players from the entire competition and put them in a special group where they receive specialized training from our coaches. They would be invited as a group to go into our annual summer camp, so it is a continuous process. Then they would go into the under-13 development squad and eventually they go over to the Barbados Football Association where they are selected to represent the national teams at the under-15, under-17 or senior team. This is how we keep the kids with the most potential interested and together,” Donavon said.

The coordinator said they were hoping conditions would improve in terms of the weather and have some rain to dampen the outfield in order for the players to have the best playing conditions. He also thanked BICO for their continuous support over the years and especially now in these hard economic times.

Sales manager of BICO, Randy Harris, said his company felt great to be associated with the development of young people and sponsoring the tournament was one way they were achieving this.

Over 341 games will be played throughout the competition which will be divided into eight zones. The top two teams will advance to the next round.

Defending champions Wilkie Cumberbatch will have their work cut out for them against the likes of former four-time champions St Gabriel’s Primary and last year’s losing finalist West Terrace Primary. Several of the schools have taken on coaches to work along with their regular physical education teachers.

Defending champions Wilkie Cumberbatch got off to an excellent start in this year’s BICO-sponsored National Sports Council’s Primary Schools Football Tournament with a 3-0 win over St Ambrose Primary at the Blenheim, St Michael playing field today.

Action in the match between Wilkie Cumberbatch and St. Ambrose Primary.

Those scoring for Wilkie Cumberbatch were Tajio James, Hashim Brewster and Hashim Baker.

Charles F. Broome won 1-0 by virtue of a penalty over St Giles Primary with Ajai Small scoring for the spot.

Belmont Primary brought about their own demise when Jaheim Burgess scored an own goal against St Paul’s Primary. That turned out to be the only goal in the match. George Lamming were also victorious over Luther Thorne with a 1-0 result thanks to Shawneko Moore.

Defender Justin Bostic on the ball for Luther Thorne during their game against George Lamming.

Meanwhile St Cyprian’s Primary and People’s Cathedral which are two of the private schools in the competition took on each other with St Cyprian’s green and white seeming to be camped out in the People’s Cathedral half as they thrashed their opponents 4-1. St Cyprian’s striker Joshua Johnson scored a hat-trick while Roger Jones scored the other. Sylvian Wade scored the lone goal for People’s Cathedral.

St Mary’s Primary had every reason to be ecstatic when they dominated Lawrence T. Gay Memorial to emerge with a 3-0 result. Deacon’s Primary was also in the winning circle defeating Eden Lodge 2-0. St Phillip Primary also recorded a 2-0 win over St Mark’s Primary.

In other matches played around the island, Reynolds Weekes Primary defeated St Martin’s Mangrove 1-0 with Joshua McConney scoring for his team.

A DaCosta Edwards and St Bernard’s Primary played to a 1-1 draw.

 The Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme (BDFSP) defeated the Pride of Gall Hill 12 -11 on penalty kicks when the third-round of the KFC-sponsored Barbados Football Association’s Knockout Tournament continued at the National Stadium last night.

The BDFSP, who are leading the standings in the Digicel-sponsored Premier League and second-placed Pride Of Gall  Hill played an exciting and entertaining game which frequently brought the fans on their feet.

The soldiers strike force led by captain Mario Harte have been scoring goals almost at will in the Premier League, while Gall Hill  has one of the strongest back lines in the competition.

Fans were asking the question if the crafty Harte along with national forward Kyle Gibson and play-maker Romario Harewood, who was returning to the line-up, could unlock the tight Gall Hill defence led by veterans Ramuel Miller and Oscar Nero along with teenagers Ranaldo Bailey and Ramar Millar.

The match began at a rapid pace with each team taking the ball into each other’s half only to have it cleared by an opposing defender.

Jabarry Chandler had the opportunity to put Gall Hill ahead when the match was only 20 minutes old. He penetrated the BDFSP’s defenCe and unleashed a powerful strike at the nets but it was plucked out of the air by goalkeeper Albert Brathwaite.

Ten minutes, later Harte bolted down the  right wing and played the play ball into the centre  where it landed almost on the head of Jamal Chandler (Jabarry’s sibling) who headed it past Gall Hill‘s goalkeeper Omari Eastmond.

After conceding this goal, the  Gall Hill players went on the attack with the strikers receiving good support on the flanks and their defenders trying to get forward into the BDFSP’s fortified half of the field. The pressure paid off as they got the equalizer  in the 44th minute due to an error by the BDFSP goalkeeper Albert Brathwaite who in an attempt to clear the ball dropped it almost at the feet of  Kadeem Latham. He gratefully accepted the gift and booted it past Brathwaite to level the score.

At half-time the score was locked at 1-1. After play resumed, both teams tried to get that vital match-winning goal. Harte was the inspirational leader of the BDFSP as he seemed to be playing in also every position on the field. He almost scored in the 64th minute of the game but his shot at goal was foiled by goalkeeper Brathwaite.

The game was still locked 1-1 at the end of regulation time and 30 minutes more were added. Eight minutes into extra time Romario Harewood skillfully dribbled his way past the Gall Hill defense and hampered the ball past Eastmond to give BDFSP a 2-0 lead.

The BDFSP held the lead until deep into extra time but with eight minutes remaining Jabarry Chandler atoned for his first half mistake. Chandler took the ball from the right side to the left and tapped it past Brathwaite to lock the score at 2-2 and take it into penalty kicks.

The fans at the stadium watched in amazement as 23 goals were scored before BDFSP won 12-11. The game which began at 8 p.m. ended just before midnight. It was almost the first football game on the island to be played over two days.

In the opening match defending champion Rendezvous suffered the ignominy of being booted out of the competition by the UWI. Carlo Perry gave the Cave Hill Campus team the lead after 17 minutes. Vincentian international Myron Samuels leveled the score after 30 minutes. His sibling Shandel Samuels placed  the Christ Church team ahead in the 70th minute. Then Shaquille Layne scored the equalizer for UWI in the 76th minute forcing the game into extra time.

No more goals were scored during the additional time thus the game went into penalty kicks with the UWI winning 4-1.

In the opening match Weymouth Wales whipped Cosmos 7-0. National player Carl Joseph booted home four goals, Ahil Cumberbatch notched a brace 2 and Jadvi Clarke also got on the scoresheet.

The Barbados Football Association is investigating an ugly incident that marred the semi-final match between Frederick Smith and Christ Church Boys Foundation in  the Barbados Secondary Schools’ Football League at Harrison College last Friday evening.

The incident took place after a young footballer was sent off by the female referee. He then proceeded to use obscene language loudly  in front of the teachers and schoolchildren watching the match.

Later, the referee stopped the game and was engaged in a heated exchange with the boy which lasted for several minutes before he left the school’s compound.

The game was won by Frederick Smith 1-0 thanks to a goal by  Sachin Corbin in the 48th minute.  In the opening match St Leonard’s Boys defeated Alexandra  1-0 from a goal scored by Kyle Bascombe.

St Leonard’s and Alexandra will meet in the finals on Thursday. 

West Terrace Primary began their bid for the BICO-sponsored National Sports Council’s Primary Schools Football Competition title on a winning note with a 4-1 victory over Sharon Primary thanks to Jamall Dey who scored a hat-trick.

In the featured game played at Bagatelle, St Thomas today, last year’s losing finalist West Terrace wasted no time scoring early in the first half when striker, Rajani Marshall passed the ball to Dey positioned in the box and he nudged the ball past Sharon Primary goalkeeper, Niko Carter.

The score remained 1-0 at the half-time whistle and on resumption Dey and his teammates went on the attack once more. Alissa Scantlebury came on in place of Marshall in the second half and almost made it 2-0 when she missed a golden opportunity to score with the ball and a yawning goal in front of her. It was Dey, however, who capitalized on another goal-scoring opportunity after Scantlebury missed the ball. He rushed in and stunned the goalkeeper with a powerful right-footed shot to take the score to 2-0.

With the game winding down Sharon Primary tried to get back in the game and midfielder Akil Chrystie was their answer when he volleyed the ball into the danger zone and followed through with a lovely left-footed strike over the head of West Terrace goal-keeper, Jayden Roberts. Sharon’s players looked optimistic that they could pull things back after that goal but that hope was short-lived as West Terrace would breach their defence on two further occasions, inclusive of Dey’s third of the day.

The second encounter was between St Stephen’s Primary and St Silas primary with the former winning 3-0. Once again it was another player scoring a hat-trick, this time St Stephen’s striker Chawee Griffith being the class act on the field.

Diallo Marshall of St. Stephen’s Primary preparing to launch a powerful left foot shot.

In the first-half St Silas goalkeeper Amilion Jordan allowed St Stephen’s to take an early lead when he dropped the ball directly at the mouth of goal and Griffith took advantage of the error by blasting a shot past him. The second goal came as a result of a penalty when St Silas’ Malique Griffith handled the ball in the penalty area and Griffith scored from the charity spot.

The third goal was also as a result of another penalty, this time Jaiden Harvey being the guilty party who handled the ball. Griffith again obliged his team from the spot.

St Matthew’s Primary had a comfortable 4-0 victory over Welches Primary also played at Bagatelle.

Tristan Foster of St. Matthew’s Primary clears the ball with this powerful header during the game against Welches Primary.

Attacking mid-fielder Nadre Butcher was also on the ball scoring three goals for his team with the first coming through a penalty. The second goal came when striker Tre Riley passed the ball from the left of the field to Butcher who volleyed the ball and scored sensationally goal past the Welches custodian Jahmali Codrington.

At the start of the second period St Matthew’s wasted no time adding another goal when Butcher sent in a cross from the right side to striker Koby Whaite who made it look so easy when he dribbled the ball past the goalkeeper and into the net.

Butcher completed his hat-trick when he pushed the ball up the field, lobbed it over the heads of the Welches defenders and into the goal bars.

Cuthbert Moore stomped all over Mount Tabor with a crushing 6-0 victory at Gall Hill, St John.

Kevin Wickham led the onslaught with a brace of goals while Mount Tabor’s besieged custodian Alan Atkins also had efforts from Raheem Wickham, Tyrone Bailey and Shakron Jack elude him and find their way into the back of the nets.

In action at Speightstown, Honour Bradshaw’s double-strike was enough to give All Saints Primary a 2-0 win over Ignatius Byer. Also at the same ground Selah Primary defeated Gordon Greenidge 3-1.

At Market Hill, St. Jude’s were in attack mode throughout their encounter against St George Primary and were rewarded with a 3-0 victory. Lemar Catlyn, Teondre Hinkson and Shavon Blenman got on the scoresheet for the winners. Also at the same venue, Hilltop defeated Workman’s 3-0.

At Wotton, Jadeon Gamble netted for St Lawrence Primary while Kaleel Waithe found the back of the nets for St Christopher Primary in a 1-1 draw.

In another result today at Speightstown, Roland Edwards’ Jaquan Watson and Tanas Thorne scored to give their school a 2-0 win over Half Moon Fort Primary. 

It is early days yet in the BICO-sponsored National Sports Council’s Primary Schools Football Competition but already there have been a number of outstanding team and individual performances.

Several youngsters who took part in the tournament last year have moved on to secondary school but many who lit up the competition in 2013 are still to to be found among the hundreds representing more than 70 schools in the tournament.

Today at the Barbados Lumber Company Ground the lads from Westbury Primary were all poise and purpose as they ran Grazettes Primary ragged
en route to an emphatic 5-0 victory.

Barbados TODAY was there, as it will be across the island throughout the competition, and brings this pictorial review of today’s match-up between the two St Michael schools.

Goal-scorer Javone Skeete heading the ball away from the Grazettes defenders.

Westbury’s Marquel Chandler dribbles past the Grazettes Primary defender, almost leaving him in the dust.

Striker Zuhri Morris (number 9) blasts a goal past Grazettes Primary’s goalkeeper Tyreke Scantlebury.

Westbury Primary announced themselves today with an emphatic 5-0 win over Grazettes Primary in the BICO-sponsored National Sports Council’s Primary School Football Competition.

Playing at the Barbados Lumber Company Ground, Westbury grabbed an early lead when midfielder Jahmali Hutson, who scored two goals in the game and was a constant menace to the Grazettes’ defenders, passed the ball to unmarked striker Zuhri Morris who found an opening in the box and launched a powerful right-foot shot past Grazettes goalkeeper Tyreke Scantlebury.

That was the start of Westbury’s dominance and they never relented, even though some robust defending from Grazettes kept the scoreline at 1-0 going into the half-time break

When the second half resumed Westbury wasted no time in adding another goal through “man” of the hour Hutson. He picked up a pass outside the 18-yard box, dribbled past three Grazettes defenders as though they were in class preparing for the 11-Plus and scored a gem of a goal from just outside the box.

The pressure was now on for Grazettes to come from two-goals down and their offensive mind-set left them vulnerable in defence. Another foray into the Grazettes’ area resulted in another opportunity for Hutson, who,  from close range, side-footed a shot past the hapless Grazettes custodian for his second goal.

Westbury controlled most of the ball possession and Grazettes had to work very hard even to get the ball out of their half. The frustration was clearly seen when Grazettes Primary did get possession and they frequently gave away unnecessary corners while trying to clear the ball out of danger.

Westbury took full advantage of these corners awarded to them and on one such occasion Hutson crossed the ball from the left corner and center-back Javonne Skeete was in position to back-heel the ball into the net for goal number four.

Grazettes were dead and buried and the last rites soon arrived when Westbury Primary added goal number five through Jamar Glasgow who delivered a curling left foot shot past Scantlebury and into the back of the nets.

At Chapel, Jamario Moore blasted a hat-trick to lead Gordon Walters Primary to an overwhelming 7-1 victory over Society Primary.

Society’s goalkeeper Tyrelle Waldron made a few timely saves, without which, the Christ Church school might have easily reached double figures. Tyrese Yard netted a brace while Rickeel Jackman and Joshua Rice got in on the feast with a goal each. Azario Wiltshire notched a consolation goal for his school.

In a much closer contest also at Chapel, goals from Zion Leacock and Shakio Clarke earned Blackman and Gollop a hard-fought 2-1 win over St Marks for whom Jahmali Edwards scored.

At Shorey Village, a double-header saw St Elizabeth Primary drawing 1-1 with St Joseph Primary, while A. Dacosta Edwards brushed aside Chalky Mount Primary 5-1.

In the latter game Keshon Thompson scored twice and threatened frequently to increase that tally. His team-mate Ialpha Nedd also got past Chalky Mount custodian Javier Marshall. Chalky Mount contributed to their demise by gifting A Dacosta Edwards two own goals. Javanni Marshall scored for Chalky Mount. In the other game Desron Franklyn’s goal for St Joseph Primary was cancelled out by St Elizabeth’s Jakeem Noel’s strike.

At Rices, St Philip, St Martin’s Mangrove defeated St Philip’s Primary 2-0 compliments of goals from Amari Griffith and Jaden Aimey.

Hilda Skeene got their campaign off to a bright start with a 2-1 result over Reynold Weekes. It was a case of two evenly matched sides, where a defensive error or moment of opportunistic excellence would have been the decisive factor. Joshua McConney got one past Lashawn Williams and could have scored a few more.

Hilda Skeene had a number of opportunities as well and made two of them count, Tyrique Nurse and Renikko Lyte-Griffith being the deliverer of the goals.

Four matches were played at Blenheim with George Lamming delivering the most crushing defeat when they mauled the People’s Cathedral 5-0. Chrislon Greene netted twice for his school and there were also goals for Zane Knight and Shakobe Bentham, as well as an own goal.

Substitute Stanton Gilkes made a case for a starting role with a brace for Wilkie Cumberbatch in their 4-1 victory over St Paul’s Primary. Tajio James and Jaffari Trotman added to the goal tally while St Paul’s best effort found the back of the nets thanks to Rhemar Simmons.

St Cyprians’ Malachi Butcher, Joshua Johnson and Jordan Reifer each got on the scoresheet as they defeated Charles F. Broome 3-0.

In the game between St Giles Primary and St Ambrose, goals from Dean Greaves and Kareem Callender gave the Ivy, St Michael school a 2-0 victory. 

St Stephen’s Primary joined the list of ten schools that have played unbeaten so far in the BICO-sponsored National Sports Council’s Primary Schools Football Competition when they defeated St Matthew’s Primary 1-0 today.

Playing at Bagatelle, St. Thomas today, St. Stephen’s began piling on pressure on St Matthew’s defenders from the start of the game. The youngsters from St. Matthew’s appeared leaden-footed and had to be encouraged frequently by their coach to clear the ball from their area.

St Stephen’s had a few good passes, more so than St. Matthew’s did and this caused much anxiety for St Matthew’s. Nervousness eventually led to St. Matthew’s gifting St Stephen’s a penalty in the first half after an unnecessary infringement. Chewee Griffith stepped up to the line and placed the ball to the left of St Matthew’s goalkeeper Kwame Patton who got a finger to it but was unable to hang on.

Striker Chewee Griffith blasting home a goal for St Stephen’s Primary.

When the second half resumed St Stephen’s did not change their game plan and should have added to their tally with the several opportunities created. But St Matthew’s defenders showed greater pluck in the second half and were able to keep St. Stephen’s at bay. But the one goal was good enough for St. Stephen’s to take their second victory in the competition.

Midfielder Nadre Butcher (with ball) of St Matthew’s Primary had a good game today.

Among those who have played unbeaten so far in zone one are All Saints who defeated Roland Edwards 2-0 in Speightstown today. Half Moon Fort Primary had two victories going into their match today against Selah Primary but found themselves on the wrong end of a 7-0 thrashing.

Last year’s losing finalist West Terrace Primary, playing in zone two, defeated St Silas 2-0 at Trents, St James to show they will be title-seeking once again. Also in zone two St James Primary registered their second win when they dismantled Eagle Hall Primary 5-0.

Ellerton, who are in zone five, also had something to smile about when they demolished Hill Top Preparatory 6-1 on home turf. Another unbeaten school from St George playing in zone five is St Jules, and they buried Mount Tabor 3-0.

Another zone five contender, Arthur Smith Primary, won 2-0 against St Christopher Primary in convincing fashion. Milton Lynch also won easily over St Winifred’s despite the 1-0 scoreline. St Lucy Primary’s Agape Henry and Ignatius Byer’s Recarlo Boyce each scored as their schools played to a 1-1 draw. Sharon Primary were victorious over Good Shepherd Primary 3-0.

At Gall Hill, Anthony Alleyne’s brace and Amir Gustave’s strike  gave Bay Primary a 3-0 win over St. John Primary. Wills Primary’s Abiola Grant found the back of the nets twice and  Sebastian Thompson added a third as they easily got the better of St Angela’s Primary 3-0.

St Bartholomew’s classy Tyreeke Rice scored a hat-trick and Thierry Jones added a brace as they hammered St. Lawrence 5-1 at Wotton. Brandon Riley scored a second-half penalty to salvage a little pride for his team-mates. Gordon Greenidge won 2-0 over Boscobel and Welches Primary defeated St Albans Primary 1-0 in the other games played.

Their motto is Fear God, Think Clean, Aim High. To that can now be possibly added – Keep Cool. 

St Leonard’s Boys’ held their nerve amid high drama and excitement to score a sudden death goal against Frederick Smith and snatch victory in the finals of the Coca Cola Barbados Secondary Schools Under-16 Football League at Harrison College today.   

St Leonard’s Boys’ had won all of their matches prior to the finals and they were bubbling with confidence and  imposed their authority on the Frederick Smith team from the start of the game. Captain Akobi Bell and Christopher Shepherd marshaled the defensive positions with much aplomb and created a formidable wall that the Frederick Smith lads could not penetrate.

The St Leonard’s attack led by Chrishawn Browne went on the hunt for goals from the outset. In the 16th minute, following an infringement, Shepherd took the resulting free kick that found the feet of Browne who booted it into the back of the nets.

Frederick Smith pressed forward trying their upmost to equalize but St Leonard’s defence kept them at bay. The skills of the young footballers from St Leonard’s were very apparent and frequently brought approving comments from the big crowd  on the sidelines.

Their dominance suggested that it was only a matter of time before St Leonard’s scored again and their second goal duly came in the 25th minute when Shaquille Browne dribbled a player off a free kick, passed to Shepherd who danced around the box with  the ball before tapping it into the goal.

But Frederick Smith were not prepared to lie down and play dead. A free kick by Ridon Pilgrim  deep in the St Leonard’s area in the 43rd minute found its way onto the boot  of Shakeim Clarke and he blasted it past goalkeeper Rasheak Williams to make the score 2-1.

In the 70th minute Clake scored a second goal off another free kick by Pilgrim to level the score at 2-2. At the end of regulation time the score was still 2-2.

The game then went into penalty kicks phase but at the end the score was tied 3-3. It was time for the dreaded sudden death. Frederick Smith had first go and their strike at goal was saved by St Leonard’s custodian Williams while Shepherd booted his kick into the back of the nets to win
the match for St Leonard’s and set off wild jubilation among the supporters of the Richmond Gap, St Michael school.

“I am happy for my team. They played unbeaten all season and this is a good victory for my young charges,” coach Fabian Massiah told Barbados TODAY after the game, as the young champions continued to celebrate.

In the third-place playoff that preceded the final, Alexandra defeated Christ Church Foundation 1-0 compliments
of a Russell Taylor goal in the 50th minute.

Please also see pages 36&37 in our 15/05/2014 digital ePaper edition at http://epaper.barbadostoday.bb.

It was described by many at the Harrison College playing field this evening as one of the most exciting finals ever played in the Coca-Cola Barbados Secondary Schools Under-16 Football League.

The evenly matched St Leonard’s Boys and Frederick Smith Secondary teams played their hearts out and were only separated by a sudden-death goal. Alas, there could only have been one winner in the enthralling contest that attracted a large crowd.

Barbados TODAY was there to bring this pictorial review of the game of the tournament.

Javier Cumberbatch of Frederick Smith holding off Rashad Crichlow of St Leonard’s.

Foundation’s Elijah Donney (left) trying to clear the ball under the challenge of Alexandra’s Trisquon Connell during their third-place play-off game.

 

More photos are available on pages 36 & 37 of our 15/05/2014 digital epaper at http://epaper.barbadostoday.bb.

St Cyprian’s Boys exemplified their school’s motto today and showed that they were indeed sure and steady when they succeeded with a 4-0 victory over St Ambrose Primary.

In what was a one-sided affair in the BICO-sponsored National Sports Council’s Primary Schools Football Competition at Blenheim, St Michael, today,  St Cyprian’s were on the attack from early in the first half and never relented until the final whistle.

The first goal came as a result of a cross from the left of the field by midfielder Joshua Johnson and the ball was headed in by centre-back Malachi Butcher.

St Cyprian’s Boys, playing in green and white, created many goal scoring opportunities but failed to capitalize on many of them. This however put St Ambrose’s defenders under pressure and caused them to make a few unnecessary errors.

St. Cyprian’s goal scorer Malachi Butcher on the ball.

The second goal came as a result of a penalty when the ball was handled in the box and Johnson was the lad who placed the ball into the back of the nets to end the first half 2-0.

It seemed St Ambrose had a “handle ball virus” because as soon as the second half resumed a similar infringement occurred and Johnson by virtue of the resulting penalty put the score at 3-0 to the delight of St Cyprian’s fans.

Coming on to the latter stages of the second half St Cyprian’s added another goal when Johnson found an opening and crossed the ball to Zachary Bellamy who scored.

In another exciting thriller, Luther Thorne Primary were victorious 3-0 over St Paul’s Primary.

It was a lovely play by Luther Thorne players Harri Darson who cleared the ball from the left of the field to striker Shem Williams on the right. Williams ran on to the ball from the halfway mark, waltzed inside the 18-yard zone and produced a beautiful goal that sailed into the nets.

Before the first half ended Luther Thorne added another goal when left winger Dorian Harewood found an opening inside the box and scored.

The boys in blue lead 2-0 going into the second half of play and when they resumed almost added another goal when the opposition handled the ball in the box. But thanks to a good save from St Paul’s goalkeeper Roskwon Trotman, the score remained the same.

Luther Thorne were always on the attack and had about eighty percent of ball possession. Coming on to the end of the game they managed to scrape another goal when Isaiah Carmichael crossed the ball to left wing Jaden Shepherd who then proceeded to volley the ball into the back of the nets.

Joseph Lovell (with ball) of Luther Thorne trying to get through St. Paul’s defence.

Defending champions Wilkie Cumberbatch managed to hold on to a 1-0 victory over a very competitive St Giles Primary who played relatively well despite losing.

Midfielder Tajio James was the lone goalscorer when he volleyed the ball from inside the 18 yard box to beat St Giles’ custodian.

St. Giles’ midfielder Amon Griffith showing good ball control.

The match between Charles  F. Broome Primary and George Lamming Primary was an evenly contested game which ended 0-0.

At Rices, St Philip, Gordon Walters and Reynold Weekes played to a 2-2 draw.  Scoring for Gordon Walters were Jamario Moore and Joshua Price while finding the back of the nets for Reynold Weekes Primary were Renald Brathwaite and Ronaldo Nurse.

West Terrace’s talented Jaheim Headley got a brace of goals as his school defeated St Silas at Trents. At Chapel, Jadon Lucas’ goal for Blackman and Gollop was cancelled out by Nathan McCollin’s for St Philip in a 1-1 draw.

There were goals galore at Shorey Village, St Andrew. Marquez Cadogan got a hat-trick and Tidre Arthur netted two as Hillaby Turner’s Hall defeated St Joseph Primary 5-0.

Zhakobi Lewis scored twice and Trey Mayers netted once as St Elizabeth Primary defeated St Bernard’s 3-1. Rennico Forde scored for St Bernard’s.

Grantley Prescod’s livelier Devonte Richards booted home a hat-trick and Kelon Carrington added a fourth as they thrashed Chalky Mount 4-0.