The Barbados Football Association could possibly red card Rendezvous from playing top flight football in response to the club’s continuous inability to field a team for the compeition.
This past Monday night in what was supposed to be the 7 p.m. fixture, they were a no show against defending champions Weymouth Wales who were rewarded three of the easiest match points they will ever earn while Rendezvous forfeited a total of six.
Speaking with Barbados TODAY on the matter, BFA general secretary Edwyn Wood explained that the board had meet with the management of Rendezvous who are awaiting the arrival of six overseas players and hence the association allowed the club to continue playing.
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Edwyn Wood, BFA general secretary.[/caption]
But Wood pointed out that the Christ Church-based unit had more than enough local players registered to make up a full 11-man squad.
“We met with the management of Rendezvous and expressed to them that the type of numbers we saw for the Premier League would not be accepted. They were expecting some overseas players which we understood because we have the applications for the ITC [International Transfer Certificate] in the office, so they were expecting five to six players from overseas. The [players] have not arrived yet, I don’t know for what reason, but we still allowed them [Rendezvous] to continue [playing].
“We couldn’t just stop them from playing because they are procedures to follow. But to their credit they did at least register six to seven more players [local] during the time that we spoke to them at the beginning of the season. But I have no idea what is going on within the club,” Wood said.
In terms of what action or form of punishment BFA will mete out if Rendezvous don’t pull their socks up, the general secretary explained: “If a team defaults I think after three matches they can be dismissed but I will verify that, then the [BFA] can withdraw the team from the competition. The board also reserves the right to act accordingly to however they see fit. It is not a decision I would make personally, it is something the board would have to discuss, and we would have to take it from there. But they have enough players registered in the system that they can play football comfortably without the overseas players they have applied for.”
Rendezvous currently have 28 players registered and a management team of three that comprise manager Adrian Pridee, coach Paul ‘Soup’ Lovell and Nichoela Johnson, the treasurer.
It is a sad situation for the once formidable Rendezvous side which dominated domestic football at a time when they were coached by the late Randolph Cox and captained by former national player Jeffery Williams who was well supported by a veritable bomb squad that included Gregory ‘Lalu’ Goodridge, Wayne Sobers and former national number one goalkeeper Kerry Holder among many others.
They won the 2013 knockout competition when they were at their prime and caused opposing teams headaches with their smooth, attacking and electrifying pace similar to what is being displayed in the 2018 league season by zone one leaders Weymouth Wales who are currently on 19 points.
On the actual field of play Wales are currently six points ahead of Paradise who pulled off a 2-1 90-minute thriller during their last encounter on Sunday against Crane and Equipment Ellerton to move into second position on 13 points, just one point ahead of Brittons Hill United Football Club who are in third place on 12.
The race is on for the league trophy between Wales and former three-time kings Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme who continue to lead zone two with 18 points. The bottom of the table is usually interesting and in zone two it looks like the troubled Rendezvous currently sitting in a relegation sixth position could decide their own faith having registered a mere three points so far this season. They played seven matches, lost four and drew three with 26 goals against and 11 for.
morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb
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