Tuesday, March 19, 2024

BFA foul

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IT’S? A?FOUL by the Barbados Football Association (BFA) on the national players!And the frustrated footballers are now contemplating seeking legal advice over the delay by the BFA?to pay as promised full stipends for national duty during the Digicel Caribbean Cup first round in St Vincent, earlier this month.Spokesman for the group, Norman Forde, who is also captain of the Barbados team, told the Nation yesterday, that the players are not satisfied with the responses they are receiving from the BFA.“The players still have not paid monies owed to them from in St Vincent when we played in the Digicel Cup. When the manager (Stephen Reid) contacted the president (Ronald Jones), it was said that the monies would be paid and it would not be an issue,” Forde said.“I also personally contacted the vice-president (Sherlock Yarde) from St Vincent and he told me just “play and the players would receive their money on their return home,” he added, noting the  Unhappy that the stipends they received while in St Vincent differed significantly from what was agreed on before they left Barbados, the footballers had threatened to strike on the eve of the opening match against St Kitts-Nevis which ended in a 1-1 draw.Whereas, they were expecting that senior players would receive a daily stipend of US $50 and the junior players would be paid US $35, Forde said the players were extremely surprised when head of delegation, LeVere Richards, acting on behalf of the BFA, gave them US $25 per player.“There was no difference for the captain or senior players. Some of us have over 100 caps and we were paid the same as players, who are not coming into the team. We have been short-changed,” Forde said.Forde revealed that, as captain he had advised the players to be patient but during the past three weeks, they have been been calling him wanting to know when they would get their money.“They have even gone as far as saying, we should contact a lawyer but I don’t think it should reach this far. I don’t think the players are selfish as it is not a big set of money, just $500 to $600.“The players said they weren’t going to strike in St Vincent but would play and represent our country as it would be unfair to the coach (Thomas Jordan), who had really put in a lot of hard work,” he noted.Forde said that they were also given US $25 for each of the two warm-up matches against Dominica at the National Stadium.“I called the BFA office and was told that the BFA council was supposed to be dealing with it. I tried reaching the president (Ronald Jones) but didn’t get him. But two players said they called and were told by another BFA official that “nothing is due to them as we didn’t qualify so what more we want.”When contacted yesterday, BFA’s senior assistant secretary Charles Husbands said the players’ concerns are being addressed.”The BFA’s Executive Council is dealing with the matter and will speak to the players in due course. The captain was informed of this when he called the office but none of the players spoke to me about the matter,” Husbands said.///
NORMAN?FORDE (left) battling with Anthony Cumberbatch for ball possession in a Premier League match during the 2010 local season, is calling on the Barbados Football Association to pay the national footballers the remaining monies due to them for participating in the Digicel Caribbean Cup. (FP)

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