STEP ASIDE until your upcoming court case is over!
That’s the mandate from a number of council members to embattled president of the Barbados Football Association (BFA), Randy Harris.
The directive was given after a special meeting, which Harris chaired on Wednesday night at the BFA’s headquarters in Fontabelle, came to an abrupt end.
Investigations by WEEKEND SPORT reveal that five council members signed a petition requesting a special meeting, as mandated by the association’s constitution, and it was hastily convened.
The main agenda item was addressing violence in football following a televised brawl between footballers from Christ Church teams Pride of Gall Hill and Silver Sands which resulted in two-year bans for two of the combatants. A third player has been debarred from playing in any BFA-sanctioned tournament?until he appears before the BFA’s disciplinary council.
However, it is understood that after there was discussion about that incident, the pending court case involving Harris and former BFA general secretary Chris Graham was brought up.
Harris and two other council members had been questioned by police over an alleged assault of Graham at the association’s office last September 10.
But a council member who attended Wednesday’s meeting said Harris did not entertain discussion on the matter which is before the court.
“It is not good for the administration of football and fair for the BFA to have a situation where our leader has to go to court to answer an assault charge but the association which he heads is banning young footballers for fighting and general bad behaviour,” said the council member, who requested anonymity.
Harris is to appear at the District “A” Magistrates’ Court on June 26 on a charge of assault.
“We, as a council, must not be seen as setting double standards that can have an impact on the football society.
“We are not asking for Harris to resign at this stage, but all those persons who are actively involved in the assault case . . . should step aside until the court does its business and the matter is cleared,” he contended.
“Let us lead by setting the right example,” he added.
When contacted yesterday, Harris declined to comment on the matter.
