Just three games in and Jabarry “Papi” Chandler is already creating havoc.
Both Premier League clubs Porey Springs and Weymouth Wales are protesting the national striker’s playing status in light of the fact that Chandler moved from Wotton to Empire well after the January 19 transfer window.
Porey Springs president Ethan Griffith confirmed the news after meeting with the Barbados Football Association (BFA) earlier this week following a 1-0 loss to Empire.
But BFA president Randy Harris cleared the air, having granted Chandler’s transfer from Wotton due to a ruling his executive made with relation to players who denied entry into the Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme (BDFSP).
“Last year a lot of players who were recruited to play in the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) programme were only turned down after our transfer window so we at the board made a decision we won’t keep the players in limbo and if this happened in the future then we would allow the players to be transferred after the date,” explained Harris.
“It is our fault because what happened we did not notify the members of the decision made by the board but the minutes are here documented but there seems to be some consternation because our senior vice president sits on the Empire board, so people feel we are giving them an unfair advantage.
“We’re trying to be fair to everyone and Chandler had all reason to believe that he was going to play for the BDF because he was recruited by them but he was let go after the transfer date so when our general secretary received a transfer form from Wotton he simply used his initiative from what we decided last year,” Harris added.
The situation has caused quite a stir after the gifted goal-scoring forward made his season debut against Porey Springs despite holding a current player ID card with Wotton.
Chandler went on to help Empire hold on for a 1-1 draw with defending champs Wales before also taking the pitch against BDFSP.
“We lost the game and only after the game the next day we found out the status of the player as he’s still registered with another club due to the fact that he registered after the transfer window had closed,” reasoned Griffith.
“We had our protest meeting with the BFA back at their headquarters on Monday night but they didn’t make a decision there as yet so we have discussed seeking legal counsel for future matters like this but I can’t say too much because we’re looking to meet [tonight] as a club.”
Apparently Chandler was overseas playing professionally in Antigua and thus missed the first transfer window of October 1 to December 15 last year.
But he seemingly returned home in time to make the one-day window on January 19, only to be denied acceptance into the BDF Sports Programme sometime after.
“Jabarry told me he was trying to get into the BDFSP but they didn’t take him so he told me to register him but he then didn’t turn out to play the next day and then is when Empire started calling me asking for a transfer form for him,” recalled Wotton manager Glen Gibbons.
“I went for a transfer for another guy but was told the date was gone yet the Empire men still came to us on the pasture April 18 to get his transfer signed.
“Our president told me not to bother about it and we made the transfer that night.”
Empire are in sixth in Zone 1 with seven points behind group leaders Wales on 19. Porey Springs are fourth in Zone 2 with five points. (JM)
