September 16, 2002
Scholars Appeal Dismissed

On the 28th August 2002, The CIFA Appeals Committee chaired by Alden McLaughlin (having heard the case on 14th August 2002) delivered the much anticipated decision regarding the Scholars Appeal.

The brief facts are that after a protest by Future FC following the final match in the Foster’s National League playoffs last season (whereby Scholars had fielded an ineligible player), CIFA’s Executive Committee carefully reviewed the situation and made a determination that Scholars having committed an infraction of the rules of CIFA, awarded the match to Future with a 2-0 score line. The Executive Committee also ruled that the match in question be replayed on April 17, 2002.

Anthony Akiwumi, legal council for Scholars maintained their argument that they had committed no offence and that notice of the rematch, given to both teams involved, was inadequate.

The committee upheld CIFA’s decision to arrange a rematch, citing that Scholars did not file an appeal until the day following the rematch and did not apply for a stay of the decision. Not only did Future turn up ready for the rematch on April 17th but both teams were also forewarned that if either team forfeited the match by not showing up to play, the team present would be deemed the winner.

The Appeals Committee also stated that they were satisfied based on the evidence presented that “ the Appellant did commit an infraction of the rules of CIFA, in that it played a small portion of the match on April 13th 2002 with an ineligible player…”

The Appeals committee ruled that the Appellant’s (Scholars) claim for loss and damages was entirely misconceived noting that the Appellant seemed to be the author of its own misfortune when they chose not to play the re-match against Future on April 17th 2002.

There were, however, three areas of CIFA’s decision that the committee overturned:-

The award of the match on April 13th to Future by the score of 2-0; that all yellow cards received in the original second leg match would be counted towards player disciplinary records; and that Junior Fisher would be ineligible for the rematch. Those aspects of the executive committee’s decision were quashed.

The Appeals Committee’s decision ended “Accordingly all claims (by Scholars) for loss and damage are hereby dismissed.”