When news broke that Jamaica College (JC) was facing punishment for the use of an ineligible player in the ISSA Walker Cup knockout competition, the Old Hope Road-based institution had hoped that the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) would rule in its favour.
However, the verdict went against the school, leaving JC to come to terms with significant sanctions.
Their fate was decided in just over an hour yesterday as ISSA officials met to determine whether the school had breached the competition’s rules.
JC were found guilty of using professional player Jamone Lyle in their Walker Cup semi-final victory over Mona High.
As a result, the school were removed from Friday’s final against Kingston College and replaced by the Craig Butler-coached Mona.
JC have also been suspended from the Walker Cup for one year, beginning next season, while Lyle has been banned for one year from participating in ISSA schoolboy football competitions.
“We got proof that, yes, Jamone does have a professional contract, hence, based on ISSA rules, he was ineligible to play in the Walker Cup semi-final against Mona,” ISSA Competition Officer Ewan Scott told The Gleaner yesterday.
“Hence, the decision has been taken that Mona will replace Jamaica College in the Walker Cup Finals on Friday,” Scott added.
According to JC principal Wayne Robinson, it was a disappointing day for the school.
“That’s true, and I’m sure there’s going to be depth because of this. There has to be a kind of review of the entire system,” Robinson told The Gleaner.
“Students who are playing under any kind of contract, any kind of arrangement have to be reviewed. What you’re allowed to do as a schoolboy has to be reviewed,” the principal reasoned.
“And so, I think, in my mind, this has opened up a can of worms, and that has to be addressed,” Robinson added.
Robinson said JC were not aware of any professional contract between Lyle and Waterhouse, contrary to claims made by club president Donovan White on Monday.
“I wanted to clarify though that in these interviews that I saw before, it was alluded to that Jamaica College knew of a professional contract with Jamone Lyle,” Robinson said.
“As I’m talking about the Waterhouse president said that the school was informed. This is not true. We were not informed and we’re easy to find,” he continued.
Robinson said Lyle, who has attended the school since age 12, is disheartened by the development.
“He wanted to play, that’s why this happened. He wanted to play for JC and we understand that because we have groomed this boy from when he was 12,” the principal said.
“This boy has been working with us from he was a baby, he’s won all the things he’s come up from. He’s been playing with us for four or five years. He’s just 17, he just turned 17 in July. So, he’s a boy. A lot of things will come out of this as a learning process,” he added.
Lyle also played in JC’s Manning Cup match against St Catherine High, which JC won 3-2.
That result will be overturned, with St Catherine being awarded the points and a 3-0 victory.
ISSA president Keith Wellington, who was at the office but was not part of the meeting, said the rules must be applied consistently.
“The rule is always the rule and with ISSA we try to make sure everyone plays by the same rule,” Wellington told The Gleaner.
Source: Jamaica Gleaner