The three-year ban imposed on Greiggs FC’s Shemorie Baptiste for striking referee- Rohan Primus, is not sitting well with the members of the SVG Referees Association.
This was made known by the association’s President- Elron Lewis, in a brief interview, last Tuesday, 15th November.
“We, the members of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Referees Association, are not pleased with the thirty-six months ban… It is not enough; We think it should be more,” Lewis lamented.
Lewis though said that they are “okay” with the other measures taken against Baptiste and his club- Greiggs FC.
Lewis intimated his Association’s next step saying, “We will appeal the ban for the player… We are going to write the General Secretary of the Federation (Devron Poyer), and lodge our appeal.”
The ban on Baptiste was among several decisions taken by the Disciplinary Committee of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation, after the matter warranted their intervention.
Baptiste reportedly hit Primus in the face during a First Division match in the ongoing National Club Championships, on Sunday 6th November, 2022 at the Chili Playing Field in Georgetown.
Baptiste’s team was trailing SV United 2-3 when the incident took place, forcing the premature end to the match. SV United was awarded the match and three points.
That incident did not only leave Baptiste with a three-year ban, but he is required to participate in prescribed remedies of the Disciplinary Committee as a condition to resume his football career.
And Baptiste is not alone in being made to suffer the consequences of his actions. The coffers of the Greiggs FC will be hurt, as they have to fork out a fine of $1000 before their next match.
According to the other conditions released last Monday 14th November, is the “Conditional Suspension,” of the team for the rest of the 2022/2023 National Club Championships.
The ban will be enforced, should any player or official of the Greiggs club indulge in any misconduct during the championships.
The release specified: “Any violation by any player or official of Greiggs FC that brings the game into disrepute for the balance of the 2022/2023 season, the immediate enforcement of a ban that will prevent the Club’s participation in SVGFF sanctioned football activities for twelve months”.
Other conditions include, that Greiggs FC submit two (2) members of their club or community to the Referee Association for training, as well as the full reimbursement of medical expenses that Primus incurred as a result of the incident.
More conditions were laid down by the Disciplinary Committee, making it mandatory that Greiggs Club participates in a sanctioned “Conflict Resolution intervention” to be conducted over the next six-month period.
Furthermore, the Conflict Resolution intervention “workshop shall be organized through or with the knowledge of the SVGFF.”
Currently, Greiggs FC stands at the bottom of the twelve-team table in the First Division of the National Club Championships.