The Disciplinary Committee of the St. Kitts-Nevis Football Association (SKNFA) has imposed various sanctions against players and the teams of Island Auto Supplies Conaree and Hobson Enterprises Garden Hotspurs arising from an altercation between the two teams following a FA League match held earlier this month at the Warner Park Football Stadium.
The SKNFA Disciplinary Committee views the incident as a serious infringement of the rules and conditions governing the sport of football in the federation, and one which brought the game into disrepute. As such, both teams and several of their players were brought before the Disciplinary Committee following reports submitted by the match Referee, as well as evidence provided by video footage and the testimonies of players.
As a result of the review of the incident, the Disciplinary Committee ruled on several punitive sanctions as follows:
1. Both team clubs, Garden Hotspurs and Conaree, are fined EC$3,500 to be paid before the start of the 2016 – 2017 FA League.
2. Wazim Howe of I.A.S Conaree has been suspended for the rest of the Regular Season and suspension from all games in the Final Four, if necessary. Other affected Conaree players are Glenroy Samuel, who is suspended for five (5) games (Two games suspended under conditions), and Mudassa Howe, who is suspended for five games (All suspended with conditions). Players Glenroy Samuel and Wazim Howe must attend conflict/dispute resolution sessions before the start of the 2016 – 2017 FA League.
3. Garden Hotspurs player Shaquille Adams has been suspended for the rest of the Regular Season and suspension from all games of the Final Four, if necessary. In addition, Javier Gaiton of Hotspurs received a five-game prohibitive sanction, which is suspended with conditions). Ticoy Huggins and Arturo Diaz also received deferred five-game suspensions under conditions. Player Shaquille Adams is required attend conflict/dispute resolution sessions before the start of the 2016 – 2017 FA League.
4. No sanctions were applied to Zelon Morton of H. E. Garden Hotspurs, and Michael Samuel of I.A.S. Conaree, who appeared before the Disciplinary Committee.
A Suspended or Deferred Sanction means that the sanction will come into effect only if the player commits another infringement of a similar nature, in this case, violent conduct.
The Disciplinary Committee sanctions also demand that the two clubs publicly condemn the conduct of their respective players, as well as spectators who got involved, bringing the game into disrepute. The sanctioned teams must also engage in a reconciliation display at a time to be determined by the SKNFA.
The SKNFA affirms that the Disciplinary Committee hearings and processes were conducted in accordance to the SKNFA Constitution and Regulations, and was done also in accordance with the Articles of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.