JC pay heavy price

WHEN NEWS broke that Jamaica College were in trouble and facing punishment for the use of an ineligible player in the Walker Cup KO competition, the Old Hope Road-based school were hoping that the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) would find it favourable to rule in their favour.

However, they were left on the wrong side of the law as when the verdict was delivered. JC were left singing the blues.

Their fate was decided in just about an hour yesterday.

JC were found guilty of using a professional player, Jamone Lyle, in their Walker Cup semi-final win over Mona High.

As a result, they were booted out of this Friday’s final against Kingston College and will be replaced by the Craig Butler coached Mona High.

JC were also given a one year suspension from the ISSA Walker Cup competition starting next year.

Lyle has also been suspended for a 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’s competition officer Ewan Scott told STAR Sports 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’s principal, Wayne Robinson, it’s a disappointing day for the school.

“There has to be a kind of review of the entire system,” Robinson told STAR Sports.

“Students who are playing under any kind of contract, any kind of arrangement has 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 says JC were not aware of any professional contract between Lyle and Waterhouse, contrary to what club president Donovan White said on Monday.

“I want to clarify though that in interviews that I saw before, it was alleged that Jamaica College knew of a professional contract with Jamone Lyle,” Robinson said.

“ ... The Waterhouse president said that the school was informed. This is not true. We were not informed and we’re easy to find,” he added.

Robinson says Lyle, who has attended the school from age 12, is very disheartened by the latest 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.

“He has been been playing with us for four or five years. He’s just 17, so he’s a boy,” he added.

Lyle also played in the Manning Cup match against St Catherine High which JC won 3-2. That result will be reversed with St Catherine getting the points by a three-goal margin.

ISSA president, Keith Wellington, who was at the office but not a part of the meeting says the rule is always the rule.

“The rule is always the rule and with ISSA we try to make sure everyone plays by the same rule,” Wellington said.