By PAUL-ANDRE WALKER, Staff ReporterTHE JAMAICA FOOTBALL Federation (JFF) has acted quickly following Wednesday's controversy in the Wray and Nephew National Premier League.
Waterhouse, Rivoli and Star Cosmos have all been summoned to an emergency meeting of the JFF's competitions' committee today at 1:00p.m.
The committee will look into the allegations brought to the public forum by Rivoli United during the match between Waterhouse and Rivoli at Drewsland on Wednesday.
The game stood at 1-1 at the half-time interval and Rivoli were competing well up to that point.
Upon resumption the Rivoli team let in two goals and looked a despondent bunch. After the game Rivoli's coach Bradley Stewart made allegations that thugs had invaded his team's dressing room and meted out physical abuse on himself and his players. The actions of the waterhouse fans was given as one of the reasons for Rivoli's poor second half performance.
"After half time it was difficult to play under those conditions and feel secure," Stewart said.
The allegations went even further to suggest that the actions of the Waterhouse fans were not unknown to the Waterhouse organisation, warranting desciplinary action.
"It must have been organised, for six people to invade the changing room and intimidate you like that. It's cause for serious action on the part of the JFF. This is not the first time that Waterhouse have been involved in incidents like that ... no team should be exposed to this," said Stewart.
However, word coming from both the Waterhouse camp and the security personnel at the game deny the claims of Stewart.
Corporal Leslie who was in charge of Police Security denied any knowledge of the incident.
"I was there and I didn't see that ... and no one reported that to me," Leslie told the Star in response to queries that Stewart and some of his players were hit by thugs.
The officer went on to state that, "the Rivoli people, in red and black were in an uproar and none of them said anything to us when we asked what was going on. They just grabbed their bags and left, they didn't say anything to us."
Waterhouse team manager Peter Hibbert confirmed the stance taken by the corporal saying:
Sour grapes
"The allegations were brought out into the open. After the half-time interval I saw the Rivoli officials come out with their bags but I don't know what happened," he said.
While Waterhouse executive member Donovan White, in response to the allegations said:
"I wasn't at the game but I know the players and the fans around me and I can assure you that they would never do anything like that...and Rivoli isn't a team you can bully anyway. I think it's just a case of sour grapes."
The committee will also investigate allegations made by Harbour View after their match against Star Cosmos.
During the game a 9-man Harbour View came from behind to play to a 1-1 draw with Star Cosmos, after which the allegation was made that a number of the Star Cosmos players were in fact ineligible.
Investigations by the Star failed to reveal whether or not the allegations were true. However, Star Cosmos', manager Everton Rose did suggest that the allegations could be true and that their financial situation and their iminent relegation meant that the findings were not very important to them.
"We have no sources of income and no sponsorship so it is neither here nor there whether or not they want to take away the points from us," Rose told the Star. Harbour View were not invited to the hearing.
