Sugar Boys and VG United lost their respective appeals, in a judgement handed down by the BVI Football Association (BVIFA) Disciplinary Committee, as several players will receive sanctions of up to seven games and three points deducted from both Sugar Boys and VG United respectively, following a December 3, 2023, mass confrontation that prematurely ended the game played on Virgin Gorda. Photo: BVIFA

The Disciplinary Committee stated that participation in a mass confrontation is one of the gravest offenses in football and that it not only brings the BVIFA into disrepute, but puts members of the public, match officials and team members in danger of being injured. Photo: BVIFA

In its statement on December 23, 2023, the Disciplinary Committee stated that according to the referee’s report, the incident involved 30 to 40 people and involved a number of individuals fighting, and was in fact “a mass confrontation.”

Referee’s report disputed

“The Sugar Boys disputed the referee’s report. They stated that Keron Daniel was not an instigator contrary to the report and that the punishments were too harsh,” the Disciplinary Committee noted.

“The Disciplinary Committee has no power to interfere with the factual findings of the Referee’s Report, except where there is a bad faith, malicious intent, fraud or a grave error, in accordance with the Doctrine of the Field of Play.”

Furthermore, it said the only grave error that the Disciplinary Committee found in the Referee’s Report was that it was noted that Romaine Henry entered the field of play, when in fact Romaine Henry was always on the field of play.

‘Player allegedly left field for a ‘rock’

“The Disciplinary Committee states in the strongest possible terms that participation in a mass confrontation is one of the gravest offenses in football. It not only brings the BVIFA into disrepute, but puts members of the public, match officials and team members in danger of being injured, as evidenced by the example of Keron Daniel leaving the field of play to search for “something” in order to return to the field of play to “defend” himself in the mass confrontation,” the statement said.

“That something happened to be a rock and had he hit someone with that rock, he could have caused severe injury and would have caused the authorities in the Virgin Islands to be wary of events held by the BVIFA and may very well have exposed the BVIFA to civil liability.”

Points deduction

Furthermore, the Disciplinary Committee, finds that it is immaterial as to whether it was Keron Daniel who instigated the mass confrontation or whether it was someone else, participation in a mass confrontation is unacceptable.

“As a consequence, the Disciplinary Committee orders the deduction of 3 points from Sugar Boys and 3 points from VG United,” the statement said. “The individual punishments pursuant Rule 6.5.1 of are broken down as follows:"

1. Keron Daniels shall be banned for 7 matches for participating in a mass confrontation and picking up a weapon.
2. Joshua Ramprashad shall be banned 7 matches for participating in a mass confrontation and charging onto a field of play.
3. T’Khoy Morton shall be banned from 6 matches. He may still perform national duties and attend practices unless the Executive Committee decides otherwise.
4. Quelahni Nickie shall be banned for 6 matches and shall be banned from attending BVIFA-sponsored matches/games for the duration of his suspension, due to the fact that he ran onto the field of play despite serving a suspension from a previous match.
5. Oral Perry shall be banned for 6 matches for participating in a mass confrontation.
6. Andres Bailey shall be banned for 7 matches for participating in a mass confrontation and entering the field of play.
7. Bernard Cumberbatch shall be banned or 6 matches for participating in a mass confrontation.
8. Romaine Henry’s ban is overturned by virtue of the fact that he prevented Keron Daniels from re-entering the field of play with a rock pursuant to Rule 6.5.2.

 The points deductions result in Wolues FC taking over top spot in the standings on 15 points, VG United drop to second on 13, Islanders FC are up to third on 10 points and Sugar Boys fall to fourth on goal difference ahead of Panthers FC, with both teams on 9 points.