SKNFA awaits response from clubs on Chair of Arbitration Tribunal

SKNFA Press briefing

The St. Kitts Nevis Football Association (SKNFA) and three of its member clubs met on Thursday 7th March, 2013 at the Olympic House on Taylor’s Range to determine the Chair of the Intended Arbitration. The face-to-face meeting was requested by the three clubs following notice from the SKNFA of its intention to ask the Court to determine the Chair of Intended Arbitration Tribunal. For the past seven (7) months both parties have been unable to agree on the composition of the Arbitration Tribunal to resolve the dispute. Hence, the meeting appeared to be a last-ditch effort for both parties to agree on the composition of the Arbitration Tribunal without the involvement of the Court.

The meeting was attended by Timothy Morton of Conaree, Ras Daboo Penny of UDC Garden Hotspurs and Donald Freeman S.L Horsford St. Pauls. Also in attendance were Mr. Franklin Maitland and Mr. Denison Paul. The SKNFA was represented by its Legal Advisor Mr. Sylvester Anthony, President Anthony Johnson, Second Vice President Al Edwards, General Secretary Stanley Jacobs and Dexter Tyrell.

The clubs put forward Mr. Eustace John, Deputy Governor General and Mr. Alphonso Bridgewater (in his personal capacity and not as a representative of the National Olympic Committee) as their choices for Chairman of the three-person Intended Arbitration Tribunal. The SKNFA put forward Mr. Stanley Franks, former President of the SKNFA and Mr. Howard McIntosh, Football Development Officer for the Caribbean region as its choices for Chairman of the Intended Tribunal. The clubs rejected outright the nomination of Mr. Stanley Franks and expressed some reservation with Mr. McIntosh’s nomination. However, in an effort move the process along and avoid any further delay in having the matter resolve, the SKNFA through its Legal Advisor informed the clubs as follows: That,

The SKNFA accepts the clubs nomination of Mr. Alphonso Bridgewater, in his personal capacity and not as a representative of the National Olympic Committee, to serve as Chair of the Intended Arbitration Tribunal….please advise us by return mail as to your proposed next steps for securing Mr. Bridgewater’s acceptance of this appointment and for nomination of the remaining members of the panel.

As of 4 PM Thursday 21st March (two weeks later) no response has been received from the clubs.