BFA turn down transfers
players seeking to leave one soccer club for another, The Royal Gazette can reveal.
And one club, Somerset Cricket Club, stands to reap as much as $20,000 if clubs to which their players wish to join decide to go through with the process that demands that compensation be paid to clubs losing members who have come through their junior ranks.
However, that figure would appear but a pipe dream for the west end club, with seven of the eight who were denied requests involving movement to the cash strapped Somerset Bridge Recreation Club.
It would hardly appear that Bridge could come up with the $17,500 required to foot the bill for what amounts to a group of seven -- mostly young -- players loaded with potential, but lacking experience at the senior level.
Still, Bridge have the option of appealing the ruling handed down by the BFA transfer objection tribunal and the players than have the option of returning to Somerset or sitting out the season.
The players in question include speedy striker Lamaul Crofton, Sean Simmons, Marco Butterfield, Jerome Coddrington, Akil Lambert, Arthur Tucker and Shannon Morrissey, of which only Crofton played a major role with Somerset's first team last season.
The other to be rejected was Najee Woods, who was seeking to latch on at Prospect.
Meanwhile, Somerset received severe blows with the allowance of free transfers for more established players Rodney Bascome, Reggie Tucker, Trevor Dickinson and Jerry Webb, with the tribunal seeming to adopt the stance that the quartet were much older and had given ample service to the institution since emerging from the junior ranks.
However, Bridge and Prospect were not the only ones deemed liable for fee payments, with newly reconstructed Hotels and Dandy Town having similar decisions to make.
Pending an appeal Town would have to pay Devonshire Colts $2,500 if they wish to obtain speedy forward Damon Ming, but could offset the cost if Hotels are willing to put up funds for defender Diallo Sharrieff, who wants to leave the Hornets.
Hotels also have a decision to make regarding Frank Brewster Jr., a player groomed by BAA, but seeking to move on.
Clubs have a week to appeal decisions made by the tribunal.