BFA will meet to determine fate of Ireland Rangers
The Bermuda Football Association’s Competitions Committee will meet to determine the fate of Ireland Rangers, who are facing sanctions after breaching competition rules.
The West End club landed themselves in hot water after forfeiting First Division fixtures against Boulevard, Southampton Rangers and Wolves, with the BFA’s rules stating “any team that defaults three (3) matches during the season will be banned from participating in any further competitions relating to the division in which the matches were defaulted for the remainder of the season.”
It remains to be seen how that rule will be applied given that Ireland Rangers failed to play the final three games of the season, with BFA Competitions Committee chairman and first vice-president Shannon Burgess reserving comment until members have met to determine what punishment to impose.
Ireland Rangers, who finished bottom of the First Division standings with one win under their belt this season, will rebuild according to president Jermaine Saltus.
“All I can say is we, the club, will use this time to evaluate this season, recruit, rebuild and come back next season,” Saltus said.
Meanwhile, Ireland Rangers’ greatest player, local legend Clyde Best, has said he is sad to see the club in the predicament they are in.
“It’s not a good situation for them to be in because they done so much for a lot of us,” said Best, whose journey to the professional ranks in England and the United States began at the club as a teenager.
“It is concerning to me but you know the rules and regulations before you start. The standard has always been that if you forfeit three matches there has to be consequences, and you can’t really argue about that. That’s the rules and that’s why we have rules in place.
“I definitely wouldn’t like to see the club fold, but if they are going to be competing in the league then they have to follow the rules and do what everybody else is doing.
“You can’t ask for favours once you know the rules and have broken them three times. That’s real tough and most of the players that have been a part of them will probably say the same thing.
“There has to be discipline and I don’t why they missed three games. Only they can tell us and hopefully they are going to be open and honest with us and let us know exactly what’s what.
“Hopefully they will be around next season but that’s between them and the association to solve.”
The First Division was reduced to nine teams last September when BAA withdrew from the league two years after returning to the BFA ranks having lost the services of 17 players during the transfer window.