Islandsun Newspaper - British Virgin Islands

January 30 2003

Virgin Islands Football Tournament cancelled after St. Thomas pulls out
BY DEAN GREENAWAY

The on again off again Virgin Islands Football Association tournament that was scheduled for Virgin Gorda this weekend has been cancelled altogether, after the St. Thomas team pulled out of the four team competition, prompting BVI Football Association and Virgin Gorda Football Club officials to hold an emergency meeting on Monday night. BVI Football Association Secretary General Llewelyn 'Tudor' Dasent on Tuesday said the USVI had been indicating all along that they would be coming to the tournament with teams from St. Thomas and St. Croix, but on Sunday, they decided that St. Thomas could not field a team. "However, they agreed to put on a triangular tournament between the USVI, BVI and Dominica, since Dominica was coming during the same weekend," Dasent said. This didn't sit well with Virgin Gorda Club president Avonel 'Clarky' Morton who said he was "frustrated with the situation." "There was one official from the BVI Football Association who went behind executive committee of Virgin Gorda's back to make decisions without including us," Morton said. "They had a meeting on Monday night and no one got back to inform me of the situation, which I feel is unprofessional," he lamented on Tuesday afternoon. Dasent said it was disappointing that St. Thomas waited until Sunday to pullout. Their decision affected the Virgin Gorda organizers who had things set after all teams had confirmed their participation. He said Virgin Gorda accepted the fact that the tournament was off, but they wanted to host two games because of all the arrangements that had been made. "It was decided that the final game should be played on Tortola, because after Sunday's games, there would be no boats running between Virgin Gorda and Tortola. What we are doing is utilizing the hotels that they had planned for us on Saturday night." Prior to the fiasco, Morton said Tortola wasn't scheduled to have games on Saturday and Sunday, since they were playing Dominica in a tune up match for the upcoming World Cup qualifier with St. Lucia on Feb. 22. "But they are trying to get games on Tortola on Saturday and Sunday, when there should not be any games there at all," Morton bellowed. "On Wednesday and Friday, there were games scheduled for Tortola with Dominica, which is good. But, on Saturday and Sunday, all the games suppose to and should be held in Virgin Gorda, because it is right." Whenever Virgin Gorda was slated to host the tournament, Morton said something always happens and he's quite unhappy with the turn of events. "They would have to come with a good solution to resolve this problem," Morton said. "I don't believe that Virgin Gorda, under my presidency, will ever enter another Virgin Islands tournament."