Shaw calls letter criticising tenure ‘disingenuous’

OUTGOING KINGSTON and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) president Wayne Shaw has described a letter criticising his leadership and the association’s handling of a recent general meeting “disingenuous”.

The letter, from SUFC (Shortwood United FC), stated that the presence of 10 unaffiliated or suspended clubs at Tuesday’s annual general meeting, where Shaw announced his resignation, was used as a smoke screen to stave off questions surrounding unaccounted-for prize monies for the just-concluded Major and Super (Championship) League.

The letter, which has been circulating on social media platform, WhatsApp, purports that while the clubs want to regain their status after suspension, the AGM was not the place to do it.

The complainant insisted that the unaffiliated clubs were mistakenly invited by vice-president Carvel Stewart and were subjected to embarrassment by being asked to leave though they were allowed to re-enter upon the intervention of other clubs.

It added that when the clubs enquired of their prize monies, the president, vice-presidents and the council could not account for more than $5 million.

However, Shaw insisted that somebody is trying to be a mischief maker. He noted that both the prize money and reaffiliation matter were on the agenda for discussion.

He explained also that the $5 million that was mentioned is a shortfall in the budget of $11.72 million for the season.

“When I read the letter, the person wasn’t even at the meeting,” Shaw countered.

“We don’t push anybody out. If they are a KSAFA club, why can’t they attend the meeting?

“The agenda had everything on it. The prize money was on the agenda, and the reaffiliation matter was to come after prize money. So whoever wrote that is trying to be disingenuous.”

He pointed out that $1.9 million was collected from the clubs, $2.1 million from Campari, and $2.5 million from the Sports Development Foundation. In all, KSAFA collected $6.5 million, which left a deficit of more than $5 million in the budget.

IN NEGOTIATION

“Our budget was $11.72 million, and we got no money from anywhere else. The person is also talking about $5 million missing, but we had a budget of $11.7 million, and everybody knew that was the case.

“But now the competition is done, everybody wants their prize money, and we are trying to deal with that.

“I am in negotiations to get the money to pay the clubs because I do not want to leave office, and the clubs do not get paid,” said Shaw.

He argued that this was not the first time the association was late with prize monies and noted that Cavalier’s sporting director, also a former KSAFA boss, suggested that a credit note would suffice.

He insisted that the writer’s attempt to make this an issue out of this is just mischievous.

“I don’t know why somebody will be trying something like this. Mr Speid said all we have to do is give them a credit note because this is not the first competition to be played and payment is late,” he stated.

The letter noted that for decades, KSAFA has been as a beacon, the most dynamic and progressive association in the island, but that under Shaw, things have been in decline and hit rock bottom on Tuesday.

However, Shaw insisted that those comments were not factual.

“I do not know what he means by this is the lowest the association has reached. The person is trying to be disingenuous. And it was six unaffiliated clubs at the meeting,” he added.

Shaw said that time constraints meant the meeting never got around to addressing the matter of reaffiliation but that the issue would be on the agenda for the November 12 Special General Meeting along with Tier Two participation and the election of a new president.

Shortwood United FC are one of 10 clubs that had their affiliation suspended for non-payment of fees.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com