Claudia Gardner, Gleaner Writer

Lucea, HANOVER:

Elgin Town Football Club in Hanover has been banned from participating in the Lloyd H. Stewart (LHS) annual Hanover Charity Football Tournament (HCFT) ever again, according to organizer of the competition Lloyd 'Bagga' Stewart.

The ban is a result of the beating of referee Dale 'Daily Bread' Gooden by Elgin Town spectators and players, following the final of the competition on December 17, where Elgin Town suffered a 1-0 defeat to Prosper Football Club.

The decision to ban the team was taken by the executive of the HCFT earlier this week.

Stewart said the organizers would also be refunding Elgin Town its registration fee of $2000 and the $150 fine they had paid for a red and a yellow card.

He said the organizers had also decided not to award the team the $15,000 second place prize money or the 12 second-place medals.

Disrespect, embarassment

"The Elgin Town team has been banned for life from the competition or for as long as this tournament lasts," Stewart said. "They have been banned for the ruption and the disrespect, embarassment and for bringing the game into disrepute. They are not getting nothing. No medals, no cash prize, nothing!" Stewart said.

"They disgraced the parish of Hanover that day. Only a few who did not participate in the wrongdoing may be allowed to play for other teams in the competition next year."

The fracas, which followed the final of the competition, started as soon as referee Gooden blew the whistle signaling the end of the game, when a throng of Elgin Town spectators and players descended upon him and rained punches on his body, while another player used a board to slap him twice in the back, before being warded off by other match officials and a police officer.

Eight teams participated in the competition which was held over two weeks. The other teams were Central, Lane, Excell, Johnson Town, Brissett and Chambers Pen Football Clubs. It was staged in honour of late national and past Rusea's footballers Stephen 'Shorty' Malcolm and Denton 'Melwood' Samuels respectively.