...Financial problems force abandonment of CFU Club Championships

MARC STAMP, STAR Writer

Waterhouse Football Club could face sanctions from the Caribbean Football Union after missing the CFU Club Championship Group Two scheduled in Trinidad earlier this week.

The Jamaican club failed to travel to Trinidad and subsequently withdrew from the Championships.

Team manager, Keith Sailsman, is fully aware that they could be sanctioned for missing the tournament.

"We have to await a decision by the disciplinary committee," Sailsman told STAR Sports on Thursday.

He also pointed out that any further information would have to come from club president Ricky Chin. "Only the president can comment on the situation," the manager added.

However, since Thursday, calls to Chin's mobile phone went unanswered.

A source close to the Drewsland-based club, who wished not to be identified, revealed that the club missed the trip because funds did not come as planned.

"They (Waterhouse) did not travel simply because the money did not come in time for them to go to Trinidad," the source said.

Information on the website ttproleague.com said that: "The Jamaica Red Stripe Premier League 2013-14 runners-up were supposed to be making their second consecutive appearance at the Caribbean Club Championship but ttproleague.com was informed by CONCACAF general co-ordinator, Linval Johnson on Wednesday night that Waterhouse are officially out of the tournament."

Johnson added that information he received from the CFU tournaments committee was that Waterhouse should have arrived in Trinidad on Sunday but kept delaying their travel before belated efforts to secure a flight to Trinidad were unsuccessful.

rumours

According to the report from ttproleague.com, Johnson was unaware of rumours, which claimed that Waterhouse's problems were due to players protesting over unpaid per diem.There were also reports that, co-coach of Waterhouse senior football team, Anthony Patrick, refused to travel over a pay dispute.

However, Patrick dismissed that. "I told them (the club's executive) that I wasn't going because of personal matters, from last week Thursday," Patrick told STAR Sports.

He also said the players are back in training preparing for the upcoming Red Stripe Premier League semi-finals on May 3 and 10.

"The team has been training since Wednesday, and the players are in a jovial mood. They are upbeat for the premier league semi-finals," the coach said.