LOCAL FOOTBALL isn’t about to fall victim to senseless acts of lawlessness. Not under Ronald Jones’ watch.
He might not be the commissioner of police but football’s long-serving chief has assured that the recent spate of shooting incidents will not signal the end of the sport’s involvement in the community – more notably out-of-season tournaments.
Even if it means calling for a stronger police presence at all grounds.
The Barbados Football Association president was speaking in the wake of three unrelated shooting incidents that occurred recently at separate night matches.
“We cannot give in to lawless individuals who are discharging firearms recklessly,” Jones told SUNSPORT.
“[But] this is so unfortunate because sport is an important aspect to every single community as it brings life to those areas.”
Last Saturday in Boscobel, the Sunrise Football Club final was interrupted when gunshots fired in the vicinity of the field brought the match to a premature end with Brittons Hill leading New Look Unity 1-0.
And just one day later, a match in the Brittons Hill Out-of-Season tournament suffered the same fate.
The incidents then came to a head on Wednesday during a Women’s League match between Pro Shottas and the National Sports Council at Blenheim “B”, with the sound of gunshots from
the adjacent field sending spectators scurrying for cover.
That last occurrence prompted the women’s committee to abandon Blenheim as a future venue following a meeting with the various clubs, parents and administrators.
According to Ytannia Wiggins, member of the Women’s Committee and manager of the national junior and senior women’s teams, Wednesday’s matches were the first set played at Blenheim for the season.
Apparently, they’ll also be the last.
“We will have to seek further assistance of the Royal Barbados Police Force to have a successful conclusion to the women’s season because sport in Barbados should not be interrupted by this level of mayhem.”
This season, matches were also played at UWI, Carlton, The Lester Vaughan School, Boscobelle, Bridgefield and the National Stadium – all without incident.
“We’ve never had an issue. The football teams and the spectators don’t have security issues, nothing of that ilk. It was an issue removed from us, but it was in the area,” conveyed Wiggins to SUNSPORT.
“Since the women’s programme is very young – players 14 to 16 years old – parents are concerned about letting their children come out during the week to play matches. They prefer to play on the weekend, preferably at enclosed grounds.”
Fortunately, the second round of fixtures had all of the matches at the National Stadium, so the season would be extended to play the remaining matches there on Sundays.
