MAKE THAT ANOTHER deadlock between the Barbados Football Association (BFA) and former general secretary Chris Graham.
Graham just can’t score one with the BFA, not after the executive council denied his request to take a FIFA agents’ examination following last year’s highly-publicised incident involving himself and president Randy Harris.
Graham brought this latest episode to the media’s attention only days after receiving a letter from the BFA that barred him from the exam on the grounds that he broke FIFA regulations by seeking legal action against Harris.
According to the letter from Harris, dated March 28, the BFA did not accede “to this request as there is still the outstanding matter which [has been] lodged against three of the senior executive officers in the ordinary Court of Law, which contravenes the 2013 FIFA Statues”.
Article 68 Obligation Item 2 stipulates that recourse to ordinary courts of law is prohibited unless specifically provided for in the FIFA regulations and recourse in the same courts for all types of provisional measures is also forbidden.
But Graham is arguing the stipulation isn’t valid in this instance, as his case against Harris is one of personal assault and has nothing to do with any football matter.
“I’m kind of disappointed in the immature response because it doesn’t make any sense,” reasoned Graham.
“I am not seeking recourse over a football decision or BFA matter, this is personal. And all I’m trying to do is look for opportunities and avenues to get our players out of Barbados.”
It’s the latest development to a story that broke last September with an initial report of feuding between the BFA’s top two officers.
Graham filed a police complaint against his boss following an alleged altercation between Harris, vice-president Al Walcott and junior assistant secretary Ashton Chapman when the president tried to fire Graham as general secretary.
The incident led to Graham agreeing to resign from the post before he unsuccessfully tried to lobby for the general secretary job again via a subsequent council meeting.
A former footballer with Youth Milan and the Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme, Graham said he wanted to do the exam after recently becoming a scout for the Leeds-based Richmond International Soccer Academy.
Graham also finalised an agreement with Deportivo Saprissa that will see Bajan players eventually gaining attachments with the Costa Rican club in the foreseeable future.
“I want the licence so I can legally manage players and get them professional and other opportunities through my new company CG Sports Management,” he said.
“And the exam is done twice yearly but one can only get the licence through their local FA, so clearly I am at a crossroads.”
Both Graham and Harris are expected to appear in court on June 26. When contacted, Harris declined to comment on the matter.
