Mohamed Bettamer’s inclusion has caused controversy
Photo: Ali Gilmore
ConIFA is in full blown crisis mode after an extraordinary day yesterday.
The Manx IFA who run the Ellan Vannin side launched an appeal against Barawa who had added a player, Libyan international Mohamed Bettamer, to their squad list after the beginning of the tournament.
[See – Should Ellan Vannin appeal?]
Two meetings were held yesterday and not only was their appeal rejected but the late addition, Mohamed Bettamer, was eventually given the green light to appear in the remainder of the tournament.
Late last night, ConIFA released a statement outlining their view of the matter and the appeals process, a statement that the ManxIFA immediately labeled ‘ludicrous and spurious’ in a tweet.
ManxIFA reacted immediately to the ConIFA Statement
Hours later, the MANXIFA released their own statement on the matter and it was searing.
It contains some astounding allegations most prominently that the decision to allow Bettamer in after the start of the tournament was taken unilaterally by the ConIFA General Secretary Sascha Düerkop not, as ConIFA claim, by the Organising Committee as would have been proper. They further allege that the Committee was only informed of his decision afterwards, claiming to have a Facebook message that backs up their version of events. It seems to be a Facebook direct message quoting tournament organiser Paul Watson telling the ManxIFA:
Cup organiser Paul Watson seems to confirm the Bettamer decision was not sanctioned at any official meeting
Even the parts ConIFA admit are pretty damning.
Per the ManxIFA letter, the General Secretary admitted the rule change to allow a player to be added during the tournament had not been communicated to other teams. This was confirmed by ConIFA’s own statement.
“On the basis that a majority of participating teams had not complied with the squad registration deadline, and had been permitted to make changes following that deadline (but prior to Thursday 31 May), CONIFA granted Barawa’s request. That decision was not communicated to the other participating teams.”
A rule change was made and 15 of the 16 sides were not made aware of it.
The original deadline for squads was May 15th but ConIFA was so inundated with late changes that they moved that deadline back to “the start of the tournament” at a meeting on May 28th. Bettamer was still not included by this deadline.
Most bizarrely, the ManxIFA claim that a vote was taken at the morning meeting to reverse the results in the two games Barawa played and award default 3-0 wins to both Cascadia and Ellan Vannin, a move that would have seen the Manx progress at Barawa’s expense. None of this was mentioned in ConIFA’s media release.
At that point a further evening meeting was called by ConIFA but the Manx claim its purpose was not communicated to them. The Manx IFA were not invited to that later meeting nor were they allowed to put their case.
The decision to award 3-0 losses in the two games Bettamer played was overturned at that meeting by 13 votes to 7. The vote to allow him to continue playing was passed by 9-5 with five abstentions and one uncast vote.
@1TVINE pic.twitter.com/gXkP6Ly1Ci
— MANX IFA. (@MANXIFA) June 5, 2018
[The Manx IFA Media Release]
These are all serious allegations which ConIFA has to address even though the quarter final matches are scheduled for today. If any or all of the ManxIFA’s allegations are true, then an overhaul of the ConIFA rulebook is necessary.
That ConIFA’s own statement was incomplete is true but in their defence, they were under pressure to get a statement out last night and could not be expected to include every twist and turn. They are an all volunteer organisation.
At the end of the MAnxIFA statement, they call on other teams to boycott the rest of the tournament. Although this is unlikely, they themselves are now unlikely to compete in the sub-tournament called the lower bracket for sides eliminated. Ellan Vannin are due to play Tibet today at 3pm in Bromley.
Barawa are due to play Northern Cyprus in one quarter final today at 3pm followed three hours later by Cascadia’s game against Karpatya (the Hungarian minority in Western Ukraine). Both are at Sutton United’s Gander Green Lane.
