KINGSTON, Jamaica —The ISSA/FLOW Manning Cup final between champions Jamaica College and St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) scheduled for 6:00 pm today at the National Stadium is in danger of being postponed.

OBSERVER ONLINE understands that the referees have taken issue with ISSA’s ruling in relation to Jamaica College’s verbal attack on their colleagues following their 1-2 loss to Kingston College in the ISSA/FLOW Super Cup semi-final game on November 18.

ISSA on Thursday ordered JC’s assistant coach Andrew Peart and manager Ian Forbes to apologise to the referees, a sanction which the officials have deemed too light.

They have since shared their views with the schools’ organising body, pressing for tougher sanctions on the football team officials.

When contacted George Forbes, ISSA’s competition’s director, confirmed the referees’ disagreement, but was adamant that his organisation stands by its decision.

“They can do what they want to do, if they don’t want to turn up that is their problem, but we are planning for the match. All I am simply saying if we are going to bend to the referees all we do is whenever anything happens we will let the referees rule on it, because we made a ruling and they are going to say the ruling was too light so they are on strike,” Forbes said.

“We have done what we needed to do, so if they feel as if it is not the ruling that they wanted then let them do what they have to do. If they choose not to turn up we have to just deal with it, so we would just cancel the football season and whatever else we have to do.

“[But] as far as we are concerned the game is still on, the president spoke to them and the president made ISSA’s position quite clear, so they have to do what they have to do. We cannot and will not make a decision and then go back on it; we can’t do that, so if they don’t like the decision then they will have to do what they want to do,” he told OBSERVER ONLINE.

Meanwhile, Mark Sullivan, FIFA certified technical instructor for referees in Jamaica declined to comment extensively on the matter, saying only: “The match is 6:00 pm this evening so let us see what happens at 6 o’clock. The JFF (Jamaica Football Federation) is handling whatever is there and the game is at 6, so let us see what happens at that time. But for now speak to the JFF on that.”

Sherdon Cowan