EXCLUSIVE: Teen footballer breaks silence about Charlemont High, perhaps being set up

EXCLUSIVE: Teen footballer breaks silence about Charlemont High, perhaps being set up

October 15, 2019 0 By Horace Mills

The teen at the centre of a schoolboy football scandal that caused his team to crumble out of the ISSA/WATA daCosta Cup Football Competition said he is disappointed, adding that the situation has left him wanting to red-card his dream of becoming an international footballer.

“I am disappointed in what happened to the school. Also, most people in my community saying the level I am playing right now, I could even make the national team,” he told The Beacon in an exclusive interview. “I said I was gonna just quit the sport, but most of my people told me I can do it.”

The 18-year-old, who spoke on condition of anonymity, was playing for Charlemont High School when the scandal erupted, but he is a recent past student of Ewarton High.

While matriculating to attend sixth form at Charlemont, the youngster presented an academic document showing that he was successful in a CXC subject that he actually failed. Without that subject, he would not have met the minimum requirement to enroll at Charlemont.

Charlemont, now saying it did not realize the academic document was forged, accepted the footballer and gave him a spot on its fast-rising daCosta Cup team.

The footballer was today asked if Charlemont conspired with him in any wrongdoing. “No; mi nuh think soh,” he responded.

He further said he represented Charlemont in only two matches – both against Dinthill Technical.

Dinthill lost one of the matches and drew the other.

Dinthill eventually wrote to the management of the football competition – ISSA, informing it that Charlemont had used an ineligible footballer in both matches.

Charlemont High, upon hearing about the forged document, also rushed to investigate, confirm, and then report the breach to ISSA.

ISSA, in response, deducted four points from Charlemont High and awarded six to Dinthill.

The Suspect

The Beacon today asked the teen footballer if, prior to being accepted at Charlemont, he had any knowledge of the document being forged. He replied: “No; I wasn’t the one who checked my results.”

The youngster was also asked if he got help to forge any document. He paused, then explained: “This youth, I told him I want to play daCosta Cup. So, when him check it (my online results), it’s like it never have the right amount of [success] grades. So, it seems like it (the result slip) got changed.”

The footballer also disclosed that the person who checked his exam results online eventually sent him a screenshot version of the results. He then sent it to Charlemont.

The young footballer said the person who checked his results is a recent graduate of Ewarton High School. They were batch-mates.

Charlemont High, in the meantime, booted the teen.

He told The Beacon that he intends to attend a private school, pass more subjects, and continue working towards becoming an international football star.

By Horace Mills, Journalist, B.A. degree in Media and Communications; CARIMAC, University of the West Indies


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