Open Letter to AFA

Details

Letter to Editor

Saturday, 12 May 2012 02:28

By E.D

Dear Editor. Antigua Football Association, it is time declare the 1963 Empire team champions.

In 1963, in our second year of First Division, there was a three-way tie at the top of the Antigua Football Association Fist Division (before the name was changed to Premier Division in 1968). Empire FC, the Antigua Sugar Factory, and Rangers were equal on points. Empire had the superior goal difference, and should have recorded our first championship.

For no other reason than anti-Gray's Farm prejudice, the Antigua Football Association decided to have a round robin play off to determine the 1963 First Division championship.

At the end of the round robin, each team had one win and one loss, but Empire FC has the superior goal difference. The AFA decided to have another round robin playoff, and again the teams ended tied one win one loss each.

A third round robin playoff was arranged, and Empire FC defeated the Antigua Sugar Factory in the first game. In the next game, Rangers did not show up so Empire won by forfeiture, taking an insurmountable two win to 0 loss record.

The Antigua Football Association, for no other reason but bigotry, decided to declare the First Division season null and void and allow the defending champions, JETS, to keep the championship trophy until the next season.

Next year, 2013, will be the 50th anniversary of this great injustice. Most of these men have died without a championship to their name. Only three or four of them are still with us. I have been speaking with Keithley Dexter Warner, the captain of the 1963 Empire team;, over the last few weeks. Mr Warner is still puzzled by this act of prejudice, and that it has gone uncorrected and under radar for so long.

You might be asking yourself, why does a team that has 13 other Premier Division championships need another trophy?

This is not about another trophy. This is about these men having their rightful place in history:

Keithly (Dexter) Warner
Claude Henry
Jerome Tittle
Pomroy (Pampa Lulu) Tittle
Conrad (Sugie) Whyte
Maulsden Joseph
Joseph ( Jo Jo) Benjimin
Paul (Water Boots) Henry
George (Rooko) James
Castro Peters
Roy (Whiskey) Mathews
Leonard Ferris
Alfred (Scout) Christian

Most of these men were not around when the six year domination started in 1969. Most of them have died without the tittle "Champion" attached to their name. These men were the first of the Great Empire champions. Let us correct the record and declare them champions of 1963. It is quite disgraceful that a national association would end a season without a champion just because they did not like the winners. This is a black eye on Antigua-Barbuda sports that can and should be corrected immediately.

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I am calling upon the president of the Antigua Football Association (Everton Gonsalves), the Director of Sports (Mervin Richard) and the minister of Sports Winston Williams to address this issue. This is a great injustice that can still be remedied. There are many prominent people still alive who can provide evidence to correct this travesty. Robin Bascus, Pin Hewlett, Ivor Davis, and many others can corroborate this information.

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