Robert Bailey, Freelance Writer

A policeman moves to restore order at the Harbour View Mini Stadium on Sunday while two Harbour View players, Christopher Harvey (left) and Jermaine Taylor, look on. Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

THE ABANDONED final of the Jackie Bell Knockout football competition will be completed at the Edward Seaga Complex on Friday afternoon at 4:00.

Sunday's final, which was abandoned with 15 minutes remaining because of unruly crowd behaviour at the Harbour View Mini Stadium, will be resumed at Tivoli Gardens' home ground with Harbour View leading 1-0 and a quarter of an hour to play.

The decision was handed down late on Monday night by the Kingston and St. Andrew Football Association's (KSAFA) council, which also imposed a $75,000 on Waterhouse for the unruly behaviour of its spectators.

Sending a message

Stewart Stephenson, president of the KSAFA, said: "We are hoping that this penalty will send a message to spectators that despite their emotions, they will have to appreciate the referee's decisions because this is a part of the game ... The decision of the referee is final. We can't take matters into our own hands if there is a disagreement with the referee."

A media advisory issued by KSAFA yesterday stated that only players and team officials from both clubs recorded on the match cards would be eligible to participate in the continuation of the game and be allowed into the venue.

The same panel of match referees and match commissary will officiate at the continuation of the game.

With 'The Stars of the East' down to 10 men and clinging to a 1-0 lead, a disallowed goal, which would have brought the visitors level 13 minutes from time, provided the spark which saw things boil over.

Waterhouse fans were celebrating when substitute Damion Powell rifled a powerful 77th-minute free kick into the back of the net from just outside the 18-yard area. However, that joy quickly turned to despair when the fans realised their lifeline had been snapped as the goal had not been given due to an offside call.

Condemned behaviour

Peter Hibbert, president of Waterhouse, condemned the behaviour of the team's fans.

"I denounce the action of my spectators and I have no support for any acts of violence or inciting thereof," Hibbert said in an interview with The Gleaner yesterday.

"I am not against the decision of the referee if the goal we scored was called back. I must go with what the rules dictate and if the rules say it is not a goal, then it is not a goal."

"I am really sad that Waterhouse was involved in throwing missiles on a football field," he said. "We really want to move now because our focus is on the league. I don't want to prolong the agony and the under-current that is seemingly hurting football. And so, if the council says to go to Tivoli (Gardens), we are going to go and play."

Clyde Jureidini, general manager of Harbour View, was happy with the KSAFA decision.

"Whatever decisions they made as servants of the game, we will work along with," said Jureidini. "I think they had to come to a decision ... This had some compromises in it and so we will just have to go with the ruling," he said.

See 'Audley's Angle' .