FIVE overseas-based members of Jamaica's national football programme were unceremoniously booted from the team just hours before the country was due to play a friendly match against Barbados at the National Stadium last night.
The five - Deon Burton, Frank Sinclair, Darren Moore, Fitzroy Simpson and Michael Johnson - were cut for disciplinary reasons, according to a Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) release.
The release said they would be replaced by local players Fabian Davis, Kevin Deerr and Fabian Taylor.
A bitterly disappointed Simpson said the five had stayed with relatives at the Hilton Kingston Hotel on Tuesday night and, knowing they had broken team rules, expected to be fined but not dumped from the squad.
"We went back (to the players residence) in the morning and were told to go back to the hotel (by technical director Clovis de Oliveira). Although he did say the door was not closed to us," Simpson said.
Since the action, Simpson said he had only a brief discussion with JFF general secretary Horace Reid about a ticket home to England.
While he is uncertain about his future with the national team, he said he still wanted to play for Jamaica.
"I have always been interested. Do not forget that I came here for free and don't forget that I paid my way here. No one spotted me. I paid and asked for an invitation to come to Jamaica to try out so I have never been paid to come here. I will leave on my own back if I have to."
Asked if he was bitter, the Hearts midfielder said: "Without a shadow of a doubt. I know you have to set examples for everyone else ... but don't use me as an example because I am always here and I come here for free and I pay my own way. I express that on behalf of all the overseas players."
Sinclair said he was in the hotel's lobby late in the evening and said he saw de Oliveira and former technical director Sebastiao Lazaroni.
"I spoke with them for half and hour and no concerns were raised," said Sinclair who also stated he would gladly have paid a fine.
However, player manager Rodney McPherson yesterday said he believed the punishment was just.
"They were absent from the camp the night prior to this game and that is the reason why (they were cut from the squad)," McPherson said.
"I don't think it (the punishment) is extreme ... I think it is very important that all players show a sense of professionalism and moreso the players based in England as they are professional footballers.
"Do you think we would be showing any professionalism if we allowed this to go unpunished?" he said.
Checks with the JFF hierarchy to clarify the players' indiscretions proved futile.
Technical director de Oliveira, who ironically stays at the Hilton Kingston Hotel, had his phone off the hook and failed to respond to personal checks at the hotel. General secretary Reid did not answer calls at his office as he "was with someone".
When The Gleaner visited the office, he had left for the day. Messages were left for Reid and JFF president Horace Burrell but, up to press time, they had not responded.
