Sharks tale: Bankers Insurance CEO restores Sancho and Harrison to Central posts
By Lasana Liburd (wired868).Central FC is set for familiar new owners after Bankers Insurance CEO Vance Gabriel introduced himself to the “Couva Sharks” as their new boss on Saturday morning at the Kampo Vibes Restaurant on Ramsaran Street, Chaguanas.
And, at Gabriel’s side, were the controversial duo of former Central chairman Brent Sancho and operations director Kevin Harrison, who were the former Sport Minister and Advisor to the Sport Minister respectively.
The announcement followed weeks of speculation about the future of the Pro League club, which is co-owned by SIS directors Daren Mohamdally and Ronald Ramlogan.
The club ownership is believed to have switched hands on paper today, although neither Mohamdally nor Ramlogan have communicated with the Pro League club’s players or staff.
Pro League CEO Dexter Skeene said that he had not been informed of a change in ownership at Central either. However, Pro League rules do not give the board any say over change of ownership.
“The Pro League board is a limited liability company,” Skeene told Wired868, “and there is nothing in our company’s act hindering any change in ownership in the case of anyone purchasing the club or a change of shareholders.
“The Pro League doesn’t have any jurisdiction as far as clubs changing owners.”
Gabriel’s decision to take the reigns with Sancho and Harrison in tow has caused feverish discussions between players and staff.
The move follows exclusive Wired868 reports on the behaviour of both men, which includes the commingling of personal and Central FC funds and a request for a personal payment during transfer negotiations.
Sancho and Harrison are being probed by the the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) on: their conduct with regards to the transfers of Central forward Rundell Winchester, the signing of then 16-year-old winger Levi Garcia, the alleged misappropriation of CONCACAF funds and non-payment of bonuses to Central players.
And, last Wednesday, 24 of Central’s 29 first team players signed a petition that urged the club’s board of directors not to bring Sancho and Harrison around the team while so many allegations hung over their heads.
Gabriel spoke of the duo’s return as a glorious homecoming, though.
“Brent and Kevin were the original owners,” Gabriel told Wired868, “but SIS was doing most of the running of the club rather than the other way around. So what I am doing is restoring Brent and Kevin to their rightful place…
“We will run it like a business… With Brent and Kevin, we will put all the plans we had initially into place.”
In fact, Sancho and Harrison never owned Central, although they were co-founders. SIS always held on to the reigns of power but allowed the then Chairman and Operations Director to run the business end of of the club.
Their tenure saw, among other things, requests from Harrison—a British native—to Belgium lower division club, CS Visé, and CONCACAF to send money due to Central to the pair through Western Union or Sancho’s personal bank account.
But Gabriel said he is pleased to play a role in returning the duo to the administrative helm of the Pro League club.
Gabriel’s own relationship with Central started in January 2015 when Bankers Insurance was brought on board as a sponsor.
Wired868 attempted to get further information from Gabriel on the financial details of their Central take-over.
Will either Gabriel, Sancho or Harrison invest any of their own money into Central? Or will Bankers Insurance foot the tab while the three men enter the arrangement risk free?
Will Bankers Insurance have any formal stake in the team as SIS did? Or will the company be merely an advertiser while the trio runs the club and reaps the rewards?
Would Bankers Insurance now inject more sponsorship money into the club to run its affairs? Or would Gabriel, Sancho and Harrison look elsewhere to make up for the financial shortcoming?
The details remain scarce and Gabriel did not make himself available to answer more questions today.
On Saturday, the Bankers Insurance CEO was unmoved by the Central players’ petition against the return of Sancho and Harrison.
“I believe the players may have done that because they don’t know the whole truth,” said Gabriel.
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