Banjul — Banjul Sports Committee has protested bitterly to the organizers of Muhammed Yahya Jammeh?s Perpetual Cup, formerly zonal football championship, for scheduling them into two group games at the home grounds of their opponents.

The fixtures of the annual event were released on Saturday and the City Boys, who were runners up in two consecutive seasons, losing to Bakau in both occasions, find themselves in the same group as Brikama, Serrekunda East and Lamin. The defending champions Bakau battle it out in the other group which features familiar opponents Serrekunda West, Sukuta and Gunjur. With their second group match against Lamin scheduled to play on a neutral ground, the capital team?s first and final group matches will see them play away to their opponents in Serrekunda East and Brikama respectively.

Aware of the home advantage their opponents will undoubtedly enjoy, the City Boys are now insisting on a change of venue for both away fixtures. "We have received the report of our executive member representative at the 2009 Super Nawetaan Committee meeting on 7th November 2009 and also the fixture of the competition with utter trepidation, disgust and disappointment," the committee said in a protest letter sent to the Gambia Football Association who are organisers of the event. "The Committee considers the fixture bias and not in the interest of fair play.

The Group B fixture which includes Banjul, Serekunda East, Lamin and Brikama clearly puts Banjul at a disadvantage position against both Brikama and Serekunda East. All Brikama matches are scheduled at home to Brikama and Serekunda East are scheduled two home matches and all these matches include Banjul playing against them in their home turf. This clearly puts both Brikama and Serekunda at an advantage position against Banjul even before a ball is kicked, which we are not prepare to accept." the statement added. "We proposed that Banjul against Serekunda East be scheduled at Serekunda West and Banjul against Brikama be scheduled at Serekunda East.

This will create a level playing field for all zones and address the present bias and discriminatory fixture. As already stated, Banjul is not prepared to accept the present fixture and hope that our concerns will be addressed before our scheduled fixture," the statement concluded.

Meanwhile Observer Sports has gathered that the tournament?s organising committee has responded to the protest, albeit the content of the response letter was not made public.?We have responded to the protest made Banjul and until they receive the letter tomorrow (Tuesday), we cannot make it public,? an official of the Gambia Football Association told Observer Sports yesterday.