From Antigua Observer

President of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Gordon Derrick, who was declared ineligible to contest next month’s CONCACAF presidency election by the FIFA Audit and Compliance Committee last week, will be challenging the ruling at the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).

This is according to one source close to Derrick, who said his legal team is in the process of filing the appeal.

The source added that the hope is for a speedy hearing, as the CONCACAF annual general meeting and election is slated for May 12 in Mexico City.

Derrick was one of three officials bidding for top post along with Canadian Soccer Association president Victor Montagliani and Bermuda Football Association chief Larry Mussenden, but FIFA announced Tuesday last week he could not proceed as a candidate.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that once successful in a timely manner, Derrick could seek to re-enter the CONCACAF race.

Derrick has served as CFU president for the last four years, after replacing Trinidadian Jack Warner in 2012, following the cash-for-votes scandal which rocked Caribbean football.

Regional officials were accused of taking cash inducements of US $40,000 in return for votes for FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam back in 2011.

Following investigations by FIFA, Derrick was one of several officials reprimanded and fined over “apparent violations” of its ethics code. The investigation found that Derrick did not take any money during the incident.

Derrick, also the general secretary of the Antigua & Barbuda Football Association (ABFA), had challenged FIFA’s findings and stated that he “found it curious” that the reprimand of 2011 was too minute to warrant an appeal; that the principal person in the matter was vindicated upon his appeal; yet the matter was deemed significant enough to derail his candidacy.

IMAGE: President of the Caribbean Football Union and General Secretary of the ABFA, Gordon Derrick was ruled ineligible by FIFA last week to contest the CONCACF elections slated for May 12 in Mexico.

For more on this story go to: http://antiguaobserver.com/derrick-to-appeal-fifa-ethics-ruling/