Butler signals court fight over Turner's Oval sale to Cavalier

Phoenix Group principal Craig Butler has declared that he intends to mount a legal challenge against the reported sale of Turner's Oval to Rudolph Speid's Cavalier Soccer Club, a transaction that could uproot his Chapelton Maroons outfit from its long-standing home in Clarendon.

Butler took to Instagram on Tuesday to announce the move, saying his attorneys are already engaged on the matter. "Legally, we are going to challenge this purchase, and we have already had our lawyers on it," he stated.

He used the post to question the motives behind the acquisition. "So, again, it shows the conflict of interest, the win-at-all-cost mentality, and the lack of interest in what's best for Jamaica or its people or its clubs and what is in the best interest of Rudolph Speid that comes first," Butler said.

According to the Phoenix boss, he had previously inked a contract with the property's owner to acquire the venue, but the closing was delayed by health issues. He said the owner originally wanted the deal wrapped up in December, but circumstances forced a postponement.

"Unfortunately, I had major surgery and an emergency surgery which had to be done… At that point, you don't know what's happening with you from a physical standpoint. So, you don't know what you can commit to for the future. Anyway, we asked that we get until the end of May to complete it," Butler explained.

He further revealed that finances also influenced the timing, as the club had to find $7 million to bring footballer Denzil McKenzie back from Cavalier. Butler said the choice came down to securing the land or rescuing the player.

He accused Speid of approaching McKenzie without his knowledge and signing him from Chapelton Maroons, only for the young footballer to become unhappy and depressed in the new environment. Phoenix, Butler said, then intervened on the player's behalf.

"We remembered our mandate and our mandate at Phoenix is Phoenix can never die and Phoenix leaves no man behind. It doesn't say they leave you behind whenever you do something that is wrong or you make a mistake. It says, we don't leave you behind. So, in order for us to get Denzel out of the situation that he himself had put himself in, we were forced to pay a transfer fee or to leave him to his demise," Butler said.

"We paid the $7 million that Speid required for me to pay for the player that I developed, that I raised, and we did what we had to do for him. And we put off the purchase of the facility," he added.

Butler insisted the welfare of his players takes priority over property. "So, if you give me a choice between land and a human being, I will always choose a human being. We love Chapleton, we love the community, we feel sold out, but it is what it is, and we have a home at Mona. We always have and we have other opportunities opening to us," he said.

With the Premier League season ahead, the Phoenix chief signalled that a new home base may have to be sourced. "We will have to make a decision shortly and we will make that decision in due course, and we have enough time for the Premier League that if we will have to get a new home, we will," he stated.