LeVaughn Flynn, Staff Reporter

The true owner of Premier League club Sporting Central Academy could be settled by today, as two of the club's executive members dispute the legality of ownership.

The dispute has now involved the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA), according to a report published on the website JamaicaWin.com yesterday.

Wayne Ebanks, operator of EZ Cash Loan Services in St Andrew, has claimed he is the majority shareholder of the club and owner of its home, Brancourt, after buying them from founding member Brandon Murray last year.

"I bought the property last year, but I allowed them to collect gate receipts for two years and pump it back into the club," Ebanks was quoted as saying on JamaicaWin.com.

According to Ebanks, he was approached by Murray to further invest in the club after the team qualified for last season's Premier League.

"He sold me 40 per cent of the football club for $4 million. He came back later and said he wanted more funds, so he sold me a further 11 per cent. Therefore, I am now the majority shareholder of the club with 51 per cent," said Ebanks, who added that the company Sporting Central Academy Limited was formed to facilitate the agreement.

Murray, who founded the club in 2000 with former national player Chris Dawes, declined to comment on the ownership of the club when contacted by The Gleaner yesterday, pledging to make a full comment as early as today after the weekly meeting between the clubs and the PLCA.

"This is something that has been going on but please understand it is a legal matter now. I will speak to my lawyers and I am meeting with the JFF and the PLCA tomorrow (today) and then an announcement will come through," Murray told The Gleaner.

Change of heart

Ebanks said in February, Murray seemed to be having a change of heart on the alleged sale of the club.

"It appeared that Mr Murray changed his mind. He started to do things on his own," he told JamaicaWin.com. "He started to do things without consulting us. It looked like he thought he made a mistake and wanted to correct it."

Ebanks, according to the website, said Murray approached him in June to buy back the club, but that he backed out of the negotiations.

Murray, who is also managing director of Brancourt Sports, a sports marketing firm, is recognised as the club's general manager by the PLCA.

The club's home, Brancourt, even bears his name, which is a combination of Brandon and Courtney, his brother.

The mini-stadium sits on a lush property that is surrounded by land owned by the Murray family along the busy Clarendon Park main road which connects the parishes of Manchester and Clarendon.

The property also includes a fish farm, a sheep farm, a jerk pit and an automobile dealership.

Ebanks said he has big plans for Brancourt, which includes upgrading the facilities that will reflect a true academy, as the club's name suggests.

According to the website, Ebanks spent almost $10 million last season and he is ready to invest more as the majority shareholder.

"I am the owner of the property and the club and the players know that I have their interest at heart. I want to work with Brandon, but I want him to recognise that I own the entity," said Ebanks.

Murray said he would allow the legal process to take its course and, in the meantime, remain focused on football.

"I m not perturbed or worried about what this man has to say. Sporting Central is going about business as usual. We have a game on Sunday and nothing will stop us from playing this game," Murray said.