Two prominent Saint Lucian footballers, Vino Barclett and Melvin Doxilly, find themselves embroiled in a professional struggle to resume their careers in Jamaica’s Premier League. The longtime teammates, who have played together since their teenage years for both the Saint Lucia national team and Cavalier SC, now face uncertain futures with their respective clubs.
Barclett, the 26-year-old goalkeeper from Vieux Fort, earned recognition as the Caribbean’s top goalkeeper less than two years ago after leading Kingston club Cavalier SC to their first Caribbean Cup title. Since joining Cavalier in 2021, he has demonstrated exceptional performance with 43 clean sheets in 102 appearances, including 29 games during the 2024-25 season.
Doxilly, who recently turned 28, is a versatile defender from Caye Mange, Gros Islet, capable of playing multiple positions including midfield, center back, and right fullback. His defensive prowess helped Mount Pleasant FA secure the national title in the 2022-23 season, showcasing his value to Jamaican football.
The professional standoff emerged when both players found themselves sidelined by their clubs. Barclett submitted his termination notice to Cavaliers in July and has not seen playing time since, while Doxilly has participated in only one match this term—the season opener against Montego Bay on August 24, 2025—followed by four months of training without game action.
Their case is being handled by Canadian sports lawyer Andrew Werners, founder of Pitchside Sports Consulting and former legal counsel to the World Leagues Association. Werners has invoked FIFA Regulations Section 4, Article 15, which permits established professionals (aged 21 or older) who have appeared in fewer than 10% of their club’s official matches to terminate contracts prematurely for sporting just cause.
The situation has been complicated by alleged administrative delays from the Jamaica Football Federation, which according to Werners has failed to process registration documents in the FIFA Transfer Matching System months after initial requests. This has prompted Werners to file an official protest with FIFA.
The prolonged inactivity poses significant concerns for Saint Lucia’s men’s national team head coach Stern John, as both players are considered automatic selections for upcoming CONCACAF and FIFA engagements. Doxilly has occasionally captained the ‘Piton Boyz,’ while Barclett has earned multiple CONCACAF Team of the Week honors, making their current situation particularly damaging to national team preparations.