The recently concluded

While initially the football fans around the country seemed tentative about the success of the event this changed significantly as the competition wore on to the point where football authorities here could pat themselves on the back for capturing once more the enthusiasm for the sport that our people are known for.

Class

Unlike Cricket the sport of football here, like elsewhere, was always an attraction to the people from the lower social classes.

It must be remembered that cricket was brought to us in the region as the sport of gentlemen and at one time only the white people, colonisers and their successive generations were the only ones allowed to play the game.

In several Caribbean countries blacks were only allowed near the cricket arena to collect the balls when they were struck into the nearby bushes.

Football, on the other hand has been a most appealing sport and the members of the lower classes readily gravitated to the game. While cricket required that players don flannels and relatively expensive gear football could be played without shoes and with any form of clothing although the preference was shorts and t-shirts.

Over the years the sport of cricket has certainly undergone change in terms of the population that it attracts and many people from the lower classes have taken to the sport with much success. This is not to say that the sport has lost its image of being the game of gentlemen.

Football however remains what Basil ‘Bong’ Cato dubbed, The Game of the People. Many may recall that it was Cato who led the rallying cry, Soccer – The Game of the People, that eventually became the mantra for the sport for many years.

What we saw over the years has been the continued involvement of youths from all across the nation, cutting across class boundaries, entering the sport. Nonetheless people from the lower social classes dominate the sport here in St Vincent and the Grenadines, as indeed is the case in many countries around the world.

Opportunities

Many would recall the poverty-stricken nature of the origins of the world’s greatest craftsman in the sport, Edson Arantes do Nascimiento – the legendary Pele. His elevation to the top of the world in the sport of choice, football, opened the door for successive generations of Brazilian footballers to access lucrative contracts across the globe and rescue them and their families from the poverty that sought to stymie their development.

In the past few decades we have witnessed opportunities opened for footballers from the Caribbean with Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago being the most successful in accessing contracts largely in Europe but also in the USA.

In our case our players have not been as fortunate. While we have had Rodney ‘Chang’ Jack opening a gateway to Europe we were only able to get three players in Europe and two or three in the USA’s Major League Soccer. Marlon James is still in Malaysia having been there before along with Cornelius Huggins.

Some players, including Kendol ‘Ken I’ Velox, have been fortunate enough to play in the Pro league in Trinidad and Tobago.

For one reason or another we have been unable to access places abroad as frequently as some of our Caribbean neighbours. This is unfortunate since for decades this country has produced outstanding footballers, many with immense skills, who should have been exposed to international contracts. The achievements of the Vincentian teams of the period 1979 – 81 remain legendary but there are many who would suggest that there were players with great skill who happened to be playing at a time when other countries in the region also had their fair share of outstanding players.

Perhaps it was the location of Jack Warner in the FIFA that allowed him to assist players from his country in getting greater exposure. He must be credited with bringing teams to the region with greater frequency allowing the Caribbean players to match skills with their international counterparts.

It was perhaps unfortunate that St Vincent and the Grenadines did not have the wherewithal to be involved in such arrangements.

The inability, for many years, to access FIFA membership did not help the local situation in any way and congratulations must be given to Venold Coombs who, while serving as President of the organisation here, worked assiduously to gain FIFA membership for the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation.

Still, there are opportunities available and we must do much more to access them in the interest of facilitating advancement for our athletes as well as the ultimate development of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Hairoun Community Competition

For many years the football scene was dominated by teams form the broader Kingstown area. However there was never any doubt that talent in the sport abounded in several rural areas just as was the case with cricket.

The distractions of urban development may well have negatively impacted the city folk to the point where in many sports practised here the rural youths have come to prominence.

The recently concluded Hairoun Community Football Competition opened many eyes in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

For some time in the recent past there were many sceptics about the future of the sport in this country. Our poor performance in the FIFA World Cup Preliminaries seemed to have angered the once-loyal supporters of the sport in the country and many stayed away even when the games should have demanded their presence.

Thanks to the excitement generated in the Hairoun Community Competition we saw a return of patrons to the sort they love so very much.

That two rural teams, Barrouallie and Layou, were able to skilfully outmanoeuvre their opponents and take top honours in the competition tells a great deal about the relative shift in the sport development process.

The growth in attendance at the games as the competition developed was a most welcome sight for the football authorities here. It was an indication that the sport is certainly alive and well enough to return to attracting far more people in attendance at the local level than any other sport practised in this country.

Lovers of football in the country were able to see the immense potential of our athletes and also recognise the importance of a sound development strategy that is long-term in its focus, if we are to take our rightful place amongst the footballing nations of the world.

There is no shortage of talent in the sport here and what we have seen in the competition speaks volumes of what can be achieved if the talent is appropriately harnessed.

Congratulations are in order for the football authorities here on the successful hosting and completion of the Hairoun Community Football Competition.

Of course there were hitches along the way and valid criticisms have been levelled but the competition continued and ended with patrons feeling that the sport is still strong.

At the conclusion the victorious teams showed why they were able to get to that point.

The St Vincent Brewery has had a longstanding relationship with the local football fraternity and kudos is in order for their continued sponsorship of the sport. As a good corporate citizen commendations are in order.

Sport and community development

While many of the sports continue to focus perhaps all too heavily on the capital and its immediate environments the evidence seems to suggest that the people in the rural communities are still paying greater attention to sport where distractions remain limited by comparison.

Despite not being in possession of the best facilities and at times the best competition gear our rural youths spend more time at sport than their urban counterparts. This may well have to do with the fact that time spent on computers and cell phones is significantly less.

Of course our rural communities still possess stronger commitment to traditional values and a greater sense of community than is the case with their urban colleagues.

In our rural communities sport still has a place.

In the past it was common for the local Non Governmental Organisations (NGO) to advise sporting organisations that there was no place for sport in their project documentation since funding would not be allocated.

Now that the NGO fraternity has been exposed to the global shift that addresses health for all through regular practice of physical exercise things have changed. The problem is that many of the NGOs have no idea of how to engage in the paradigm shift and have been left behind.

For those knowledgeable about sport there has always been an important link between sport and community development. Here in the Caribbean and especially in St Vincent and the Grenadines we allowed ourselves to be blinded to this reality even though it stared us in the face.

In the context of a supposed Wellness Revolution there has not yet been appropriate recognition of this vital link between sport, recreation, community and national development.

It is an unfortunate reality that leadership is sadly lacking in this understanding at the governmental level and this filters down negatively impacting the broader sport development and broader national development processes.

What our footballers have been able to show is that they are in many respects community based.

Many do not yet grasp the fact that the Barcelona Football Club in Spain is in fact a representation of the aspirations of the people of that community who insist that there are Catalans and not Spaniards.

In St Vincent and the Grenadines the recently concluded Hairoun Community Football Championships have shown that Barrouallie and Layou are still strongly rooted in their respective communities perhaps more so than any other of the participating teams. Historically their communities have been highly supportive of their endeavours and follow them with immense pride.

In many respects therefore the victories were community victories and good reason for the respective populations to feel justly proud that they have been able to prove to the nation that their talent is good enough to rule.

Over the past several months

While sporting enthusiasts hold fast to the view that sport is bigger than any single individual it is clear that many an individual have negatively impacted the sport to such an extent that it would be forever tainted.

For more than a century football and more particularly football in England has been tainted by hooliganism where it is believed that fans must behave in a particular way at each game. This hooliganism has come to impact the game almost everywhere it is played. Hosts of the quadrennial Football World Cup are often forced to enact special legislation for those coming with the intention of engaging in unacceptable behaviour during the competition.

In the recent decades however football has become increasingly popular with the international media, less for the fighting between fans and more so for evidence of racism and corruption that now appear to run much deeper than initially thought.

The international media did not appear shocked when the English challenged the world governing body for football, FIFA, following the success of Qatar in the World Cup bid for 2022. The English made claims, even in Parliament, about the way things had been done in the lead up to the voting for the right to host the event. Interesting some may also have had their own issues with the election of Russia for the World Cup of 2018 but this paled in significance to the challenges in relation to Qatar’s election. This actually unveiled a can of worms that is still open and growing worse daily.

In the melee, fingers were pointed at Trinidad and Tobago’s Austin ‘Jack’ Warner. It must be remember that Warner had been the subject of many challenges since he emerged as one of the most powerful men in the FIFA leadership.

CONCACAF

At the regional level football has had its fair share of issues, many of them controversial. For many years the Central Americans controlled the sport in the CONCACAF region. Terrazas, a Mexican football administrator, was elected to the presidency of CONCACAF and head the position for over 20 years. It was not until 1990 that the football federations of the English-speaking membership of CONCACAF felt they were strong enough to challenge for the presidency of the organisation. The point man was Warner.

When Warner ran for the presidency of CONCACAF in Guatemala City, in 1990, the outgoing President, Terrazas, had his own issues with him. Warner was at the time General Secretary of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation. He had been on suspension from CONCACAF

Warner facilitated the participation of the representatives from the football federations of the smaller islands of the Eastern Caribbean who could not have afforded the costs associated with Congress.

Interestingly, the first time some of the football leaders from the Caribbean were introduced to Chuck Blazer was when they were together in Guatemala.

The St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation, led at the time by Adrian Fraser, borrowed monies from the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) where it held its account, to facilitate payment in full of monies owed CONCACAF at the time. Irvine Carr, Managing Director of JG Agencies Ltd., a lover of football, backed the loan at the bank. The Federation agreed a repayment schedule of $1000 per week based on the popularity of the sport at the time.

It was clear that the Central Americans were uncomfortable that Warner was the challenger to Terrazas. The battle lines were drawn and it was Spanish-speaking members versus English-speaking members of CONCACAF, a scenario that is so often played out in sport in this part of the world.

While it was expected that there would be some fanciful behind the scenes activity to garner votes in order to win the presidency nothing prepared the average newcomer to sports administration for what eventually unfolded.

On arrival in Guatemala for the Congress the representatives of the smaller islands sought to ensure that they were all in good standing with the organisation. This was to clear the way for their full participation in all aspects of the Congress. A visit to the headquarters of CONCACAF, then in Guatemala, yielded much resistance and surprisingly so. The Treasurer, who was a Guatemalan, refused to access the latest financial statement of CONCACAF from the organisation’s bank in Florida, USA.

One example should suffice here. When the representative of St Vincent and the Grenadines produced the carbon copy of the bank draft showing the date the monies were sent to CONCACAF’s account he was told that there was no evidence sent to the office indicating that this was done and that the organisation does not deal with copies. In response the representative informed the office staff that if he had the original in his hand it would have meant that the monies had not yet been paid.

When asked to check with the bank in Florida the response was, ‘we do not call the bank. The bank informs us of the situation’.

The story was the same for the representatives of the other small islands present at the CONCACAF Office at the time. Not surprisingly therefore, when the Registration process began the aforementioned representatives were rejected on the grounds that they were deemed non financial. The representative of Aruba then placed his credit card as guarantee for the federations involved and the representatives were duly accredited for the Congress.

More intrigue

Prior to the elections it was no secret that Joao Havelange, then FIFA President, would attend the CONCACAF Congress.

Even though Havelange was Brazilian and not from a Spanish-speaking country, he was nonetheless from Latin America and there was a certain expectation that he would perhaps have been partial to his Latin colleagues in the sport.

Havelange arrived in Guatemala the day before the Congress began. He was met at the airport by the CONCACAF leadership. It appears, in hindsight, that he might have been briefed of the strong challenge to Terrazas immediately after his arrival. He convened a meeting of the English-speaking representatives of CONCACAF who were in support of Warner’s bid to win the presidency of the organisation. At that meeting the initial purpose appeared to have been to convince the delegates in attendance to support Terrazas for one final term. It should be mentioned here that Terrazas had actually gone legally blind while in office. He held the presidency for 25 years.

The English-speaking representatives held fast to their commitment to change the leadership of CONCACAF. Convinced that they had enough votes to replace Terrazas with Warner, Havelange then embraced Warner and requested that following the elections Terrazas be allowed to stay on until after the World Cup and that he is made Honorary Life President of CONCACAF. The agreement was reached.

The Congress

When the CONCACAF Congress began it was readily noted that the voting on several issues was based on allegiance – Spanish-speaking versus English-speaking members.

One issue after another saw the English-speaking members showing their strength, winning the votes with relative ease.

Then came the elections.

As everyone prepared themselves for the elections a document was being distributed amongst delegates in the room. The document was entitled, The Case Against Jack Warner.

Terrazas had the document distributed when the agenda item was the election of officers to the CONCACAF. Warner was irate when he saw the document and sought to rise on a point of order. However it was the representative from St Vincent and the Grenadines that informed the Congress that the procedure was wrong and that an agenda item on elections cannot entertain discussions on a document that targets one of the candidates. If anything, the representative suggested, the matter should have been included on the agenda beforehand or placed at the end of the Congress under ‘Other Business’.

The Congress agreed and the document as ignored.

It was not at all surprising that Terrazas and his colleagues were not prepared to roll over and seemed prepared to leave no stone unturned in making a case against his challenger for the presidency, Warner.

Warner won the presidency and the rest is history. He named Blazer CONCACAF’s General Secretary. At a later date he announced the organisation’s headquarters would be moved to Manhattan.

Havelange

Joao Havelange was the president of FIFA for three decades and even as he came to the end of his tenure seemed almost unwilling to leave the post.

While in office Havelange was featured as one of the world sport leaders in the book, Lords of the Rings. The book fingered the five sport leaders that included then IOC President, Juan Antonio Samaranch, in ways that did not seem complimentary and which raised many questions about their leadership.

There should therefore be no surprise therefore that when the football world focused attention on Bin Hammam and Warner, the IOC was busying itself following up on a Panorama Programme produced in England, that suggested Havelange had received a bribe of $1m US while serving as president of FIFA.

As the IOC was about to consider the suspension of Havelange for a possible two-year ban, he resigned.

Conclusion

Havelange’s resignation leaves more questions than answers regarding the alleged bribe and even more about other possible sordid issues that may surface.

Of interest is FIFA’s stance on the matter. Havelange is currently Honorary Life President of FIFA. If indeed he did receive the bribe then FIFA should move swiftly to rid itself of him. However one wonders whether this is possible and what else is in the ‘cupboard’. Blatter served as FIFA General Secretary under Havelange. Warner, Blatter and Havelange were powerhouses in the organisation.

Warner’s promise of ‘telling all’ such that he would create a football tsunami is yet to materialise and no one therefore knows just what he is likely to disclose and how far back in time it would go.

The reality however is that Transparency International is itself seeking to distance itself from FIFA. An article in the Wall Street Journal attributed to Samuel Rubenfeld, dated 1 December 2011 stated:

Transparency International withdrew its assistance to international soccer’s governing body, reports said.

The Berlin-based anti-corruption group had been a consultant on a reform plan from Fédération Internationale de Football Association, or FIFA, as the body tries to distance itself from a myriad of scandals.

It broke off the relationship because a committee tasked with guiding reform, led by Mark Pieth, won’t look into the allegations of impropriety in the past and because FIFA is paying Pieth, said Sylvia Schenk, Transparency International’s sports adviser, who spoke to Bloomberg and the AP.

FFA is the world governing body for football and if this is what is happening with the organisation then the sport is in for a very rough ride as far as leadership is concerned.

Football troubles never seem to end.

We have had the spectre of the FIFA elections, the so-called ‘cash for votes scandal, the seeming football demise of Austin ‘Jack’ Warner and now the unfortunate remarks made by Beleaguered FIFA President, Sepp Blatter on racist comments on the field of play. Here at home of course we have had the accusations of Bin Hammam’s money flying left, right and centre, football elections, the suspension of the General Secretary and the resignation of the technical director and head coach of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF).

Blatter’s comment

On Friday 18 November 2011 Blatter declared that as far as he was concerned there is no racism on the football field. He further noted that racial abuse between players could readily be handled by the same sort of handshake that players engage in following a foul in the heat of play.

One is not at all certain of the real reason for Blatter’s comment but they certainly were insensitive and revealed a side to the FIFA boss that the world simply cannot afford to embrace.

Racism in Football

Racism is not in any way new to the sport of football.

Some may recall that in the 1930s an Everton coloured player, Dixie Dean, was the object of racial derision while leaving the field of play during half time.

As recent as 2004, Spanish head coach, Luis Aragones was caught on film making racist remarks in respect of Thierry Henry, an outstanding player for Arsenal at the time. Aragones was caught saying to his own player, Jose Antonio Reyes, Henry’s teammate at the time, “Demuestra que eres mejor que ese negro de mierda” (“Show that you’re better than that black shit”).

Perhaps one of the most known footballer against whom racial slurs have been frequently hurled is Samuel Eto’o of Cameroon. In his first season playing for FC Barcelona, he was subjected to racist monkey chants whenever he touched the ball and some reports even claim that the crowd threw peanuts at the player while shouting racial slurs.

While playing in a match for his new team, Anzhi Makhachkala, in the Russian Premier league, renowned Brazilian defender, Roberto Carlos, found himself the object of racial antagonism. In a match at Senit St Petersburg in March of this year, a spectator thought it appropriate to hold a banana aloft near the player during the flag-raising ceremony. As of that was not enough discrimination, in June of this year, someone threw a banana onto the field of play as he played for his team at Krylia Sovetov Samara. Carlos simply took up the banana and placed it on the sidelines. He did however take time to raise his two fingers indicating that this was the second such incident to which he has been subjected while playing in Russia.

Earlier this month, just last week in fact, the English Football Association found it necessary to charge Liverpool’s Luis Suarez, for alleged racist remarks aimed at Manchester United’s Patrice Evra. A news report stated, it is alleged that Suarez used abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour towards Manchester United’s Patrice Evra contrary to FA rules,” the association said in a statement. “It is further alleged that this included a reference to the ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race of Patrice Evra.”

It should be noted that racial slurs have not always been levelled against blacks alone. Many have suffered because of their ethnicity.

In 2007 and again in 2008, Mido, an Egyptian player with Middlesbrough, was subjected to negative comments made by Newcastle fans about his ethnicity.

Reactions

In very short order the world reacted to the comments made by Blatter. Virtually everywhere people expressed shock and then total abhorrence for Blatter’s unfortunate remarks at a time when evidence seems to suggest that there is an increase in the use of racial slurs not only by supporters of teams and officials of teams but also by players against each other.

British Prime Minister, David Cameron, was quick to decry Blatter’s comments and called for his immediate resignation as head of football’s governing body.

One international media source, AFP, noted,

South African FIFA committee member and anti-apartheid activist Tokyo Sexwale on Friday criticised Sepp Blatter’s denial of racism in football and slammed England for keeping John Terry as captain.

Blatter, the president of FIFA, caused global outrage this week when he said there is no racism on the pitch and that any racial abuse between players should be settled with a handshake.

“It was rather unfortunate of Blatter to utter such statements. We have had countless cases of racial slurs being spewed by players on the field of play,” said Sexwale, who sits on the football governing body’s anti-racism committee.

“You can’t mitigate racist slurs with a handshake. No handshake can repair this damage,” he added.

“Such statements are damaging. Its consequences cannot be known.”

The International News on 22 November 2011 cited comments made by Rio Ferdinand.

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand – whose brother Anton was the target of an alleged slur by England captain John Terry – was one of the most outspoken critics, saying on Twitter that he was “astonished” by Blatter’s comments.

“Sepp Blatter your comments on racism are so condescending its almost laughable. If fans shout racist chants but shake our hands is that ok?” Ferdinand wrote. “I feel stupid for thinking that football was taking a leading role against racism…it seems it was just on mute for a while.”

Others have come out against Blatter’s statement.

In what may well have some people confused, South African, Tokyo Sexwale, has apparently jumped in to suggest that Blatter is not himself racist. He seemed to have adopted a supportive role and appears to have joined Blatter in extolling the role that the latter is playing in the fight to end racism in the sport.

Sexwale’s comments in respect of his seeming defence of Blatter may well have arisen form the fact that he is well placed in FIFA. Some are amazed of his stance given that FIFA posted a picture on its web site of Blatter giving a hug to Sexwale in the height of the international furore.

The situation is perhaps even more disturbing since Sexwale spent 12 years in the same prison as Nelson Mandela for conspiring to overthrow South Africa’s white-minority government.

Indeed nothing is surprising in the wide and wonderful world of sport.

Blatter’s won reaction has been to issue an apology.

Blatter told BBC Blatter Sport,

“When you have done something which was absolutely not totally correct, I can only say I am sorry for all those people affected by my declarations.

“I am sorry and I regret that my statements earlier this week have resulted in an unfortunate situation. I am committed to the fight against racism and I will not stop until I have stamped out racism in football.”

That Sexwale read out the apology is itself very instructive and may well tell a most important tale.

Later, Blatter again apologised for the damage that his statements had caused globally.

One thing is certain, he has also indicated his commitment to his continued leadership of FIFA and that he would not resign.

Like Juan Antonio Samaranch of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the time of the Salt Lake City Scandal that rocked the IOC to its very foundations, Blatter remains steadfast that he is going to be the architect of reform within his own international body. Blatter, like Samaranch, seems oblivious to the fact that the troubles of FIFA have occurred under his leadership and that should otherwise count against him.

Amazingly there has been utter silence from the football fraternity in the Caribbean during the latest Blatter saga. We of all people should have much to say when we hear of racism being treated lightly by the president of FIFA. Instead we remain deafeningly silent.

This is not new. It has become commonplace for the Caribbean sports administrators to see themselves as little fish in the sea of big fish. They pull their tails between their legs every time fearing the worst from their international counterparts.

In reality though the Caribbean administrators of sport fail to do their homework. They do no research and therefore have little impact on the world scene. In the Caribbean there have been few exceptions to this.

Warner may have been n the inside but while there he did not appear anxious to rock the boat. Only now that he has found himself in the proverbial ‘hot water’ that we are hearing rumblings of wanting to create a tsunami in the sport in which he may well have once shared the innermost secrets.

For too many of the region’s sports administrators the anxiety to grab after the crumbs that fall from the table of the leaders of international sport takes precedence over their commitment to genuine development, fair play and preservation of integrity in sport.

We may also add that given the scare that Caribbean football leaders recently received from FIFA in the ‘cash for votes’ scandal, none of them would even so much as want to appear challenging Blatter.

Conclusion

Everywhere that racism has reared its ugly head it must be internationally condemned and sport is no exception, to say nothing of football.

The lofty values attendant to sport should leave no room for racism and/or discrimination of any sort.

It may also be instructive that at a time when we should be considering ourselves to be post modernists we find ourselves retreating into an ear of decadence. WE should have bypassed this phase in sport already.

One is not in any way befuddled by the comments made by the man who currently heads the sport of football – Sepp Blatter. Indeed, some have reminded us that Blatter is originally German and that in and of itself may mean something.

Blatter is usually considered quite jocular but this latest comment cannot in any way be considered a joke.

It should be remembered that Blatter is not new to the sport. Prior to being elected president of FIFA he served for many years as the organisation’s General Secretary. He must be aware of the importance of ensuring that football does not allow itself to degenerate into an arena of racism in the contemporary period.

The world of sport and the entire global fraternity cannot afford to allow racism in any form to rear its ugly head.

Not in today’s world!

Never!

At the conclusion

One is not sure how many people listened to the coach’s comments in response. He really skirted the question. Instead he commented favourably about the youthful nature of the team with an average age of 21 years and declared that they would really come good in another four to five years time.

The coach of the Vincy Heat therefore with his many years of experience has recognised that he is in the midst of building a team for the future. The present was really part of the process to get them there.

It was not that the coach was not giving due respect to the team’s participation and challenge sin the current World Cup Preliminaries. It was instead that he was being realistic. He knows the team he has in his charge.

The Grenada game

St Vincent and the Grenadines defeated Grenada at Arnos Vale by a 2 – 1 margin and we all felt good.

Those watching the game however, while being happy that Vincy Heat won, they were not at all satisfied with the display of football from the national team.

The Grenadians controlled the final 15 minutes of the game while Vincy struggled to hold on to its one-goal advantage.

The Grenada encounter raised several concerns amongst football aficionados here especially in the area of match fitness and poor strategizing.

One commentator lamented that as the game got into its later stages Vincy Heat was holding on for dear life as many of the players’ tired feet failed to carry them across the Arnos Vale playing field. The fitness required of players at this World Cup level was simply nowhere evident.

At the final whistle many thought that Vincy Heat came away very lucky.

The Grenadian officials congratulated the Vincentians but sounded a warning that things would certainly be different when they meet in the second encounter but before a partisan Grenadian crowd.

The Guatemala game

Guatemala handed Vincy Heat a 4 – 0 drubbing in the Central American country. The reports indicated that the Vincentian players were no match for the Guatemalans. Despite the loss however the team’s management and of course all Vincentians were hopeful that when the Guatemalans came to St Vincent and the Grenadines the local team would give much better account of themselves before their home crowd at the idyllic Arnos Vale Sports Complex.

In the game played on Friday 7 October 2011, there was an unfolding of precisely where we are in football in this country today.

In the first half the Guatemalans had five shots on goal versus a mere two by our team. Of the five shots on goal the Guatemalans converted one goal while we did not score.

The Guatemalans also won 18 throws to our 16, two off-sides to our three, four corners to our two and committed six fouls to our five.

There was nothing about Vincy Heat’s approach to the first half of the game that suggested we were capable of defeating the Guatemalans. Indeed with 15 minutes left in the first half many of our players had already grown very tired and some were even walking rather than running. One would have thought that there been at least one change in the team before the conclusion of the first half.

Additionally the midfield was conspicuously absent and hence we were essentially playing a game we could not win.

From the start of the game it was clear that Mario Rodriguez, sporting the #10 jersey, was the playmaker of the Guatemala team. It should have been evident from the game played in Guatemala. Unfortunately throughout the first half and indeed the entire game Vincy Heat had no one assigned to even so much as attempt to keep him in check. Not surprisingly he scored the lone goal of the first half with efficient ease.

The second half began much like the first half. Guatemala stepped up their game while our declined significantly. The absence of the midfield left far too much room for the opponents to manoeuvre and they took full advantage.

The visitors applied considerable pressure almost uninhibited. They secured nine corners to our three (getting two yellow cards in the process), 16 throws to our nine, one off-side to our two and had five shots on goal to our four.

In the second half Mario Rodriguez scored with a tremendous volley that came to him while totally unmarked on the right side, leaving the goalkeeper without a chance. Later, Dwight Pezzarossi Garcia added the nail to Vincy Heat’s football coffin for the day leaving the final score line 3 – 0.

It could be argued that at the end of the game at home we lost by one goal less than was the case when we played in Guatemala and that this was an improvement. However, no one could be impressed. The reality was that Vincy Heat started the second half already jaded and grew ever more so as the game wore on. There was no letting up.

The substitutions for Vincy Heat cam far too late and the changes made questionable.

Team preparation

During the week before the game against Guatemala the National Sports Council went public complaining that the Arnos Vale #1 was handed over exclusively to the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation for the use of Vincy Heat. The complaint was that there were too many distractions.

While there may have been merit in the complaints the fact was that it was already too late for Vincy Heat.

Watching the team prior to the Guatemala game it was clear that the players were far from fit. There was hardly anyone who looked capable of running competitively for the 90 minutes of a game.

Prior to the start of our involvement in the World Cup Preliminaries it was clear that we were not getting into position for genuine football match fitness.

Working the ball and engaging in strategies for each game was certainly not enough to prepare the team and one expects that the Football Federation would engage in a review of the performance of the existing team coach and technical director.

An important part of the preparation is getting the team involved in more competitions – friendlies. This did not take place. Had this been done it would have allowed us to see the low fitness level much earlier and hence address the problem and related issues.

Even at the local level it did not appear that there was enough interest to get the team playing competitive against local teams or combined teams merely to get into the habit of playing together for the full 90 minutes.

It is common for technical directors to be evaluated after a round of competitions to determine whether he seems to be making progress and the causal factors inhibiting this. Following such evaluations coaches are often cautioned, fired or retained without comment.

Another important feature of the preparatory exercise is the marketing of the team. That was not done. Vincentians really do not know the players and far less the coach and technical team. Vincentians were not in the know about what was happening with the team enough to generate interest and enthusiasm amongst sport-loving fanatics.

The crowds at Arnos Vale were not what we usually expect for international games of football. This was a result of weak marketing of the games.

Going forward

One must necessarily return to the comments of the coach in the interview following the game against Grenada at Arnos Vale.

It seems clear that the coach’s focus is not as much on the World Cup Preliminaries as it is on the future of the national representative team.

Clearly the youthful nature of the team allows us to look ahead while recognising that we have not yet begun in earnest the kind of preparation required for such an important competition as the World Cup.

The team is nonetheless still involved in the World Cup Preliminaries and every effort must be made to salvage some respectability and pride in the remaining matches.

It may well be too late for the team to get to the fitness level required but the coach would have to devise strategies to stave off embarrassment.

Guatemala has already defeated all of its opponents thus far and are left with only Grenada to play both home and away. They need only draw to book their place into the next round of the Preliminaries.

Grenada has apparently risen from their slumber. The turned the tables on Belize when they met in St George’s and eagerly await Vincy Heat then Guatemala.

Vincy Heat must be aware that Grenada would be very dangerous at home.

We also have Belize to play at home and away. All is not yet lost for us. The challenge is to step up the game.

There is talk in some quarters for a change in the coach and technical staff. This is to be expected. There is little chance of this happening while the World Cup Preliminaries are being contested. The coach must be concerned that as yet he has really not produced a team of which we can be proud and Vincentians do not like to lose.

Conclusion

St Vincent and the Grenadines has a proud football tradition and Vincy Heat, the coach and technical staff must be aware of this and must lift the game to the requisite level.

True, the facilities are still a problem but there is reason enough for us to do better than we have done thus far.

Vincentians are avid lovers of the game and would relish a victory or victories going forward.

The bigger picture of course is setting the stage for continuity and an elevation of the development process of the sport in all its aspects. This is the primary challenge confronting the new executive of the Football Federation.

Today Vincy Heat

Even before the first whistle is blown to start the game however the national team would have already defied the expectations of some who did not believe that we could have defeated Grenada here a few weeks ago. With the victory in the friendly the week before against the little-fancied Dominica, the team rose to the occasion and handed a strengthened Grenada team a 2 – 1 victory at Arnos Vale.

It is important nonetheless to acknowledge some of the challenges facing Vincy Heat and more generally, football, in the current dispensation.

Governance

The St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF) has just completed elections and there is a complete change of leadership. The new President is Venold Coombs, a former president of the SVGFF who was at the helm when the organisation gained full FIFA membership and the authority to host FIFA-approved international and regional games. Prior to this there was some discomfort on the part of FIFA with the recognition of our two main football fields, Arnos Vale # 1 and Victoria Park.

Here in St Vincent and the Grenadines when there are changes of leadership it usually takes some time for the new governance structure to be established and its modus operandi made clear.

In the case of the SVGFF there would certainly some aspects of the previous leadership’s approach to governance that may be found viable and be taken on board to facilitate the on-going development of the sport.

This is not the time for acrimony nor should it be a time to hanker back on the past. What’s past is often best left alone unless it has a direct bearing on the way forward. All too often we spend time seeking to so get at what transpired in the past that too little attention is paid to planning the future.

It is true that the elections were hotly contested and there are winners and losers. One would hope that the new administration ignores the various comments made by competing individuals and groups and shows a level of maturity and magnanimity in forging a new style of leadership for the nation’s most popular sport.

Governance of football requires a fair amount of heroism. The sport appears to be better placed today because of the annual grant of $250,000 USD but this is miniscule when placed alongside the numerous competitions in which the organisation is expected to be involved at the regional and international level.

It is important therefore that time is not wasted at this juncture but that all hands get on deck for the carving out of the structure deemed best suited to the advancement of the sport.

Over the past several months the previous executive recruited the organisation’s first full-time General Secretary in the person of Ian Hypolite. During his brief tenure at the organisation much time has been spent seeking to establish sound structures that would facilitate a sound footing for the game.

The mere receipt of annual grants from FIFA does not automatically translate into effective management of an organisation such as the local governing body for the sport and there are many who seem to think that sport management is literally ‘a piece of cake’. Hypolite has been able to positively impact the local football governing body enough to facilitate an enhancement of the organisation’s relations with organisations and institutions around the country.

Grassroots development

It is heartening that the new President immediately pointed to grassroots development work in the sport. Already he and his executive would hit the ground running. The former executive did a very good job in establishing an aggressive yet workable grassroots talent identification programme across St Vincent and the Grenadines. Everywhere coaches could be found involved in getting youngsters involved in the sport by learning the fundamentals.

Many children have been exposed to football and there is much hope for them in the future once the governing body continues to participate in the many competitions available to them.

It is interesting to note that parents are not always given to being there with their children involved in the grassroots programme regardless of the sport with the exception of Tennis, Swimming and Squash. With football being a popular sport that attracts a significant number of athletes from the lower classes amongst whom are numerous single-parent families the chances of getting parental involvement with their children in the grassroots programme are relatively slim. This has been the experience with the football grassroots programme thus far and every effort must be made to effect change in this regard giving due consideration to the challenges of single parenting in this country.

It is true that children learn fastest in their early formative years and if parents take an interest in exposing their children to physical education and sport even before they start schooling and certainly during their first five years of life they would be more likely to play sport and understand the important role of physical exercise in their overall well-being.

In November 2010 the SVGFF brought several young teams to a most exciting competition involving only teams from their grassroots programme to the National Olympic Committee (NOC) Sport for All Commission’s Festival of Games held at the Arnos Vale Sports Complex. The activity generated great interest and enthusiasm.

The nation is excited at the fact that the current senior national team has an average age of 21 years, an indication of the SVGFF’s emphasis on youth.

The successful extension and expansion of the grassroots programme by the new administration would certainly facilitate an important continuum for the future of football in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Competitions

The new executive would have to continue facing the challenges associated with establishing the club as its affiliate rather than teams. This is a FIFA mandate that would require much attention in the coming period. It is not that we are any different from our neighbours but that we must recognise the importance of a sound club structure to the overall development of the game. Teams have no real reason to sustain themselves. By definition clubs ought to be sustainable.

At the local level competitions remain as important as the training of youngsters around the country through the grassroots programme.

There has to be a comprehensive review of the existing competitions structure in St Vincent and the Grenadines. The Federation must determine which competitions it would undertake responsibility for what would be left for communities and/or different organisations.

Community football remains an integral part of the sport of football at the local level. Not all players would be of a standard that would see them making the national representative teams but their love for the game and their keen interest in participating in it must be facilitated if the sport is to survive and thrive in the country.

While there may well be merit in seeking to organise competitions for players at a younger age the school system ought to be maintained. Sport is an integral part of the education development of the child and his/her involvement must be such that room is left for a healthy blend between sport and study time.

In the child’s early development care must be taken to ensure involvement in a wide range of sports rather than specialisation. Specialisation at too early an age does not yield the best in any given sport all of the time. Of course there are exceptionally talented persons for whom this may not be the case.

At the regional and international levels the FIFA, CONCACAF and the CFU all have complementary calendars that ensure a full schedule of competitions virtually all year. This is a costly exercise for the SVGFF. It is clear that the $250,000USD per annum would not be adequate to guarantee participation in all of the competitions or pay the penalties for failing to do so. There must be an aggressive marking strategy that brings additional sources of funding to bear on the coffers of the organisation.

Facilities

Despite the recent comments of the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in respect of a national stadium the reality is that there are challenges for footballers in this country. The comments seem more to reflect the gross disconnect between the country’s political leadership and the custodians, players and patrons of our most popular sport.

While admittedly there are several playing areas around the country they do not all meet the requirements of playing fields and there has to be more undertaken by way of an agreed approach by cricket and football re the use of existing playing areas. If the sport is to be taken to the highest level where we can compete favourably against other footballing  nations clearly we would require an appropriate facility and more.

The monies spent on Arnos Vale for the ‘goat cook’ matches back in 2005 and beyond should have been enough to more than construct the national stadium. The government of the day could not really justify the expenditure undertaken back then for events that were never going to impact us. The legacy of what matches we get for international cricket since then tells a tale of sorrow and misguided focus.

We could easily have constructed our national stadium and better position ourselves for the future.

Indeed where there is no vision a people perish.

Politics

Many may wish to turn up their noses at what is being discussed here but the reality compels us to raise it. In the elections for the previous president of the SVGFF it was no secret that the divisive national politics played a significant role. Some individuals who influenced the voting insisted that for football to progress here it was necessary that there be a leader who was politically favourable to the ruling ULP regime.

When the dust had settled after the very acrimonious elections it was implicitly acknowledged that the president as acceptable to the ruling ULP.

In the immediate aftermath of the most recent elections in the SVGFF comments began circulating as to whether the newly elected president would find favour with the ruling regime. In some quarters the divisiveness of the national politics seemed to compel them to argue whether the ULP supporters who have been elected onto the new executive have not crossed over to ‘the other side’.

We have always insisted that the politics of sport is often nastier than national politics. Where the two intertwine then one can expect immense challenges. The new executive has an excellent opportunity to display a mature approach to leadership of a popular sport that has the capacity to bring the nation together as no national politician can.

Place St Vincent and the Grenadines first and the support of an entire nation would be guaranteed the SVGFF in all its ventures.

Guatemala

Today we take on Guatemala at Arnos Vale. We are at home and the crowd would be on our side. Today is not one for decrying our players. Instead it is a day on which we should move forward with pride, anxious to show the world that this small nation stands ready to take its rightful place along the best in the world despite our challenges.

Today, let us all give our support to Vincy Heat.