Stop pussyfooting and get on with Football

09.APR.10

Editor: I write in response to a letter in the Searchlight newspaper of April 1, 2010, captioned “Tell me who is really telling the truth?”

I applaud the writer for being so forthright and open in her revelations. The issues outlined are ones that many of us involved in Football have been aware of for some time now, but either have been afraid of; just don’t give a s***, or too fed up to say anything about the issues.{{more}}

The Football Federation for some time now has been beating its chest and saying how much is being done for football in SVG, but it seems as though only they can see the much hailed progress and development. The recently concluded national football championships Under-17 division was most poorly organized, and the refereeing was deplorable.

The young lady was quite right. The technical director (TD) is a total waste of time, and he flourishes nuff mouth but is very short on action.

The state of Football in SVG currently is at the bottom of the barrel and it needs a serious action injection. There is too much politics in our football. If you say something they are all ready to crucify, and attach some political label to you, especially those who have the license to speak on the Federation’s behalf. They ostracize and sideline anyone who they feel is outspoken enough to critique their performance or lack thereof.

The TD deserted our football last time out, and we like dogs have gone back to eat our vomit. We want our home grown coaches to be Billy Button and work for nothing, then all and sundry come and as one former member of the executive said “get fat off the hog of the land”.

Whatever happened to Roger Gurley, one whom much was invested in by the said Federation? Is he being blackballed by the TD? What of Bramble who is a highly qualified coach and referee? Oh, I guess he talks too much. What about Diggers (Maxwell Bennett)? Is he not good enough for you all? But he is doing much developmental work in his home town. What of all the other coaches who contribute daily and weekly in many instances using their own finances to ensure that football is developed? The executive is too exclusive; they isolate anyone who they feel is a threat, and use smear campaigns against people’s character to ensure that they have no say in football development.

I want to say to all those who have been contributing from the heart, keep up the good work. Your reward will not be from the Federation but from God, because you are doing a noble job in developing our country. To the Federation I say stop the exclusion, and spite work, work for the genuine development of our football. You were put there by the affiliates, to be the guardians of football development, and don’t worry, the same way you were put in, you can be voted out. Work for football’s development, include people, especially those who are already making a contribution.

Stop pussyfooting and get on with the business of football development and administration. Too much long talk and not enough action. We are fed up.

Lover of Football