We have to clean up our act

Recently, coach of the Women’s Football team Andrew Bramble returned from a stint in Guatemala.

It was while there, he learnt that St. Vincent and the Grenadines was lined up for a Women’s tournament. The Federation’s executive can enlighten us as to why that information remained a secret.{{more}}

Bramble raised the issue on his return home. By then, preparations for the tournament had been well advanced. The possibility of incurring a penalty must have influenced the decision to plunge the ladies into the spectacle.

Football produces no end of intrigue. And the trend is regional, if not international.

Getting around the politics of football is a complicated exercise. It will take years to come to grips with some modes of operation.

When it comes to preparing for the World Cup, SVG pulls out all its stocks. And it provides the nation with an identity. But there is something lacking in our preparation, and we are always at a disadvantage as it relates to actual readiness.

Only raw skill and talent have helped us to at least muster some level of competition. More will have to be done to get us up to the level of other CONCACAF nations.

Our participation in the Caribbean Football Union Under 15 competition, unveiled a cultural shock which one hopes the youngsters will overcome.

The lessons have been numerous, and those in charge have to improve their development aspect to bridge the gap between SVG and its CONCACAF colleagues. Or we might find ourselves standing still.

Even though we continue to boast of our advances in the game, we need some semblance of an ongoing programme of activity if we are to justify our claims as a powerhouse in football.

We can’t sit back and hope for the best when it comes to the qualifiers. Structures must be put in place. First among such requirements is a genuine home for football a place where the coach and staff will be allowed to practice drills without interruption or interference. And the other facilities ought to be in place to ensure that the players are au fait with all the technical developments of the sport.

It is time that the squabbles in football cease. Or in the worst event, cater for disagreements and differences in a mature fashion.

But it seems like reasoning, compromise and collaboration are difficult areas to overcome. Hence the trauma of football conflict will be the order of the day.

SVG has demonstrated its capacity in football. Soccer like most sporting events today, must have some mental and off field preparation.

It must be a total affair carried out in a scientific and systematic manner. SVG has been known as a nation of mature people. That pattern must be maintained and everything done in genuine fashion with patriotism.

One can’t expect to be on a hunt for fame or other fortune at the expense of the national product.

We have seen the story over and over, and when one thought that the matter had ended, it surfaced with renewed venom.

Our youngsters, both male and female are depending on our elder statesmen amd women, for guidance on the path of national progress of which football is an integral part. But we must rise to the occasion. We can’t afford to let our youths down.

Football has its role. We have to clean up our act. It must be done immediately and undertaken with genuine willingness and commitment.