Mercury rising in anger over BFA’s operations

The decision by some of the sitting executive members of the Bequia Football Association (BFA), to re-appoint themselves, is not going down well with some of the affiliates.{more}}

And, head of the Bequia United Football Club Kendale Mercury is stating emphatically that the current executive headed by Relton John had not been ratified by the general membership of the BFA.

Mercury said he was alarmed at hearing the developments which was confirmed by a SEARCHLIGHT newspaper article last Friday, August 22.

Planning to take the matter further, Mercury told SEARCHLIGHT: “We will not allow anyone to bully Bequia football again… . We accepted in 2012 for the simple reason that the feelings of revival of Bequia football was in the air and we did not want to stop progress, because we could have taken action against the Stowe (Dominique)-led committee as well.”

Mercury, who was appointed as technical director of football in 2012 under Stowe, reported that the process then was also flawed.

“They did not have an election … It was a self-appointed committee… He installed himself as president and handpicked people and put them on the board… It is the same exact thing that has happened again,” Mercury said, strongly.

Stowe tendered his resignation after he was appointed as the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation’s single point man to CONCACAF on matters of integrity and diversity.

A move welcomed by Mercury, who described Stowe as “autocratic”, but correcting a wrong with another wrong, he said was the same.

“Bequia United will not participate in any football under these circumstances and secondly we are looking at taking legal action, because we realize that it is an illegal action that they took and somebody needs to be held accountable,” Mercury, a former national Under-20 team coach added.

He recounted the most recent efforts to install an executive, following the resignation of then president Dominique Stowe: “The process started out when they sent out some bulletins about meetings… They tried two meetings; I was present at the second, along with a representative from Gabba Boys … There was a third meeting set for the 13th August at the Bequia District Office and there were five affiliates at that meeting”.

Mercury related that John presided over the meeting and attempted to convene an election of officers, which was stoutly opposed by those present.

“One, we never received any documentation of the last tournament, no financial report, we didn’t receive any prize money…. We were blatantly disrespected by the Stowe-led committee of 2012,” Mercury forwarded as the reasons for their resistance to any elections.

Mercury disclosed that the affiliates at the meeting instead advised to install an interim committee.

“We wanted that interim committee to look into what were the problems which have caused Bequia football in the last five years to be in limbo. It is either the tournament not finishing, you can’t receive prize money… the problems with referees and so on,” Mercury lamented.

Mercury noted that the five affiliates at the meeting said no to the alternative – to have the remaining members of the executive form the interim committee.

He added that it was decided by the five affiliates that they would undertake to seek out personnel from within the various communities in Bequia to come forward to a meeting on August 20, with the view of serving on the proposed interim committee.

However, this was never done, hence the appointment of John and other members.

Apart from John, Lydia Ollivierre is listed as the association’s treasurer, Zonecia Daniel – public relations officer and Wayne Peters – secretary.

The executive plans to host a Bequia football league, set to commence on September 7 at the Clive Tannis Playing Field. (RT)