SVGFF President rants at executive member during board meeting

Third vice president of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF) Elroy Boucher says he will not get involved in any verbal war or otherwise with the organization’s president Venold Coombs.

Boucher was recently at the receiving end of unsavoury comments made by Coombs during an executive meeting held at the SVGFF’s office at Bentick Square on August 5.{{more}}

A recording of Coombs’ ‘cuss out’ of Boucher was leaked and is now in the public domain.

The audio recording begins at the point in the meeting where the National Club Championships were being discussed.

On the audio recording, Coombs is heard accusing Boucher of spreading rumours that the club championships would not have taken place.

He then begins an unrelenting tirade on Boucher, in which he refers to his third vice president as “a blight”, one with a “nasty, dirty, venomous tongue”, “a lone ranger”, “you blasted hypocrite”, “you element of deceiving and deception”, “damn nastiness,” “you not normal”, “element of darkness,” as well as “a destabilizing character.”

Boucher, who during the melee appeared to have remained poised, told SEARCHLIGHT in an interview yesterday: “I cannot stoop to Coombs’ level about ranting and cursing. …There are times that you have to assess your own maturity.

“What he has to say does not define who I am, I know who I am”, Boucher declared.

The third vice-president said at the point of Coombs’ attack, he expected the other executive members to respond and intervene, and no one did, except for committee member Clemroy ‘Bert’ Francois.

Boucher revealed that present at the time were second vice-president Marvin Fraser and other committee members Dwight Roberts, Othniel Delpesche and Dominique Stowe.

But according to Boucher, that was not the first time that Coombs had used abusive language on him and other executive members.

Boucher in recalling previous instances at executive meetings alleged: “He (Coombs) used expletives on the lone female on the executive Yolande London and it brought tears to her eyes…. He has used this same abusive language on Bert Francois on several occasions… He has done it to Caba (Earl Bennett).”

Boucher, however, said that he has forgiven Coombs and holds no malice against him.

He recounted that during Coombs’ rant, he looked at him and “… felt sorry that a human being can reach to that level … I have forgiven him and I wish to God that in his old age that he can find some way to change his ways, because this sort of behaviour should not exist in the 21st century in any organization.”

Amidst all that has transpired, Boucher confessed, “I have absolutely no difficulty working with Coombs as long as he can operate in a professional manner…. When you serve an organization you are supposed to be mature…. I will work with whosoever as my goal is supposed to be the goal of the organization…. I am not distracted by a person’s behaviour.”

Pointing out that there will be an executive meeting today (Tuesday, August 11), Boucher unreservedly said, “The matter is behind me,” and added that he is not intimidated by what Coombs said.

Also on the recording, Coombs, in reference to Boucher, blurted, “I will deal with you… You never experience me… You will dead hating me….You Elroy Paul Boucher… If you know how I am waiting for your a*se.”

Efforts by SEARCHLIGHT to reach Coombs for a comment proved futile.

However, on July 17, at the presentation and awards ceremony for the 2014 national club championships and the 2015 national inter community league at Frenches House, Coombs stated unrepentantly that he was not willing to continue with some members of his executive.

“The point is this, certain persons who you might have with you, they might not be acceptable… Since last year with certain development I’ve taken certain steps in terms of who I see could continue carry progress…. Basically, you (are) looking at the vice-president level.

“There are certain persons (who) should not really make themselves available to run again because working along with (those) people is a problem,” Coombs told the audience.

At other functions in recent times, Coombs spoke of persons of “disreputable character” who were trying to destabilize football in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The Coombs led administration was voted into office in September 2011.(RT)