Searchlight Logo
special_image

    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • From the Courts
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
    • News
      • Front Page
      • News
      • Breaking News
      • Press Release
      • Features
      • Special Features
      • From the Courts
      • Sports
      • Regional / World
    • Opinions
      • Editorial
      • Our Readers’ Opinions
      • Bassy – Love Vine
      • Dr. Fraser- Point of View
      • R. Rose – Eye of the Needle
      • On Target
      • Dr Jozelle Miller
      • The World Around Us
      • Random Thoughts
    • Advice
      • Kitchen Corner
      • What’s on Fleek this week
      • Health Wise
      • Physician’s Weekly
      • Business Buzz
      • Hey Rosie!
      • Prime the pump
    • ePaper
    • Obituaries
      • In Memoriam / Acknowledgement
      • Tribute
    • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Letters To The Editor
      • General Contact Information
      • Contact our Webmaster
    • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Interactive Media Ltd
      • St. Vincent & the Grenadines
    • Subscribe
On Target
June 20, 2008

Hall of shame

It is not often that I feel ashamed at a national effort. But last Sunday at the Arnos Vale Playing Field, the showing of our senior football team – Vincy Heat, made me stop, think, reflect and conclude it was two hours of wasted energy by our footballers.{{more}}

Never did I hold the view that our team would have easily rolled over their opponents Canada, but I thought that we would have put up some sort of resistance.

Neither happened, as the nation felt one of its greatest disappointments in sports.

We looked like aliens to the sport of Football, called here, “The Game of the People”.

Like babes not yet weaned, our footballers, whom we love dearly, were at sixes and sevens. And, the Canadians just took away their candies, leaving them sobbing in defeat.

Where then does the blame game start?

Everyone will readily throw the blame on Technical Director Stewart John Hall, and understandably so.

Being at the helm at the team’s preparations, obviously, there will be calls for his head on a platter. One will readily question his team selection and tactics, and quite rightly so.

Why would Hall want to select Theon Gordon, take the youngster away from his studies at university in Venezuela, then not include him? No excuse for Hall and company for their decision, as they should have a clear indication of their personnel and who were key in their set up.

Similarly, Hall should be ashamed of his decision to also select Alwyn Guy, a veteran of four previous World Cup campaigns, then have him warm the bench. Instead Hall’s excuse was that you cannot plan your substitutions. So why select him in the first place, if he was not part of your plan. Brainless thinking.

Hall must also be hauled over the coals for his continued tactics of the long ball, that archaic English style that has become dour and unattractive. Why haven’t the English won a World Cup since 1966?

We were critical of former Technical Director Zoran Vranes for his ultra defensive style, but Hall’s spin has carried our football to its lowest display in an opening encounter in our world cup sojourn. In my estimation, it was the worst display of our senior team’s first match, at this level.

The team seemed not to have a plan except to play the ball over the top to find the lone striker Marlon James. I will also chide the players for sticking to the letter which was obviously Hall’s instructions.

They should have seen that his tactics were not working and used their initiative, instead of going like lambs to the slaughter.

Also to learn that the team was involved in high intensity training last Saturday morning, is an unpardonable act of incompetence in the technical team. As it turned out the team looked leg weary on Sunday.

You call that right thinking?

I decisively chose to take the wait and see approach of Hall’s ability to coach a national team at this level, granted that it is basically, new territory for him.

However, his tenure must come in for greater scrutiny and evaluation and some inevitable fire must be lit under his posterior.

In the job for over four and a half months, he, like other international football coaches, must get the wrath, albeit constructively of his output.

But Hall is not alone, as the executive of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation should be hurled with fire and brimstone for its poor attempt at providing a Public Address system at the park on Sunday.

What we got was a system with its decibels that more sounded more like an amplified disc man, to service the relatively vast Arnos Playing Field. In addition, no attempt was made to whip up support from the crowd at half time, when the local lads needed it most. Instead, everyone was more concerned about walking around the venue with their name tags pulling them down to the ground.

It was also shameful that our National Anthem was given such poor treatment. Gosh! Where is the national pride?

But what occurred on the field of play on Sunday, is a culmination of what transpires day in day out in our football leagues, schools’ competitions and the general administration of Football here.

Fundamentally, the structure of football here is the genesis of our continued stagnation if not retardation.

Our display on Sunday, though, is inexcusable, as we have been at the stage of World Cup preparations at four previous outings, so we should have been improving along the way.

As a nation, we seem not to learn what is required of us at the international level, then complain when we are thrashed, when we have choreographed our destiny. If we are not up to it, let us just pack it in.

We do not copy what other successful nations have done to get where they are.

The truth in many of those instances is that other countries see the value of helping to shape a successful sporting culture because it not only puts their country on the map but the achievements of their sportsmen and women go a long way in inspiring national confidence and productivity right across the board.

We need to stop and make a conscious decision, whether Sports is simply recreation or we will continue to be the laughing stock, whenever we step out into the international realm.

But this piece of discourse is another example of warming cold soup. We have debated this issue over and over without any remedial action taken to correct mistakes made in the past.

But this column will continue to seek the answers as to the thinking behind the placement of the Mound at the Sion Hill Playing Field, and the pay day of Technical Director Stewart John Hall.

  • FacebookComments
  • ALSO IN THE NEWS
    12 left homeless in mid-day fire at Richland Park
    Front Page
    12 left homeless in mid-day fire at Richland Park
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    A fire that destroyed a multi-family complex in Richland Park on Monday has left at least 12 people homeless, including a 23-year-old mother of a six-...
    PM responds to US military strike on small boat off Venezuela
    Front Page
    PM responds to US military strike on small boat off Venezuela
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves has responded to reports by the United States administration that its military had carried out the bombing of a boa...
    Building material disappear from the Mary Hutchinson Primary School
    Front Page
    Building material disappear from the Mary Hutchinson Primary School
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Police investigators on Union Island are said to be looking into the “disappearance” of building materials that were sent to the Southern Grenadine Is...
    What’s new at Fitz Hughes Government School?
    Front Page
    What’s new at Fitz Hughes Government School?
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    by Grace Francis After sharing a small space for over a year, children and teachers at the Fitz Hughes Early Childhood Centre went into brand new prem...
    MRI-6 donates over $70,000 for school meals for vulnerable students
    Front Page
    MRI-6 donates over $70,000 for school meals for vulnerable students
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Several secondary schools and special needs institutions across St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) have received $5,000 donations towards meals for s...
    Minister of Information Technology  emphasises the importance of Cybersecurity
    News
    Minister of Information Technology emphasises the importance of Cybersecurity
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Robust cybersecurity must be at the heart of the digital transformation that is currently taking place in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) says Min...
    News
    Minister of Information Technology  emphasises the importance of Cybersecurity
    News
    Minister of Information Technology emphasises the importance of Cybersecurity
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Robust cybersecurity must be at the heart of the digital transformation that is currently taking place in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) says Min...
    Entities team up to boost disaster communication capacity
    News
    Entities team up to boost disaster communication capacity
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    The Climate Change Resilience Network (CCRN) in collaboration with the Youlou Radio Movement (YRM) recently embarked on a disaster preparedness initia...
    Ministry of Health to get more dialysis machines
    News
    Ministry of Health to get more dialysis machines
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, is to obtain three more Heamodialysis machines as part of the revolution in the healthcare secto...
    PM Gonsalves heads delegation to Ethiopia
    News
    PM Gonsalves heads delegation to Ethiopia
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, is leading a delegation to the East African country of Ethiopia; the delegation left the state on Wednesday, Septe...
    New Port to be opened on October 24- PM Gonsalves
    News
    New Port to be opened on October 24- PM Gonsalves
    Webmaster 
    September 5, 2025
    The modern port in Kingstown is expected to be handed over to the government just before this country celebrates its 46th anniversary of political ind...

    E-EDITION
    ePaper
    google_play
    app_store
    Subscribe Now
    • Interactive Media Ltd. • P.O. Box 152 • Kingstown • St. Vincent and the Grenadines • Phone: 784-456-1558 © Copyright Interactive Media Ltd.. All rights reserved.
    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok