Free for all in football

The present league Football season has put the current Executive of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation in a tail spin, dazed in authority and know how, as it seems incapable of stemming the free for all and unchecked liberty at which footballers move from team to team, without the necessary transfers.{{more}}

Whilst this column has skirted with the issue in previous expositions, the time has come to delve into it, as what is taking place is untenable.

All hell has broken loose, as if there is no one in charge of the sport. Units and players are having a field day, as they play in any league, any time, totally disregarding the one club, two leagues stipulation.

To listen to a sportscast, and hear player X scoring in the Arnos Vale League on Sunday, then in the Bequia league on Monday for another club, is laughable to the point of comical in 2008.

But what is most hurtful is that many of the rule breakers are senior national team members.

But they have been given a free licence to reign.

Rewind to the 1980’s and 90’s, this was the case, until 1997, when attempts were made to streamline operations.

While never perfected, what obtains at the present time, makes a mockery of the rulings governing transfers and transfer windows.

In fact, the door is wide open “to do wey yo like”.

And, no one seems to be concerned as there have no been any real efforts to deal with this coveted form of lawlessness.

It is accepted that the federation also involves the league officials as well as others in the football fraternity, but the buck eventually stops with the present Executive, whose nonchalance is incomprehensible.

With the increased use of technology in today’s world, and with an IT specialist in your ranks, there seems to be no data readily available about players. And, if there is, then why is no punitive action being taken?

One does not say that the task of policing such an operation is an easy undertaking, but the league officials themselves should shoulder some of the responsibility that they are not harbouring ineligible players in their competitions.

They should hold themselves accountable for ensuring that the regulations as far as humanly possible are carried out to the letter.

But there seems to be a disconnect between the Executive and some of the affiliates in recent times.

Sadly, the Executive is viewed as an antagonist grouping by some affiliates.

Despite the challenges, the Executive needs to recharge its batteries and wheel and come again. Do not tell me that you guys were still wetting your feet, as you are just short of three weeks of your first anniversary in office.

The monsters that you are creating, by not seriously putting a handle on this gay abandon, will one day come back to haunt you as already footballers are getting that sense of weakness in the administrators.

President Delves and company, the small piece rug of your acquired moral authority is being slowly pulled from under your feet.

I am not an advocate for draconian measures, but show the football public that you are serious about football business and the business of football.

If action is not taken soonest, you will be reduced to bunch of toothless tigers and a disjointed figure head organisation.

As men whose training and daily employment require things being done above board, better by way of your output in this regard and other administrative tasks can be and should be done.

Delves and company, we will continue to be a country with an abundance of football talent, but will lose the battle before we enter the field of play, simply because of the way things are done.

Your planned consultation on the restructuring of Football is just a small part of the work to be done; showing you that keeping on top of things is most important.

This column will continue to be on the case of those who made the colossal error in erecting the “Mound” at the Sion Hill Playing Field.