Stink ah road

The tidal wave that has been churning in FIFA for a week now is of epic proportion.{{more}} The viral political struggle that has become a knock down, last man standing, wild wild west confrontation in the 21st century, has repercussions seemingly not yet imagined.

The open cesspit began to give off its stench when the FIFA ethics committee, headed by Namibian judge Petrus Damaseb, provisionally suspended CONCACAF Head Austin “Jack” Warner and Asian Football head Mohamed Bin Hammam, presidential candidate for last Wednesday’s FIFA elections, at a hearing last Sunday, due to allegations of bribery made by US CONCACAF executive member Chuck Blazer.

Bin Hammam withdrew from the presidential race on Sunday, prior to the hearing.

Then, all hell broke loose as the revelations of allegations about who bought out which World Cup bid, promises of a football tsunami, and its consequences arose.

But the real issue goes past the smoke screen of the monies given to the Caribbean Football Union members at the specially arranged meeting in Trinidad and Tobago on May 10 and 11.

Obviously, the perception that accepting gifts geared towards the development of marginalized and under served communities from one’s federation is a bribe is myopic in the view of many.

But here is the reality check. As we all know in Football, the playing field is not level between the first world and the second, the third and the fourth. The small developing island states that populate the CFU can barely hold their heads above water.

The mantra of the FIFA, which is fair play, is lauded at times, and well intentioned at best. However, most people play the game to win by any means necessary, as depicted by the infighting within the FIFA inner circle.

What is unfolding before our eyes and ears is a microcosm of a wider struggle amongst those who have gained much from being in FIFA’s big league, as there is much to lose, as there is too much to gain.

Getting back to the matter of the “gifts.” There is empirical evidence that money was passed to the Congress attendees; some accepted, some refused, and others documented and reported the matter.

The origin of the money is yet undetermined, but logic states that it was provided to the CFU via Bin Hammam.

But one must in some way understand the thinking of those who went the way of accepting the “gifts” readily. Their first thought must have been what such sums of money could do in their respective associations and federations.

Attempting to justify accepting non-arms length transaction money into the coffers of organizations that depend on grants, waiver of excise duties and governmental subsidies for their operational viability is a humongous task.

The notion of shoeing barefooted players in grassroots zones is tantalizing. The ability to pay for a physiotherapy visit for an orphan or a single parent teen is addictive.

I guess those who accepted probably must have been asking, are we so pious that we would refuse help when offered, or are we compromising our ethical values and standards to accept assistance in the name of those less fortunate than ourselves?

In the side show which has made the recipients of the “gifts” the fall guys, the missing factor in this equation is the instruction given by President Warner, who reports say, informed the delegates that the gift they received must have no bearing on the selection at the FIFA congress. He also stated that he thought that the CFU as a unit is stronger if it stays together as a voting bloc.

Another part of the jigsaw puzzle was unveiled last Tuesday when the embattled Warner requested that the CFU members support Blatter and do not abstain..

Whatever comes out of the messy affair, one thing is certain is the good name of Football has been mired in an abyss of discord and mistrust.

Undoubtedly, the hierarchy of the world body will have to work overtime to win back the confidence of many.

On the other hand, small federations such as the CFU should use the latest saga to become as independent as possible and not wait on the hand outs of the corruptors of power, who use them as pawns.

The Mound at the Sion Hill Playing is still obstructive.