Unmasking James Adams

For the past six weeks, the Football fraternity here in St Vincent and the Grenadines has been challenged by someone calling himself or herself, James Adams, to somehow get on board with a no confidence motion against President of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF) Venold Coombs.{{more}}

Adams, in his/her latest email, solicited the support of 75% of the affiliates to bring a Vote of No Confidence against President Coombs.

In early April, when the first petition surfaced, Adams listed several shortcomings directly aimed at Coombs, and requested the support of affiliates.

Two weeks ago, a meeting was called at the Grammar School Playing Field Pavilion; yet there was no appearance by James Adams, although some persons with a vested interest in Football made themselves present.

Therefore, we are forced to ask: Is James Adams just simply a troublemaker?

St Vincent and the Grenadines is a small place and the persons who are involved in Football are well known to all and sundry; hence, everyone knows that James Adams is a concocted cover-up.

Interestingly too, James Adams seems to only have a beef with Coombs and not the Executive in total; so is it a personal vendetta against the president?

Unfortunately, James Adams is not taking advantage of the almost unbridled freedom of speech which exists in the Vincentian society and prefers to be gossipy and immature.

With his or her identity not forthcoming, claims of an inside job have surfaced, as a result of the series of innuendoes, as the author has made some definitive charges which are loaded with empirical evidence.

Finger pointing then became the next option, as members of the current executive have been given the pseudonym, with the elimination format employed, which, as expected, those named have vehemently denied.

Two persons, who were part of the the most recent former national Football configuration of personnel, have also had their names linked to the James Adams trail of emails.

Despite not being able to unmask the identity of the author of the e-mails, what is coming out of the James Adams affair is that all is not well with the Secretariat of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation at Bentinck Square.

Emerging is that there is deficiency in confidentiality among some members of the Executive of the SVGFF who attend the various regular meetings and are privy to some confidential information.

It is more than apparent that already, there are clashes of personality and not everyone is in agreement with the leadership style of President Venold Coombs.

At the helm of SVGFF for the past eight months, Coombs inevitably will find the process of heading such an organization a more challenging one.

Coombs and his Executive, though, must remember that they were voted in on the strength of alleged wrongdoings by the previous holders of the offices; thus, they have to make the corrections.

It does not mean holding the Football public to ransom with a display of arrogance and disdain, but accepting that you are servants tagged with a portfolio.

So, for the sake of the sport, transparency must prevail and be an essential tool in ridding the organization of some of the pus that has built up.

Coming out of these tremors should be more proactive affiliates, as all of James Adams’ claims cannot be unfounded and be for mere mischief value.

Affiliates are satisfied with electing persons, then they leave them merrily to go along, without policing their stewardship with diligence and scrutiny.

Those with the power to elect the persons to administer Football on the national platform are unaware that they can demand answers from the Executive as to the day to day operations of the Secretariat.

Like some of James Adams’ claims, there are things that are being rumoured that need to be verified.

This column hereby calls on James Adams, whomever he or she is, to unmask him/her self and get to the point, instead of cowering under a sobriquet.