Now is the Time!!!

NOW IS THE time more than ever for our local football entities to come together, collapse and form stronger clubs.

This comes at a time when there are glaring realities before us, prompting the need to move in a different direction. The current records show thirty- five units, ten in the Premiership and a whopping twenty- five contested Tier II or the First Division of the 2024/ 2025 St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation’s National Club Championships.

It must be mentioned that more clubs/ affiliates have been inducted to the fold, thus adding to the numbers.

In short, what we have for football at the national level is quantity not necessarily quality. Hence, growth of the sport cannot be compromised by simply having lots of football being played.

Beyond the actual game, other factors are instructive in having that necessary conversation at changing the operations of the sport, from the ground up. As it is now, we are at a standstill, as the country is faced with a shrinking economy, hence the private and public sectors are without that elbow room to assist these football units.

Similarly, having to spread that limited human and financial capital across so many playing units is proving a hardship, thus compounding an already counter- productive situation.

Of note too, is the burdensome load placed on the coffers of the national governing body for football, the SVGFF. Administering the National Club Championships is not a penny affair, therefore, more must be crafted to maximise returns, whilst simultaneously producing a product that ensures development.

Having to spread the restricted funds on the championships is indeed a bugbear. This is in light of the knowledge that external funding is only assured for the championships based on arriving at the minimum number of matches. Therefore, given all the debilitating factors, change is inevitable.

Reducing the number of affiliate clubs, not only provides that conduit to pool resources, but also offers a bigger chunk of the financial pie. In this way, players’ talents are screened, and only the ones that

rise to the top will make the grade. Additionally, clubs will be empowered to maintain their statuses, as there will be greater competition for the best players to get on the respective rosters.

These proposed changes put forward by this column are not novel, however, there has been resistance in the past, as former executives of the SVGFF have shied away from implementation.

They, in the past must have looked closely at keeping the number of affiliate clubs up, myopically to remain in office. This has backfired and here we are today, stagnated to some extent, despite the sporadic movements that sometimes get mistaken for growth.

Hopefully, the present executive, under the leadership of Otashie Spring, will become the change makers, as they are the ones feeling the brunt of the woes. Likewise, club leaders have to look themselves in the mirror and concur that they cannot continue on the same pathway. But most importantly, the conversation must be started soonest, or we will be forever spinning our tops in mud, doing a lot but achieving little.

We must not procrastinate any more; move now or continue to press “repeat” on our football.

Neither should we be doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results, this is tantamount to insanity.