My case and vote for Patrick Horne

Tue, Sept 20. 2011

Editor: I believe that former football president Venold Coombs and present member Michael John of the SVGFF are reasonable candidates for the presidency of the SVGFF. However, I assert that Patrick Horne (Pat) is clearly the best choice for the post and that he is uniquely qualified to do so.{{more}} On sheer experience, conventional wisdom and empirical evidence, Pat has the edge.

Pat spent 15 years as a professional soccer player in the USA and, I believe, was the first Vincentian national to do so. He is a leader in that respect. Secondly, he has been a licensed soccer coach with the New York State for another 25 years. As a foreigner, and especially from a small island, SVG, he could not have held such prestige and esteem in the US unless he was a professional who delivered the “goods”. If soccer is an art, Pat demonstrated on the field of play that he possessed the skill and technique to play the game. Then, if soccer is a science, he is presently exhibiting the scientific prowess that is needed to manage the program he presently manages. I think that Pat is both competent in the art form and proficient in the science of “Soccer, the Game of the People.”

In 2009, Patrick initiated and managed the first ever Vincy Cup Soccer competition in North America. Even in England where we have lived at large for over 70 years, this has never happened among Vincentians. The Vincy Cup was played in Brooklyn, NY. There were nine teams of Vincy origin. If you concluded that this was an arduous task to accomplish, you are correct; but, with Pat at the helm, it was a tremendous success. On opening day, Verna Arthur sang the US and SVG anthems respectively. Some players wept openly, as they had never experienced such thrill and class at an event. Ambassador Camillo Gonsalves gave remarks and was proud to be Vincy. In 2010, when we took the field, there was an increase in the number of teams. If Pat could shine here in the Diaspora, he will also excel at home.

Based on experience, conventional wisdom and empirical evidence, Patrick Horne is uniquely qualified to reinstate pride in SVG soccer and lead to the next level and that’s the bottom line.

For the love of soccer
A. Nelson Samuel