Joseph Delves calling it a day

Joseph Delves, the outgoing President of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF), has reiterated that he will not be seeking re-election to the post.{{more}}

The affiliates of the SVGFF will, next Saturday, September 24, hold their Annual General Meeting, which will also see the election of a new Executive for the next four-year period.

Three persons, Michael John, Venold Coombs and Patrick Horne are vying for the seat vacated by Delves.

Last Saturday morning, Delves told SEARCHLIGHT that since taking up the post in October, his practice as a lawyer has suffered.

He claims that he experienced a loss in income because of the time he had to spend away from his office, attending to matters of the SVGFF.

Delves opined that Football needs a President who is professional and one who is flexible with his/her job.

He noted that no one person can run Football at this time, as it needs not only a good President, but a secretariat made up of capable individuals.

In assessing his tenure, Delves said that he is pleased with his input.

“In terms of where we met Football four years ago, I would say that we have moved it from here to there (as he gave a comparative demonstration using his hands),” Delves said.

Delves listed the professional approach taken towards the administration of the sport over the last four years as testimony of his administration’s success off the field.

He said that many persons worry about St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ FIFA rankings in recent years.

He, however, asserted that the groundwork has been laid for an upward movement in the table in the very near future.

Under the Delves-led administration, St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ ranking moved from 73 to as low as 168. At present, this country is ranked at 158th of the 203 FIFA countries on the table.

“When I leave office and the rankings go back up, people will be saying that now Delves leaves it happens,” he opined.

He sees the Technical Centre, which is under construction at the Brighton Playing Field, and which is due to be completed by February 2012, as being critical towards getting more international friendlies for the national teams.

Delves reasoned that with the Technical Centre fully operational, teams will be able to come here and be housed at the facility, thus reducing significantly costs to the Executive of the SVGFF.

He added that national teams also will have more access to the facility, in which they can hone their skills, thus enhancing their capabilities.

Delves is also basing his predictions on the approach taken by his administration of having the present senior St. Vincent and the Grenadines men’s team made up of young men of an average age of about 21 years, which he said will pay off in the next four years, as they would be at the peak of their Football career.

Delves summarized that his tenure was mainly hinged on development, and his administration was sowing the seeds on some fertile ground, which the incoming Executive will be watering and reaping the healthy fruits.

He said that it was unfortunate that the SVGFF had to find itself under a FIFA investigation, as, since taking office in October 2007, he has been “ethically hygienic”.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines is among sixteen Caribbean Football Union members being investigated by FIFA for being offered or taking $40,000 in cash at an Extraordinary Meeting of the CFU in Trinidad and Tobago on May 10 and 11, this year.

Delves and General Secretary Ian Hypolite attended the meeting.

Delves said St. Vincent and the Grenadines has no bribery charge hanging over it, rather a case of non-cooperation and non-disclosure.(RT)