CFU CONGRESS CLOSES IN CURACAO ... Warner stays positive over development of regional game
The 30th annual Congress of the Caribbean Football Union came to an end on Wednesday in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles following four days of intense workshops and discussions mapping the way forward for regional football.
CONCACAF and CFU President Jack Warner led his CFU members as well as executive members of CONCACAF in lavish settings at the Marriot Hotel and Clarion World Trade Centre as several announcements were made and proposals put forward for the development of the game.
Among the guests were FIFA Development Officer Mary Harvey as well as CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer, President of Central America (UNCAF) Rafael Tinoco and CFU Vice President Horace Burrell.
The CONCACAF and CFU Executive Committee heard reports on all past, current and future competitions, as well as reports from the regional bodies of the Caribbean and Central America and CONCACAF department reports.
Warner, who was frequently applauded for his services and congratulated on his reelection as CONCACAF President took the opportunity to thank his members for making him their choice and highlighted the positive developments of the Union, also taking time to address some of the shortcomings which included the failure to implement certain development programs which he still felt confident would see improvement.
Both Blazer and Harvey, during their addresses also commended the CFU members for their progress over the years, citing that there was sufficient evidence that there was firm intentions for the proper development of the game regionally
Among the announcements was which Warner appeared excited over was the setting up of a special committee entitled “Vision Caribe” which will be responsible for a comprehensive and detailed review of the state of Caribbean football and the way forward.
This he said must reflect the official policy and views on the big issues facing Caribbean football including but not limited to such factors as the releasing of players by clubs for national teams; youth and women development; doping; racism and discrimination; political intervention and cooperation; competition structures; a licensing system for referees and coaches and sports journalism as it relates to football. This committee will run under the chairmanship of Bahamas’ Lionel Haven, vice-chairman of Luis Hernandez and also include T&T’s Keith Look Loy, St Kitts/Nevis’ Peter Jenkins and former Jamaican World Cup referee Peter Prendergast. The committee is empowered the consult all different stakeholders in football, various committees and panels, national governments, leagues and players, coaches and supporters clubs.
He also revealed the relocating of the CFU Marketing Division from Kingston Jamaica to Port of Spain Trinidad where Horace Reid will take up position of marketing consultant.
“The Executive Committee felt that it would be better to have this office in what is considered the financial capital of the Caribbean,” Warner said. It would also allow the CFU to hand in hand with its sponsors Digicel which pledged its future support for the development of the game in the region through group sponsorship manager Kieran Foley who was at the Congress.
Warner said there would be a more aggressive policy adopted towards the promotions of CFU competitions and more efficient conduct of events such as the Boys and Girls Under 15 tournament which will now be held annually as an Under 15 event only, as well as the Digicel Caribbean Cup for national senior teams.
Warner made it clear too that the Union will go all out to assist its members in their acquisition of facilities for international matches. He added that football matches would save the newly constructed and renovated facilities for the Cricket World Cup from becoming white elephants.
“We have the feeling that Governments in the English speaking Caribbean have no regards when it comes to spending money for cricket facilities but we want to let you know that the flags of the different countries in the Caribbean are not flown on the field of cricket but instead on the field of football and so too is the playing of the national anthems.
“They have said that these facilities will be only for Cricket but I want to tell you that the only way these facilities will not become white elephants is by having football matches. Check it yourself and you would notice that if you put Barbados and Antigua to play a football game particularly a World Cup qualifying match it will draw much bigger crowds than if you put them to play a cricket match
“Yet our Governments are spending almost scandalously for cricket and to those governments who say that the facilities are only for cricket we want to say to you that time will tell,” Warner added to the ovation of the members present at the Congress.
He also relayed that the Mexican Federation disclosed that it will partner the CFU by setting up workshops for coaches, trainers and other members of staff from this region. And the US Soccer Federation will also provide training for national team administrators later this year. (Shaun Fuentes in Curacao, March 28, 2007.Photo shows Warner with Chuck Blazer and the CFU Members at the end of the CFU Congress on Wednesday.)
