With the football about to open throughout various communities, the perception continues that football is a sport awash with cash. However, one need not look too far beneath the surface to uncover clubs across the country struggling to cope with the financial impact of COVID-19.
While the SVGFF supposed to offer the cushioning from FIFA Annual draw down, that ALL Clubs rely heavily on.
It now looks increasingly likely that the entire 2022/23 season will be played in October instead of after Carnival. Given the inevitable impact on club finances, it will be critical for club management in discharging their legal duties to regularly monitor the financial position of their club, to understand how to act and to carefully consider the options available to them.
The fight against the misuse of funds and for greater transparency for St. Vincent and the Grenadines football often falls on deft ears. It is not the case that the Caribbean is especially problematic in football governance, considering the global reach of FIFA’s corruption scandals. However, the lack of existing systems of control coupled with political apathy means that corrupt officials are less likely to be caught in a timely manner if at all. The region has a need for its resources to be well invested to allow actual development and improvement of the game.
Reduced funding for players’ development will directly cause a drop in quality that will be rapidly reflected on the national performances. The lack of investment at the grassroots and club levels means that unlike in other regions there is no possibility to rely on much being done without FIFA’s funding.
There is no vision SVG Football is Perishing
After that humiliating 10-0, the Vincy Heat Male Senior Team suffered against Haiti, unfortunately, St. Vincent and the Grenadines football is being governed by an administration who has failed dismally at executing the most basic functions of its job. It is well documented that, on multiple occasions, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF) led by President Carl Dickson has dropped the ball on basic administrative duties, including making Visa travel arrangements for players etc if you can remember what happened when some players were denied visas etc. Frankly speaking, the SVGFF is renowned for mediocrity, anyone who closely follows the sport in St. Vincent will attest to the fact that our football has been in a state of stagnation, and urgent intervention is needed to stem this embarrassing tide and bring back some semblance of order and leadership to the governance of the sport.
Since assuming the reins in 2020, following the departure of Mr Coombs and Mr Frazer, the current SVGFF administration has not covered themselves in glory, and their lack of vision is a major contributing factor to the embarrassing state of affairs of the nation’s football.
The lack of resources, especially funding, has hindered St. Vincent and the Grenadines football for eons. However, this has become more obvious since Mr Carl Dickson led administration took office, allegedly whom it was reported, spent almost $300,000 of ec dollars on retreats, ninety % of that monies spent on food and drinks could of been pumped into Grassroot football again. Nevertheless, with the current administration failing to earn the confidence of corporate St. Vincent, sponsorship for the national Programme has dried and the SVGFF is forced to depend on money from FIFA.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines football is in danger of looking towards the past as a golden age of football. It does not have to be the case. Nevertheless, to access any portion of this imagined brighter future, it will be necessary to attain previously unachieved levels of the organization. Because without functioning systems that suppose to be implemented by the SVGFF, the popularity and talent of our players at the grassroots level will be wasted, leaving SVG under-prepared for football at the highest level and perpetually attempting to catch up to nations with better pitches and better coaches. This would be nothing less than an entirely preventable tragedy, repeated enough times to begin to border on farce.
