Ex-ref Tromp, Derflinger in CONCACAF Hall of Fame

ST GEORGE’S, GRENADA: Mavis Derflinger (USA) and Hubert Tromp (Aruba) were inducted into the CONCACAF Hall of Fame for 2004, while the Football Association (FA) was granted a special award on Saturday evening. Few people can have been as influential in the development of youth and women’s soccer in our region as English-born Mavis Derflinger. Derflinger becomes the first woman to be inducted into the CONCACAF Hall of Fame. Since her very first involvement as a coach in the late 1960’s, Derflinger has championed the development of the women’s game at every level and shown an equal dedication to promoting and improving youth soccer.

She was the first female member of the USSF Board of Directors and is a former chairperson of the US Youth Soccer Association. Among her many achievements, Derflinger’s efforts were pivotal in securing funding for a US Under-19 Women’s team in the early 1990’s which included many of the players who would go on to win the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Hubert Tromp has dedicated many years to the service of football in our region and across the globe through his work as a referee. As a teenager in the 1950’s Tromp took his first steps in a refereeing career that was to see him become a first class referee in his native Aruba and go on to become a FIFA referee from 1979. In 1991 Tromp refereed his last game but since that date he has continued to serve football as a referee’s instructor, a referees inspector and in a number of administrative capacities.

In 1993 he was the recipient of a FIFA Referees Special Award and more recently his lifetime of work was recognised with an award from the Caribbean Football Union. Under the leadership of Chairman Geoff Thompson, The FA has worked closely with CONCACAF to provide a range of development assistance for football across this region. Through its International Develop-ment Programme, The FA has supported workshops and courses in most of the disciplines essential to the success of football, and many of our National Associations have benefited from these programmes often conducted through the Centre of Excellence. This special CONCACAF award recognises the support of  The FA and its staff and the on-going commitment of its chairman to the improvement of football in our confederation.