Warner back as CFU boss

RE-ELECTED Caribbean Football Union (CFU) President, Jack Warner issued four main challenges to member Associations at their XXVIII Ordinary Congress held at the Diners Club and Conference Centre in Barbados. Twenty-eight of the 30-member Associations listened attentively as Warner challenged them to become professional in every aspect of their operations. Consistent with the theme “Professionalisation of the Sport” of the address delivered by Noel Lynch, Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Warner stressed the need for full-time officers of the member associations. He dared them to resign their current jobs and become full-time executive officers to service their respective Associations.

The development of youth football in the region was the second major challenge, he said.  Warner  cited the unsatisfactory performance of the Caribbean region in the recently concluded Under-20 CONCACAF qualification series where no Caribbean team qualified for the FIFA World Youth Championship. He urged the membership to allocate more of their resources for the development of women’s football which seems to lag much too far behind their male counterpart within the region. The final challenge, he said, is the need for the implementation of a development programme for referees. Warner said only one referee, Peter Prendergast, out of 47 in the region has gained recognition at the highest forum.

The new Executive Committee elected on Sunday for the next four years is comprised of: President —  Jack Warner, re-elected unopposed; 1st Vice President —  Captain Horace Burrell,  re-elected unopposed; 2nd Vice President —  Colin Klass, re-elected unopposed; Members —  Lionel Haven, re-elected unopposed; Dr Yves Jean-Bart, re-elected unopposed; Victor Daniel, newly elected; Luis Hernandez, newly elected. Confirmed in the post of General Secretary is Kerri-Ann Alleyne. Two resolutions were passed at the Congress.  The first is the formation of a committee to review player eligibility in regional competitions especially with regard to territories like US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, St Maarten, Montserrat, Anguilla, and Bermuda.

Members of the committee are Larry Mussenden, chairman (Bermuda); Patrick John (Dominica) and Gordon Derrick (Antigua-Barbuda). They will meet in Trinidad and Tobago on March 29 with Harold Taylor and CFU General Secretary Alleyne. The second resolution was that FIFA will be asked to deduct the Annual Subscription for CFU memberships from their respective FIFA Financial Assistance Programmes (FAP). Keith Look Loy, newly-appointed Technical Director of CONCACAF was introduced to the assembly. He outlined his programme for technical development throughout the region which included licensing of coaches, organisation of grassroots football and the implementation of an elite player development programme.

Warner congratulated President Ronald Jones and the Barbados Football Association for successfully hosting the Congress as well as staging the inaugural Digicel Caribbean Cup Finals. Meanwhile The Caribbean Football Union’s Disciplinary Commission have taken action against the national football teams of Jamaica and Cuba. This was after the teams failed to produce a copy of their national anthems at the official opening of the Digicel Caribbean Cup Finals on Sunday at the Barbados National Stadium. Each Association have been fined US$ 5,000. On Sunday the teams were made to sing their respective anthems before their respective matches.