HOME WELCOME GUEST BOOK MAKE THIS YOUR HOMEPAGE CONTACT US RATE THIS SITE Link# EMAIL THIS PAGE TO A FRIEND    Informing The Uninformed....

ANTIGUA & BARBUDA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

PRIZE GIVING & AWARDS CEREMONY 2003/2004

Address by

Clarence Crump

Chairman of  the Normalisation Committee

PRESENTLY, IF I WERE TO TELL YOU THAT FOOTBALL IN ANTIGUA IS NOW PROPERLY
ADMINISTERED, I AM SURE YOU ALL WOULD AGREE WITH ME.  BUT WHAT YOU SEE ON
THE SURFACE IS NOT NECESSARILY A REFLECTION OF THE TRUE PICTURE.  WE HAD OUR
DIFFICULTIES, OUR TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS.  THE VERY COMPOSITION OF THE
EXECUTIVE, SPECIFICALLY THE ROLE OF THE GENERAL SECRETARY, MADE OUT LIFE
EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.

HIDING AND DELAYING OF INFORMATION, DELIBERATELY INCORRECTLY WRITING
MINUTES, UNILATERAL TAKING OF DECISIONS, SELECTIVE LEAKING OF INFORMATION,
ONGOING PRESS ATTACKS THROUGH SURROGATE JOURNALISTS WERE SOME OF THE MANY
ATTEMPTS TO UNDERMINE AND DESTABALISE THE NORMALIZATION COMMITTEE AND THE
GAME OF FOOTBALL.   EVEN BEFORE THE COMMITTEE WAS OFFICIALLY FORMED, THE
VIRUSES WERE TRYING HARD TO FESTER THEMSELVES BY FORMING A BOGUS COMMITTEE
AND THIS PREVENTED THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE REAL COMMITTEE WHICH WAS TO BE
FORMED BY THE FIFA.

THREE NOMINEES OF THAT BOGUS COMMITTEE REFUSED TO SIGN THE DECEPTIVE LETTER
WHICH CAME FROM CONCACAF.  THESE NOMINEES REFUSED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT
BECAUSE IT WAS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING WHICH WAS GIVEN BY THE FIFA
DELEGATION.  AFTER CHECKING WITH THE FIFA DELEGATION, WE WERE TOLD NOT TO
SIGN THAT DOCUMENT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT AUTHORISED BY THEM.  SOME TIME AFTER,
THE FIFA SENT THE FORMAT OF HOW THE NORMILISATION COMMITTEE SHOULD BE FORMED
WHICH WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT TO THE ONE WHICH WAS CIRCULATED BY
CONCACAF EARLIER.

FROM THE ONSET, THE FUNCTIONING OF THE COMMITTEE WAS RIDDLED WITH
DIFFICULTIES.  THE SECRETARY TO THE COMMITTEE WANTED TO HAVE SOLE POSSESSION
OF ALL RECORDS OF THE ASSOCIATION AND THAT THE SECRETARIAT WOULD NOT BE ABLE
TO FUNCTION WITHOUT THEM.  IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO HAVE THE DOCUMENTS
HANDED OVER TO THE SAME PERSON WHO COULD NOT FIND RECORDS FOR 2001/2002 THAT
HE COULD HOLD THE EXECUTIVE TO RANSOM.

WE INSTITUTED OTHER MEASURES FOR THE SECURITY OF THESE DOCUMENTS.  IT MUST
BE NOTED THAT THE DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY TO THE NOMILISATION COMMITTEE WAS
CLEARLY DEFINED BY THE FIFA DIRECTIVES AND DID NOT INCLUDE SOLE POSSESSION
OF ALL THE DOCUMENTS.  MINUTES TAKEN AT OUR MEETINGS WERE USUALLY LESS THAN
HONEST WHICH CAUSED THE COMMITTEE HOURS CORRECTING.

INFORMATION WAS GENERALLY WITHHELD FROM THE COMMITTEE AND SOMETIMES PASSED
ON AFTER DEADLINES.  INCOMING AND OUTGOING INFORMATION NECESSARY TO FIFA
WERE NOT DONE ON A TIMELY BASIS.  RECENTLY, THE GOVERNMENT OFFICE SPACE
WHICH WAS GENEROUSLY MADE AVAILABLE BY THE SECRETARY TO
THE COMMITTEE APPARENTLY HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN AS WE HAVE BEEN LOCKED OUT THE
PAST TWO WEEKS.  AS RECENTLY AS THIS WEEK, A GAME WAS ORGANISED BY THE
SECRETARY BETWEEN ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES AND ANTIGUA, UNKNOWN TO THE
NORMILISATION COMMITTEE.  THE SECRETARY HAD NO AUTHORITY TO DO SO!  CRITICAL
INFORMATION RELATING TO THE GAME WAS NOT PASSED ON TO US UNTIL ONE DAY AFTER
THE DEADLINE TO REPLY.  WE WERE LEFT TO WONDER IF THIS WAS NOT A DELIBERATE
ATTEMPT TO DESTABALISE AND EMBARRASS YOUR COMMITTEE.

DESPITE THESE DIFFICULTIES THE COMMITTEE WAS ABLE TO STAY ONE STEP AHEAD OF
THE DETRACTORS AND COMPLETE ALL MATCHES IN ALL THREE DIVISIONS SUCCESSFULLY.

AS FAR AS OUR MANDATES TO FIFA ARE CONCERNED, EVEN THOUGH WE WERE UNABLE TO
MEET THE ORIGINAL DEADLINES AND YOU CAN SEE WHY, WE EVENTUALLY SUBMITTED
WHAT WAS REQUIRED IN DECENT TIME.  THIS DID NOT HAVE ANY NEGATIVE IMPACT AS
THE REVIEW COMMITTEE SENT BY BOTH FIFA AND CONCACAF STATED QUITE
CATEGORICALLY THAT THEY WERE VERY SATISFIED WITH OUR WORK AND THEY EVEN
IMPLORED US TO TAKE WHATEVER TIME IS NECESSARY TO GET THE JOB DONE PROPERLY.
  DEADLINES NOT WITHSTANDING.

WE PUT A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY INTO THIS PRESENTATION BECAUSE WE REALISE
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EVENTS SUCH AS THIS TO YOU, THE PLAYERS WHO HAVE WORKED
HARD THROUGHOUT THE SEASON.  IT IS ALWAYS NICE TO REAP THE FRUITS OF YOUR
LABOUR AND OF COURSE OF THE WINNERS TO CELEBRATE WHILE THEY STILL HAVE THE
TASTE OF VICTORY IN THEIR MOUTH.

TONIGHT'S EVENT MAY APPEAR TO BE SIMPLE AND OF COURSE YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A
ROCKET SCIENTIST TO ORGANISE AN EVENT LIKE THIS.  WHAT YOU CANNOT SEE THOUGH
IS THAT IT TOOK PRUDENT MANAGEMENT OF YOUR FINANCES IN THE PRECEDING MONTHS
FOR US TO ARRIVE HERE.  AGAIN YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A ROCKET SCIENTIST TO DO
THAT.

LET ME SAY THIS TO YOU THE PLAYERS AND TEAM OFFICIALS, MY COMMITTEE ALWAYS
HAD THE WELFARE OF THE PLAYERS AND CLUB AS THEIR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.  WE
ALWAYS FELT THAT WE ARE YOUR SERVANTS AND WE ARE HERE TO SERVE YOU.

THE COMPETITION COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN HAS ALREADY INFORMED YOU THAT INSPITE OF
SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED REVENUE, WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF ALL OUR BILLS
FOR THE SEASON, REDUCE SOME ARREARS FROM PRIOR SEASON AND TAKE CARE OF SOME
NATIONAL TEAM EXPENSES UNTIL THE ARRIVAL OF FUNDS FROM FIFA.

IN ADDITION TO THAT WE HAVE DECIDED THAT WE ARE GOING TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT
INVESTMENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GAME.  WE DECIDED TO DO TWO MORE
THINGS.  FIRST, TO GIVE THE NATIONAL TEAM PLAYERS AN INCENTIVE OF ONE
HUNDRED DOLLARS E.C. FOR EACH GAME PLAYED AT HOME, AND ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS
U.S. FOR EVERY GAME PLAYED OVERSEAS.

FOR THE PAST THIRTEEN YEARS THE EXECUTIVE NEVER THOUGHT OF PUTTING BACK THE
PROFITS TO THE PLAYERS, BUT SUDDENLY, MR. GREEN, ALTHOUGH HE KNEW IT WAS
WRONG, APPROACHED THE NATIONAL TEAM AND PERSONALLY OFFERED THEM $2000.00 FOR
EVERY GAME THEY WON.  THIS IS WITHOUT ANY PERMISSION OR INFORMATION TO THE
NORMALISATION COMMITTEE.  POLITICAL BRIBERY HAS REACHED FOOTBALL.

WE ARE ALSO GOING TO GIVE EVERY TEAM THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE JUST CONCLUDED
2003/4 SEASON $500.00 EC TO ASSIST WITH THEIR DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAM.

GENTLEMEN, THIS IS THE KIND OF LEADERSHIP WE ARE ENCOURAGING.   I CANNOT
TELL PEOPLE HOW TO MANAGE THEIR AFFAIRS, BUT I THINK THAT I AM DEMONSTRATING
WHAT GOOD LEADERSHIP SHOULD BE AND GENTLEMEN YOU SHOULD ALWAYS ENSURE THAT
YOU NEITHER ENCOURAGE OR ACCEPT ANYTHING LESS THAN THIS.

I TRUST THAT YOU WILL TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY SERIOUSLY, BUT THIS
RESPONSIBILITY IS A TWO WAY STREET, AND IT IS NOT FAIR FOR YOU TO EXPECT
FROM OTHERS WHAT YOU ARE NOT DOING.  LOOK AT YOUR TEAMS, HOW MANY PROPERLY
ORGANISED CLUBS DO WE HAVE? ONE? TWO? THREE? FOUR? MAYBE FIVE? DEFINITELY
NOT MORE THAN SIX.  WE HAVE THIRTY-ONE REGISTERED TEAMS BUT NOT MORE THAN
SIX PROPERLY ORGANISED CLUBS.

WHAT WE ARE ENCOURAGING HERE IS A NEW DISPENSATION ON BOTH SIDES OF THE
FENCE.  WE HAVE SHOWN WHAT PRUDENT MANAGEMENT CAN DO FOR YOU.  IT IS UP TO
YOU TO SHOW WHAT PROPERLY ORGANISED CLUBS CAN DO FOR THE GAME.  I WILL NOT
GO INTO THAT AT THIS TIME BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A MEETING TOMORROW TO
DISCUSS A NEW CONSTITUTION, SO WE WILL DIG DEEP INTO THAT TOMORROW.

HISTORY HAS TAUGHT US THAT YOU MUST BE AWARE OF YOUR PASS IN ORDER TO
DETERMINE YOUR FUTURE.  GENTLEMEN, WE ARE NOT GOING TO DIG UP OLD WOUNDS,
BUT WE KNOW WHAT WE HAD AND I WOULD HAVE FAILED IN MY DUTY IF I DIDN'T STEER
YOU CLEAR OF ANYTHING NEARLY LIKE THAT AGAIN.  WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT HERE
IS A NEW DISPENSATION IN WHICH TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ARE THE
GUIDING PRINCIPLES.  WE MUST ENSURE THAT THE PERSONS WE ELECT IN THE FUTURE
ARE PERSONS WHO HAVE THE INTEREST OF THE GAME AND THE WELFARE OF THE PLAYERS
AT HEART.

GENTLEMEN, I COULD NOT LEAVE HERE TONIGHT WITHOUT SAYING THAT FOOTBALL
ADMINISTRATION MUST NEVER AGAIN BE BUSINESS AS USUAL.

I THANK YOU.