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Time to repair the 'Reggae Boyz' brand<DIV class=KonaBody>
In the build-up to, during and after the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the Reggae Boyz were arguably our most cherished sporting brand, a fact that was recognised by all, including our current crop of football administrators.
During that glitzy period, the team's mettle was of such a high standard that we were able to hold our own even against top-flight football powers such as the mighty Brazilians, the then undisputed world champions.
Needless to say, we were then the pride and joy of the entire Caribbean.
'bagged' and 'tagged'
However, within recent years, especially over the past two years, there has been a complete turn around and things have gotten so bad that even the most loyal fans of national football are now forced to acknowledge that the Reggae Boyz brand is now badly battered and bruised and in need of a complete overhaul.
Today, our current status of being regularly 'bagged' and 'tagged' 6-0 and other embarrassing margins of defeat has resulted in us slipping down the FIFA rankings like it is a well-greased pole. Things have gotten so bad that even the little islands in the eastern Caribbean are now seeing us as easy pickings.
While one could argue that our best players are not always available, I am still of the view that if we can't beat the likes of a St. Vincent with our home-based players, then something must be drastically wrong with our domestic football, including our much-vaunted Wray & Nephew National Premier League (NPL).
Some people are of the view that once we get a high-profile coach things will change. Unfortunately, I cannot subscribe to that view as while I expect the new coach to be quite knowledgeable, he will not be taking any players here with him. It therefore means that outside of the FIFA dates, he too will be saddled with the players who were so inadequate in the recent Digicel Cup.
What I think we really need is a complete overhaul of the national programme. Instead of an NPL competition featuring club teams from just three of our 14 parishes, we need a proper all-island league geared towards exposing those players that are left on the sidelines because their parish does not have an NPL team.
colossal waste of time
Personally, I would scrap the current NPL Under-21 league as in addition to being a colossal waste of time, since it is being played without our brightest and best prospects, who are currently involved in the daCosta Cup and Manning Cup, it too is limited to just club players from three parishes.
I think the under-21 league should be revamped and transformed into a proper parish competition, starting at the end of the schoolboy season. In so doing, it would provide the scope for the involvement of all our top schoolboy players. In addition, it would keep these players in competition for a longer period, which should significantly impact their development.
MAXWELL DRAFTED
In addition, I would like to see people like Geoffrey Maxwell, who I think is the most knowledgeable and best equipped of all our local coaches, being drafted into the national programme at this lower level of the programme so that these youngsters can be properly groomed for future involvement at the senior level.
While I too agree that it is absolutely important that priority
treatment be given to major tournaments such as the World Cup qualification and the Gold Cup Cup, I suspect that nothing of substance will happen unless we repair the Reggae Boyz brand, which is the key to rebuilding our international image.
NB. Please feel free to send your comments to adrianfrater@hotmail.com
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In the build-up to, during and after the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the Reggae Boyz were arguably our most cherished sporting brand, a fact that was recognised by all, including our current crop of football administrators.
During that glitzy period, the team's mettle was of such a high standard that we were able to hold our own even against top-flight football powers such as the mighty Brazilians, the then undisputed world champions.
Needless to say, we were then the pride and joy of the entire Caribbean.
'bagged' and 'tagged'
However, within recent years, especially over the past two years, there has been a complete turn around and things have gotten so bad that even the most loyal fans of national football are now forced to acknowledge that the Reggae Boyz brand is now badly battered and bruised and in need of a complete overhaul.
Today, our current status of being regularly 'bagged' and 'tagged' 6-0 and other embarrassing margins of defeat has resulted in us slipping down the FIFA rankings like it is a well-greased pole. Things have gotten so bad that even the little islands in the eastern Caribbean are now seeing us as easy pickings.
While one could argue that our best players are not always available, I am still of the view that if we can't beat the likes of a St. Vincent with our home-based players, then something must be drastically wrong with our domestic football, including our much-vaunted Wray & Nephew National Premier League (NPL).
Some people are of the view that once we get a high-profile coach things will change. Unfortunately, I cannot subscribe to that view as while I expect the new coach to be quite knowledgeable, he will not be taking any players here with him. It therefore means that outside of the FIFA dates, he too will be saddled with the players who were so inadequate in the recent Digicel Cup.
What I think we really need is a complete overhaul of the national programme. Instead of an NPL competition featuring club teams from just three of our 14 parishes, we need a proper all-island league geared towards exposing those players that are left on the sidelines because their parish does not have an NPL team.
colossal waste of time
Personally, I would scrap the current NPL Under-21 league as in addition to being a colossal waste of time, since it is being played without our brightest and best prospects, who are currently involved in the daCosta Cup and Manning Cup, it too is limited to just club players from three parishes.
I think the under-21 league should be revamped and transformed into a proper parish competition, starting at the end of the schoolboy season. In so doing, it would provide the scope for the involvement of all our top schoolboy players. In addition, it would keep these players in competition for a longer period, which should significantly impact their development.
MAXWELL DRAFTED
In addition, I would like to see people like Geoffrey Maxwell, who I think is the most knowledgeable and best equipped of all our local coaches, being drafted into the national programme at this lower level of the programme so that these youngsters can be properly groomed for future involvement at the senior level.
While I too agree that it is absolutely important that priority
treatment be given to major tournaments such as the World Cup qualification and the Gold Cup Cup, I suspect that nothing of substance will happen unless we repair the Reggae Boyz brand, which is the key to rebuilding our international image.
NB. Please feel free to send your comments to adrianfrater@hotmail.com
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