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Something smells fishy in CONCACAF
From the Sports Desk
SEAN A WILLIAMS
Sunday, June 19, 2011
THERE is a strong feeling among educated football watchers that an insidious plot is in motion to unseat the sitting president of CONCACAF, and by extension, usurp the Caribbean's influence of the umbrella group.
Made up of the football associations of North and Central America and the Caribbean, CONCACAF seems embroiled in a struggle for new leadership behind the back of its all powerful president, Jack Warner, who has been provisionally suspended "from all football activities" for his alleged role in attempting to bribe CFU members to consider support for former FIFA presidential candidate Qatari Mohamed bin Hammam.
The head of Asian football was likewise suspended after appearing before a hearing of FIFA's ethics committee.
We were indeed relieved when Captain Horace Burrell issued a statement that sought to distance Jamaica from the shadowy incident in Port-of-Spain, claiming that he nor any other officer of the JFF was "offered or received" any such gift.
The rest is history.
With Warner, also the president of the CFU, out of the CONCACAF chair for the time being, a seemingly rogue faction of the executive committee saw opportunity and struck. The proverbial saying is true in this case: When the cat's away the mice will play.
Naturally and per the constitution, the CONCACAF senior vice-president, Barbadian Lyle Austin, assumed the president's chair, but little did he know what awaited him.
His first order of business was to give the boot to general secretary, the American Chuck Blazer — the whistleblower, who reported the alleged bribery to the FIFA. Subsequently, all hell broke loose.
In a speedy response, Austin's move was scoffed at and the majority of the executive committee — namely Justino Campean of Mexico, Honduras' Alfredo Hawitt, Panama's Ariel Alvarado and the USA's Sunil Gulati — voted to remove Austin for "violating the statutes of CONCACAF".
Maintaining he had constitutional authority to fire Blazer and that only the president can convene and chair a meeting of the executive, Austin sought an injunction to overrule the decision in the courts of the Bahamas, where CONCACAF is constitutionally registered as a not-for-profit body.
To the relief of those who feared the worst, the Barbadian was back on the job by judicial order.
For if there was any doubt that CONCACAF was under threat by power-hungry individuals, a defiant Austin validated the suspicions by saying: "The rogue faction attacking CONCACAF from within cannot interfere with our love of this sport and our pursuit of reform and transparency."
The attempt to remove Austin must not be taken lightly and should be put into context.
Football insiders have suggested that the Central and North Americans' thirst for power has become desperate, having been kept in the wilderness for more than 20 years by the steely leadership of Warner and the majority CFU votes, which stand at 31.
To gain power by the proper electoral process, those seeking to take-over the 40-member body must significatly split the CFU votes.
Already, there is talk that manoeuvrings to achieve this have started with much vigour. Whether or not Warner survives the FIFA ethics committee-sanctioned investigation, the CFU in its best interest must ensure that it remains in control of CONCACAF.
Love him or hate him, Warner has been a true Caribbean man, who has used his powerful office as FIFA vice-president for near 28 years and CONCACAF president for another 21 years to work tirelessly in the vineyard for regional football.
While the controversial Trinidadian has provided vision and uncompromising leadership to football, the reality is that only salvation lasts forever.
For if Warner were to be found guilty of wrong-doing by the FIFA enquiry and banned from the sport, the stage would indeed be set for new leadership of the CFU and CONCACAF through the constitutional channels.
Not that he has expressed an interest in the job, but from a Caribbean point of view our very own Captain Burrell -- the acting CFU president and member of CONCACAF's executive — would have my support.
From a Jamaican standpoint, one could only imagine the endless possibilities should we have a countryman holding the highest office in CONCACAF and a seat on the almighty 24-member FIFA board. Nothing is wrong with ambition.
We have seen over time how Warner has used his high office to transform the football landscape in his homeland. Apart from accessing FIFA funding to develop football facilities of world standards, the twin-island republic can boast of having hosted two World Cup Finals -- the men's and women's Under-17 tournaments.
In a new twist to the never-ending saga that has rocked the very firmament off world football, the CFU has reported Blazer to FIFA for his behaviour at a meeting in May when he was said to have "violated the personal rights" of Burrell, blocking the Jamaican from becoming a CONCACAF vice-president of the Caribbean zone.
Having brought his own boss to FIFA to answer bribery charges, and now being accused of taking steps to prevent another Caribbean national of possibly moving up the CONCACAF ranks, how should we now view this man Blazer?
Ultimately, my hope is that when the smoke dies, CONCACAF and the CFU will emerge united and stronger — cleansed of the stigma of corruption that has cast a dark cloud.
FIFA, too, needs a facelift and I applaud Blatter for turning to the respected American and former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to help renovate the bruised image of the global organisation.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz1PjdphRO6
From the Sports Desk
SEAN A WILLIAMS
Sunday, June 19, 2011
THERE is a strong feeling among educated football watchers that an insidious plot is in motion to unseat the sitting president of CONCACAF, and by extension, usurp the Caribbean's influence of the umbrella group.
Made up of the football associations of North and Central America and the Caribbean, CONCACAF seems embroiled in a struggle for new leadership behind the back of its all powerful president, Jack Warner, who has been provisionally suspended "from all football activities" for his alleged role in attempting to bribe CFU members to consider support for former FIFA presidential candidate Qatari Mohamed bin Hammam.
The head of Asian football was likewise suspended after appearing before a hearing of FIFA's ethics committee.
We were indeed relieved when Captain Horace Burrell issued a statement that sought to distance Jamaica from the shadowy incident in Port-of-Spain, claiming that he nor any other officer of the JFF was "offered or received" any such gift.
The rest is history.
With Warner, also the president of the CFU, out of the CONCACAF chair for the time being, a seemingly rogue faction of the executive committee saw opportunity and struck. The proverbial saying is true in this case: When the cat's away the mice will play.
Naturally and per the constitution, the CONCACAF senior vice-president, Barbadian Lyle Austin, assumed the president's chair, but little did he know what awaited him.
His first order of business was to give the boot to general secretary, the American Chuck Blazer — the whistleblower, who reported the alleged bribery to the FIFA. Subsequently, all hell broke loose.
In a speedy response, Austin's move was scoffed at and the majority of the executive committee — namely Justino Campean of Mexico, Honduras' Alfredo Hawitt, Panama's Ariel Alvarado and the USA's Sunil Gulati — voted to remove Austin for "violating the statutes of CONCACAF".
Maintaining he had constitutional authority to fire Blazer and that only the president can convene and chair a meeting of the executive, Austin sought an injunction to overrule the decision in the courts of the Bahamas, where CONCACAF is constitutionally registered as a not-for-profit body.
To the relief of those who feared the worst, the Barbadian was back on the job by judicial order.
For if there was any doubt that CONCACAF was under threat by power-hungry individuals, a defiant Austin validated the suspicions by saying: "The rogue faction attacking CONCACAF from within cannot interfere with our love of this sport and our pursuit of reform and transparency."
The attempt to remove Austin must not be taken lightly and should be put into context.
Football insiders have suggested that the Central and North Americans' thirst for power has become desperate, having been kept in the wilderness for more than 20 years by the steely leadership of Warner and the majority CFU votes, which stand at 31.
To gain power by the proper electoral process, those seeking to take-over the 40-member body must significatly split the CFU votes.
Already, there is talk that manoeuvrings to achieve this have started with much vigour. Whether or not Warner survives the FIFA ethics committee-sanctioned investigation, the CFU in its best interest must ensure that it remains in control of CONCACAF.
Love him or hate him, Warner has been a true Caribbean man, who has used his powerful office as FIFA vice-president for near 28 years and CONCACAF president for another 21 years to work tirelessly in the vineyard for regional football.
While the controversial Trinidadian has provided vision and uncompromising leadership to football, the reality is that only salvation lasts forever.
For if Warner were to be found guilty of wrong-doing by the FIFA enquiry and banned from the sport, the stage would indeed be set for new leadership of the CFU and CONCACAF through the constitutional channels.
Not that he has expressed an interest in the job, but from a Caribbean point of view our very own Captain Burrell -- the acting CFU president and member of CONCACAF's executive — would have my support.
From a Jamaican standpoint, one could only imagine the endless possibilities should we have a countryman holding the highest office in CONCACAF and a seat on the almighty 24-member FIFA board. Nothing is wrong with ambition.
We have seen over time how Warner has used his high office to transform the football landscape in his homeland. Apart from accessing FIFA funding to develop football facilities of world standards, the twin-island republic can boast of having hosted two World Cup Finals -- the men's and women's Under-17 tournaments.
In a new twist to the never-ending saga that has rocked the very firmament off world football, the CFU has reported Blazer to FIFA for his behaviour at a meeting in May when he was said to have "violated the personal rights" of Burrell, blocking the Jamaican from becoming a CONCACAF vice-president of the Caribbean zone.
Having brought his own boss to FIFA to answer bribery charges, and now being accused of taking steps to prevent another Caribbean national of possibly moving up the CONCACAF ranks, how should we now view this man Blazer?
Ultimately, my hope is that when the smoke dies, CONCACAF and the CFU will emerge united and stronger — cleansed of the stigma of corruption that has cast a dark cloud.
FIFA, too, needs a facelift and I applaud Blatter for turning to the respected American and former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to help renovate the bruised image of the global organisation.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz1PjdphRO6
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