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Hislop sees silver lining
Published: Sunday | November 6, 2011
Shaka Hislop (centre) conducting a Flow/ESPN football clinic at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium on Friday. - Photo by Andre Lowe
André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter
Former Trinidad and Tobago international and current ESPN football commentator and analyst, Shaka Hislop, believes that the current Caribbean Football Union scandal can, in the long run, serve the region in a positive manner.
While disappointed that it took an embarrassing situation for it to occur, the former Newcastle and West Ham shot stopper believes that the removal of 'dictatorial' power can only be a good thing, and that regional administrators must now look beyond the current issues and ensure proper leadership is installed, for the sustainability of Caribbean football.
Several regional football bosses have been left with their tails between their legs after charges of corruption, surrounding a cash-for-votes scheme, which involved now-resigned CONCACAF and CFU president Austin 'Jack' Warner and one-time FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam, who has since been banned from all football activities for life.
President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Captain Horace Burrell, who is now serving a three-month ban, with another three months suspended for two years because of his role in the related incidents, is one of several other regional football figures, who have been slapped with charges by FIFA's Ethics Committee. JFF General Secretary Horace Reid also received a warning from the world football bosses.
However, though admitting that the region is not being viewed in favourable terms these days, Hislop, who represented his country at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, is of the view that Caribbean football will ultimately come out of its current state in a better position than it was in before, largely because of what he describes as the departure from an over-dependence and reverence to his countryman Warner.
"I felt all along that we needed a change. I never saw it coming as quickly as it did nor in the manner that it did, so as embarrassing as it as been, as damaging as it has been for regional football, I think it will have a positive long-term effect if we can deal with the impending change in the right manner," said Hislop, who is in the island for this weekend's Flow/ESPN football clinics at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium.
"I felt the game had got away from the people and it's time we reclaim it," he added.
"I felt that it was always coming, the Caribbean had become too reliant on a handful of individuals, the game had been taken away from the people, and we, as fans and players, who have an interest in the sport, who come out on a Saturday and Sunday, those voices were not being heard," he added, before underlining the necessity of a unified approach to reformation.
"The current lack of unity is understandable," Hislop reasoned. "Our football, administratively, has been pretty dictatorial, and now that we have the removal of the head, there is a lot of infighting and vying for position.
"A lot of people are not sure where to turn or who to turn to, because that has always come down to one person. So the immediate fallout is understandable, and I think it will take some time before the dust settles. This whole scenario probably has a little more to run before we see any balancing out, but once it does, we need to sit down as a region, as a people, as interested parties, to see the best way going forward," Hislop pointed out.
Hislop, who is a popular figure on ESPN's Soccernet PressPass, was one of the coaches who participated in the clinics over the past two days, in collaboration with Flow and football resource software company I-Football.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...s/sports1.html
Published: Sunday | November 6, 2011
Shaka Hislop (centre) conducting a Flow/ESPN football clinic at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium on Friday. - Photo by Andre Lowe
André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter
Former Trinidad and Tobago international and current ESPN football commentator and analyst, Shaka Hislop, believes that the current Caribbean Football Union scandal can, in the long run, serve the region in a positive manner.
While disappointed that it took an embarrassing situation for it to occur, the former Newcastle and West Ham shot stopper believes that the removal of 'dictatorial' power can only be a good thing, and that regional administrators must now look beyond the current issues and ensure proper leadership is installed, for the sustainability of Caribbean football.
Several regional football bosses have been left with their tails between their legs after charges of corruption, surrounding a cash-for-votes scheme, which involved now-resigned CONCACAF and CFU president Austin 'Jack' Warner and one-time FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam, who has since been banned from all football activities for life.
President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Captain Horace Burrell, who is now serving a three-month ban, with another three months suspended for two years because of his role in the related incidents, is one of several other regional football figures, who have been slapped with charges by FIFA's Ethics Committee. JFF General Secretary Horace Reid also received a warning from the world football bosses.
However, though admitting that the region is not being viewed in favourable terms these days, Hislop, who represented his country at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, is of the view that Caribbean football will ultimately come out of its current state in a better position than it was in before, largely because of what he describes as the departure from an over-dependence and reverence to his countryman Warner.
"I felt all along that we needed a change. I never saw it coming as quickly as it did nor in the manner that it did, so as embarrassing as it as been, as damaging as it has been for regional football, I think it will have a positive long-term effect if we can deal with the impending change in the right manner," said Hislop, who is in the island for this weekend's Flow/ESPN football clinics at the Trelawny Multi-purpose Stadium.
"I felt the game had got away from the people and it's time we reclaim it," he added.
"I felt that it was always coming, the Caribbean had become too reliant on a handful of individuals, the game had been taken away from the people, and we, as fans and players, who have an interest in the sport, who come out on a Saturday and Sunday, those voices were not being heard," he added, before underlining the necessity of a unified approach to reformation.
"The current lack of unity is understandable," Hislop reasoned. "Our football, administratively, has been pretty dictatorial, and now that we have the removal of the head, there is a lot of infighting and vying for position.
"A lot of people are not sure where to turn or who to turn to, because that has always come down to one person. So the immediate fallout is understandable, and I think it will take some time before the dust settles. This whole scenario probably has a little more to run before we see any balancing out, but once it does, we need to sit down as a region, as a people, as interested parties, to see the best way going forward," Hislop pointed out.
Hislop, who is a popular figure on ESPN's Soccernet PressPass, was one of the coaches who participated in the clinics over the past two days, in collaboration with Flow and football resource software company I-Football.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...s/sports1.html