THIS YULETIDE SEASON should be a good one financially for scores of our footballers after their participation in lucrative competitions in recent months. At the national level, the new year wish is for the sport to come out of the doldrums.
Both the LIME Pelican and David Thompson Constituency Councils competitions have generated increased interest in football and ensured the players can reap financial rewards for their efforts. Given its popularity as a mass-appeal sport, both at the player and fan levels, football must mean and do more for us as a nation.
There is justification in having both of the LIME Pelican and Thompson Memorial competitions since they build on the talent pools in different ways. The money at stake is certainly an appealing lure for the players, many of whom dream of getting into a semi-professional league, and is, for some, possibly their main means of a livelihood.
The spin-off benefits from both competitions for the stimulation of commerce, particularly small business, is also undeniable. We are aware that people from vendors to taxi drivers and many others all gain.
The Barbados Football Association (BFA) has also been fortunate to have Digicel as a sponsor, which has redounded to the benefit of its main national competition. This should to some extent ensure that football is fully supported at all levels and stages. Â
The money offered in the two out-of-season competitions has become a good incentive for boosting the interest in local football. But we need to look beyond the personal pursuit of individual financial gain for a limited number of teams and individuals, to what have been the benefits for the sport at a national level.
For the players, many more of them are now exposed to playing in enhanced conditions, whether under the floodlights at Kensington Oval or at the National Stadium.
Barbados remains low on the scale in both the FIFA and CONCACAF rankings. We are struggling behind other neighbouring countries where none of the incentives we offer are available. Several certainly do not benefit from the financial incentives given to our players nor are the facilities on par with those available here.
What is evident is that our football lacks strong technical direction, the national team needs much more exposure to international and regional competition, and there is need for a clear road map for the sport over the next four years.
BFA president Randy Harris must accept that he and his executive team will get the laurels for any success and as such, must be prepared for the darts given any failures. The stark reality is that our football remains very much in the shadow of success.
