BOTH THE BARBADOS FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION (BFA) and Joyce Stewart will be hoping that the second time around proves to be the charm.
Having advertised and failed to attract the services of a Barbadian to fill the post of general secretary, the BFA has once again sought the services of Stewart, a Canadian, to fill the void left by the resignation of Chris Graham six months ago.
President of the BFA, Randy Harris, told NATION SPORT in an interview over the weekend that the association had followed the proper procedure regarding the employment of a non-Barbadian, in seeking the services of Stewart.
In January, after being selected to the post, Immigration Department stopped her tenure after it was realised she had not attained a work permit.
“They were about two Barbadians who applied and met the qualifications. However, neither of them was satisfied with the salary which was being offered and chose not to accept the job,” Harris explained.
“Since we have made it public that we will be seeking the services of a non-Barbadian to fill the post, we have not met any resistance.
“So right now the issue is in the hands of the Immigration Department and they will determine if they are going to grant the work permit,” he added.
Harris was quick to cast aside any views that the required qualifications – which included a degree in management, finance, sports management or a related field, as well as five to 10 years’ working management experience – were too stringent.
He maintained that the sport of football had advanced to the point where well qualified and knowledgeable people were needed to take the sport forward.
“We needed to make the qualifications pretty high because football isn’t the same sport that it was ten years ago. We need someone who can manage the affairs of football on a day-to-day basis.
“That person has to be a trained manager, have good knowledge of accounts and financial business and also be a diplomatic individual because they will have to be dealing with FIFA and members of the different football federations,” Harris pointed out.
“We want someone who is strictly about the business of running football in Barbados, and who is not closely affiliated to me the president, or anyone else on the board of the BFA,” Harris insisted.