Randy Harris hasn’t publicly disclosed an intention to run for football’s top spot.
That hasn’t stopped everyone else from virtually anointing him.
Add George LasCaris to the ever-growing list of Harris supporters, as the former Barbados Football Association (BFA) head believes that Harris is the only “logical choice” for president at Sunday’s general elections at Deighton Griffith Secondary.
LasCaris openly supported Harris for the top spot in a telephone interview with WEEKENDSPORT ahead of what is expected to be a hotly contested four-horse race.
“He is the one that is best qualified and he is a man with commitment, vision, integrity and a real love for football,” he said of Harris.
“When you look at his involvement in the LIME Pelican Challenge and the BESS Tournament, you see that he has come up with a host of initiatives during his time in football, and that shows his ability, time and passion for the game.
“And looking at this field of candidates, the football community has one obvious choice really, and it’s pretty simple,” he added.
It’s the third such public endorsement for Harris in the span of a week following the backing from former national player and coach Keith Griffith and experienced sports journalist Andi Thornhill, who both declared their support in the media.
But their support has been thrown behind a man that has yet to declare his intention to contest the BFA presidency, though multiple sources have said they expect Harris to run for football’s top post.
If so, Harris would be facing a challenge from fellow hopefuls Ricky “Laker” Williams, a former national midfielder; Weymouth Wales president Mark Armstrong; and long-serving executive member Charles Husbands.
None, though, will present a major threat. Not according to LasCaris at least.
“I think everyone in football realizes that Ricky Williams is not the type of candidate that can lead football forward as his lack of experience disqualifies him immediately, considering he never served on the executive,” reasoned LasCaris.
“And while Mark Armstrong has been successful in rebuilding Weymouth Wales and is generally interested in rebuilding football, his role should continue with Wales for a while before he contests the top post.
“Then Husbands has been involved in football since 1984 and has clearly demonstrated a lack of vision during that time, but now all of a sudden at this juncture he plans to outline a strategic framework, something he has never done in 28 years.”
However, though LasCaris sees Harris as the clear favourite, he doesn’t necessarily predict an easy victory at the polls due to what he considers as the poor dissemination of information surrounding the elections.
“The clubs haven’t been given adequate notice about the date and time of the elections because I was at the offices enquiring about forms and I didn’t even know I had to come to the office to collect the forms,” said LasCaris
“And now for the first time in my 40 years in football the meeting is being held at a different time and venue, because meetings usually start at 9 a.m. and go sometimes until 6 p.m., especially when voting is occurring, but now the meeting starts at 11 a.m.”
Incumbent president Ronald Jones will not be seeking re-election.