The face of football will have a different look with the election of a new president of the Barbados Football Association (BFA) at the Deighton Griffith Secondary School today.
For the past 14 years, Ronald Jones was at the helm of the BFA after defeating George LasCaris in 1998, but the confirmation last week that he won’t be seeking a fifth consecutive term opens the door for a new man to take over.
Two long-standing football administrators, Randy Harris and Charles Husbands, who are both members of the outgoing executive council, are vying for the presidency.
Also in the race for the top post are former national player Ricky “Laker” Williams, the Deacons coach, and president of Weymouth Wales, Mark Armstrong.
This would be the highlight of the eagerly awaited annual general meeting (AGM) which starts at 11 a.m..
Among the agenda items will be the president’s address, the audited financial statement and the executive council’s report for the past year.
There will be the usual minutes from the last AGM and matters for discussion, but the main interest will be the election of officers and council members.
Harris, a former BFA general secretary, unsuccessfully challenged Jones for the top post in 2004 at a controversial AGM, while Husbands has served the BFA as senior assistant secretary for many years but is seeking the top post for the first time.
While the other three candidates have openly declared their intentions and stated their goals for the association, Harris has remained silent, declining to be interviewed.
But investigations by SUNSPORT revealed that all of candidates and their backers have been busy over the last couple of weeks drumming up support from club delegates.
Williams has circulated a manifesto outlining his vision for the sport, which has seen the national senior team slump to its lowest ever FIFA global ranking of 178 in June.
Other posts on the executive council are up for grabs.
Basil Gittens, who served as junior vice-president for the majority of the last four-year term but was elevated to senior vice-president on the death of Sherlock Yarde, will be contesting the latter position.
In an interview last week, Armstrong revealed that national senior team manager Fabian Wharton and former Barbados footballer and current player-coach of Paradise, Kent Hall, were part of his team.
Even though managing director of Barbados Soccer Academy, Jabez “Jack” Bovell has not declared his intention, it won’t be a surprise if he is nominated for the senior vice-presidency depending on which candidate is chosen as president.
Former FIFA referee Barney Callender, who is manager of the national under-20 side, will also be contesting the post of junior vice-president, a position for which Hall may also be vying.
Pharmacist Bandelle Serrano, a member of the last council, may also be seeking a nomination for one of the vice-presidencies.
Hally Haynes will once again be seeking a post on the council, as well as Sylvia Darlington, chairman of the women’s committee, former senior team manager Franklyn Gill and Andrew Wilkinson, a former president of Wales.
Curtis Hunte will be hoping to be re-elected as treasurer, while national women’s team manager Ytannia Wiggins is seeking to land the junior assistant secretary’s position.
Members of the disciplinary committee, which has been chaired by trade unionist LeVere Richards for several years, will also be elected.