FOOTBALL WILL NOT BE THE SAME AGAIN

Jun 02, 2011 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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A serious scandal has rocked international football. When one man said there was going to be a tsunami, many felt that he was overstating his case.
The tsunami has not come as yet, but the charges, countercharges, resignations, suspensions and dismissals that are presently occurring are just the beginning of a major hurricane that will persist in the months ahead, in so far as international football is concerned.
Whether international football can withstand this gale force and emerge intact is doubtful.
There is likely to be sweeping changes within the organisation of international football and the gusts are also likely to hit member associations, including associations within the Caribbean.
Already there are serious problems with the management of Caribbean football and it now seems more than likely that the management of football within the Region is going to be seriously transformed.
There are serious issues to be addressed as regards just what took place at a CONCACAF meeting in May, and when the dust settles, a lot of changes are likely to emerge. There are serious problems in store for the beautiful game in so far as the Caribbean is concerned.
While the President of FIFA has been reelected unopposed, he will come under intense pressure to effect changes throughout the sports governing body, especially in light of what is now being alleged.
All of these allegations and counter allegations that are now being witnessed in football would have been unheard of forty years ago. And it has all arisen because football is big business and winning the right to host a major tournament now has so many benefits that it has opened the floodgates to untoward influences being exercised.
It is the financial success of the game that has ironically brought it to this state, and therefore it seems that the best way for FIFA to proceed would be to simply avoid the whole process of having countries bid to host tournaments such as the World Cup and leave the final decision to representatives.
Whether the allegations that persons were offered gifts in return for their votes are true, should not detract from the fact that the game has become too much about business. And the way for FIFA to redeem this ugly situation in which international football now finds itself, is for serious reform.
A few years ago, drug scandals rocked the athletics world. The sport has never recovered from that. Even today whenever some athletes put in a spectacular performance, there is speculation about performance enhancing drugs. This takes away from the glory of the sport and all because of the drug scandal.
A similar scandal rocked the cycling world. There have also been scandals in baseball and in other sports.
The famed IPL had its own scandal, fortunately not involving any players. These things have given sports a bad name.
The present situation within the football world is likely to see sweeping changes and a different way of doing things. The government body for world football will have to address issues such as how the venues for the hosting of major tournaments, such as the World Cup, will be chosen.
A simple solution would be to put all the interested countries names in a bag and pull from it. This would avoid all the charges and counter charges about brown envelopes stacked with US$100 bills.
Another solution would simply be for there to be a rotation of where the World Cup would be held.
The next one is due for South America, followed by Asia, which now seems very doubtful. Afterwards, it is likely that the World Cup will return to North America before going back to Europe. This rotation system will reduce attempts at bribery.
But there is still the problem of what happens if two countries from the same region are bidding for the rights.
If this happens, then simply place their names in a bag and let there be a draw. Once you hosted a World Cup within the last twenty years, you should be deemed ineligible.
The system should be based on agreed rules and involve no lobbying as to who should host a tournament. Simply pull names from a bag of eligible countries.
But football is not the only sport facing a crisis. In cricket there are continuing problems between players and their Boards, the latest of which is the fallout between the former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi and his board over his announced retirement from international cricket.
That in normal circumstances would seem to be a non-issue since he has already announced his retirement.
Not so. The Board of Control of Pakistan is required to provide a no-objection for him to play for Hampshire and without this no-objection he cannot play and would therefore stand to lose a great deal of money.
In the West Indies, there are still problems between certain senior players and the Board and these problems have already led to India virtually sending a second string team to play against the West Indies, something that would have been unheard of years ago.
This is a huge embarrassment for West Indies Cricket that India has sent a second-string squad.
At the local level, the Guyana Cricket Board of Control is unable to hold its annual general meeting because it is awaiting approval from those responsible for administering the Friendly Society Act.
In the meantime, cricket is suffering.
Sports all around the world is in deep crisis. The management of sports has become too much about power, fame, prestige and money and this is leading to unnecessary rivalry.
By reducing the financial factor, things can be made simpler and sports can reclaim its clean image.

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