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Ousted? Inside The FA Story
Here's the scenario: you're the president of a national organisation, chairing an ordinary quarterly meeting. Two weeks earlier you staged a press conference to reply to certain "concerns" aired in the local media my parties not (officially) affiliated to any of your organisations' affiliates. Now, here we are at the general meeting, and again surface these "concerns" this time couched in a petition, offered up by an affiliate. You don't have to entretain the petition, but you do. Neither do you have to entertain the vote of no-confidence that follows. Again, you do. You lose.
Essentially, that's what happened to Football Association president Mark Louis, whose executive - including vice-presidents Michael St. Catherine, Henix Joseph, Stephen Regis amd Samuel Philbert - were ousted at a 15 July meeting of the FA council. Of the eighteen affiliates, eleven were present for the vote of no-confidence. Of those, four abstained, with seven supporting the motion brought by the La Clery Football League, and seconded by Central Castries.
Unaffected by the ouster were the FA's two em[ployees: General Secretary Victor Reid and Promotions Officer Theresa Alcee. Reid was appointed as part of a four-member committee to assist in running the FA's various competitions and other outstanding business until the resolution of the constitutional crisis.
At the heart of the matter is the question of whether the no-confidence motion was legal. Early evidence suggests it was not, thought that is to be decided by the affiliates in the coming days or weeks, during which time Louis and his group, good politicians that they are, will have rallied sufficient support for their cause.
Fortunately, this may be little more than a blip on the radar. If it isn't, St. Lucian football could be in real, tangible toruble. Prolonging this situation could lead to suspensions from the Caribbean Football union, the Football Confederation, FIFA. If that happens, the FA could be hit where it hurts - in the pocket. Reid says that if the world governing body slaps any sanctions on St. Lucia, they may include the loss of funding for domestic tournaments and for participation in internationa events. Stay tuned.
How to resolve this? A three-member tribunal is to arbitrate on the matter, deciding first and foremost on the legitimacy of the no-confiodence motion. The men charged with this task have been given a two-month mandate, although Reid is hoping they can work things out in six weeks. Attorney General Petrus Compton, former FA vice-president Felix Finisterre and Joseph Alexander comprise the tribunal.
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Joy and Pain for Gros Islet Cricket
(18 July 2000) - Gros Islet are double champions of St. Lucian cricket, following a massive triumph, by an innings and 101 runs over Central Castries, champions 1996-1998. The win, at the Gros Islet playing field, came in the final of the 2000 Piton Beer Inter-District tournament, with an unlikely contributor heading the winning effort.
Joseph Hall was not that man, accustomed as he was to leading this season. His three first innings wickets brought his season tally to a tournament leading total of 23 victims. He would add a 24th in Central's second innings, but in the first - with support from Wendell Gustave, Kent Crafton and Lambert Blackman - Hall led a Gros Islet effort in the field that would see the visitors all out for a mere 128 runs.
Gros Islet's turn to bat: the defending champions had had the best batting of any team in the Piton competition this season. They had been led by Windward Islands middle order batsman John Eugene. At the age of 30, Eugene's 91 in the final gave him a fine season aggregate of 687 runs, at an average of 98.14 and with four centuries. All those marks led the league in 2000. Eugene's score in the final, though, was the second best of the Gros Islet innings. Wicketkeeper Elbert Frederick had a season aggregate of 66 runs, but his record individual score of 232 in the final belied his previous figures, enabling his team to declare on the record total of 558 for eight.
Central, then, were left with a first innings deficit of over 400 runs anda little over a day in which to hold on for what would be nothing more than a face-saving draw. Paul Remice and Esnard James, the former ending on 34, survived the opening salvo from the Gros Islet bowlers on day two of the three day match. With rain having brought a premature end to proceedings, Castries went into day three still needing well over 350 runs to force a draw or - miracles do happen - a win.
The win was never on the cards, but Castries nearly held on for the draw, losing thieir last wicket on 329 runs, with just eleven overs left to face. That Castries got as close as they did can be attributed to the efforts of Gregg Wilson (80) and captain Sheldon Thorpe (95) who put on 88 for the fifth wicket. Blackman took three wickets for 39 runs with his gentle off spin. Eugene, unable to add to his run coring spree, chipped in with two wickets for 46 runs.
Less than a week after that brilliant win gave the community cause for celebration, a shdow was cast over the champions. Fast medium pacer Kent Crafton, twin brother of Gros Islet captain Alton, was injured in a freak accident. Early indications are that his career may be adversely affected, perhaps ended. Sitting in a parked car in front of his family home, Kent was injured when a truck ran off the road and crashed into the car. Both vehicles plowed into the house, forcing the family to relocate (the Gros Islet team assisted them) and leaving Kent nursing a fractured foot.
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Aubrey Shines, St. Lucia Fifth at Caribbean Volleyball
(22 July 2000) - Shana Aubrey continues to play herself into a college scholarship, most recently emerging as St. Lucia's most valuable player during their run at the Caribbean Volleyball Championships. She was part of a national women's team of which much was expected going into Barbados. That they ultimately disappointed certainly can't be put down to the efforts of Aubrey.
She wasn't the only big contributor for St. Lucia, Aubrey, but she was, by far, the most consistent. The veteran, Joana Reynolds, did well as well. So, too, did Lottie Philip, captain Dionysia Didier and former captain Sabina Gaston. The St. Lucian ladies got just one win from five games, though, and they split their games against the only team they played twice, the Bahamas.
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Branford Has The Book On Sports
(12 July 2000) - Newspaper sports columnist Rupert Branford has achieved one of his long-stated goals: the publication of a book about the history of sports in St. Lucia and the persons who have been involved in the island's sporting life.
Branford - a former national cricketer, footballer and track athlete - has been working on "Outstanding Sports Personalities of St. Lucia" since 1997. He examines the period from 1930 to the mid-1980's, including the feats of such great athletes as Francis Mindoo Philip, Rick Wayne, Reggie Clarke, Joyce Auguste and Leo Spar St. Helene, all of whom were renowned locally, throughout the Caribbean and, sometimes, worldwide for their athletic feats and exploits.
"Outstanding Sports Personalities of St. Lucia" is available at bookstores islandwide.
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Corporate Assistance For Track Princess
(3 July 2000) - National 1500m record holder Nessa Paul of Soufriere is the first athlete to be part of the Coconut Growers' Association's intended programme of assisting the talented young sportsmen and -women of Soufriere and its environs.
Nessa, a seventeen-year-old who runs with the Soufriere Track and Field Club, copped the trophy as the most outstanding female athlete at this year's national championships - she won the 800m, 1500m and 5000m races, setting the national record in the 1500m. Several months later Nessa, a teammate of sprint champion Jineill Vite, is the recipient of athletic gear fro mteh CGA. The reserved young woman broke her customary silence long enough to promise that she'd keep working hard to keep making history.
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Small Body Team Jooks Hard
(8 July 2000) - Three St. Lucian ahtletes attended the Eastern Caribbean Bodybuilding Championships in St. Croix this weekend. They came back with three medals, two of them gold. Lawrence Robocop Stephen edged out Alphonsus Shortman Joseph for the lightweight title, the same relative positions they'd been in at the Post-Independence Classic at the Cultural Centre some weeks ago.
Post-Independence middle-heavyweight and overall champion the Ghost Raymond Daniel turned in a tremendous performance at the Eastern Caribbean show, winning the middleweight class (a step up in weight for him) in spite of being demonstrably less bulky than his rivals. All three will certainly be gearing up for further competition later this year alongside Commonwealth champion Julian Felix.
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