President of Barbados Football Association (BFA) Randy Harris has occupied the office although the performance of Barbados football has slipped to an embarrassing level during his tenure.
It helps us to stay healthy, fit, and active. It teaches us the value of teamwork and encourages us to work hard and never give up. Sports also help us develop discipline, dedication, and commitment, which are essential values for success in life. It is also a great way for people to socialize and make new friends.
EDUCBA
It must be obvious sports is not only everything EDUCBA describes, it is also a trillion dollar global business. Where there are big business decisions being made expect to find political factors at play and corruption.
The world’s most popular sport is football (soccer). In recent weeks a controversy triggered by suspended president of the Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales planting a kiss on a female player in his exuberance at Spain winning the women’s World Cup, and the ensuing debate amplifies the importance placed on holding on to executive positions in sports, especially soccer. In the face of global condemnation he refuses to resign.
Back on the rock, local President of Barbados Football Association (BFA) has occupied the office although the performance of Barbados football slipped to an embarrassing level during his tenure. Barbados is currently ranked 166 out of 208 countries listed. Importantly when Randy Harris was elected to the post in 2012 Barbados was ranked 143 out of 206 countries. The blogmaster likes to keep things simple. Barbados has not improved in its FIFA world positional ranking under Randy Harris. It therefore begs the question why is he being reelected to the position. Are the actors involved satisfied with mediocrity? The answer when it comes to FIFA is in the politics.
Despite Barbados mediocre performance over the years, the little man Randy Harris was elected as President of Caribbean Football Union (CFU) in 2021 under the protective eye of President of FIFA Gianni Infantino. From the comfort of your sofa you can watch FIFA Uncovered or read the book Red Card to understand why holders of football executive positions will not want to demit office even for a good reason. Do you recall Minister Ronald Jones as a minister of the Barbados government holding on to the position of president of the BFA despite intense criticism?
Coming out of the blog Sports needs an Oba the suggestion was made BU should highlight a few of these deadbeat local sports association if we are to be serious about unpacking the issues affecting local sport. Today the blogmaster had to listen to Randy Harris commenting on Barbados’ likely success against 174 ranked Montserrat in a CONCACAF Nations League, Group B draw scheduled to be played tonight (8 September 2023).
The blogmaster’s position is simple, why has President Randy Harris been elected as president of the BFA continuously from 2012 and there has been no commensurate improvement in the performance of the national teams if we use FIFA’s rankings? Unless there are other metrics to measure the success of President Harris he must be adjudged to be a failure.
Long may the mediocrity continue!
David, I’ll invite you to read my August 20, 2023 7:09 AM contribution on the ‘Sports needs an Oba’ thread.
This comment?
Yes, David.
SO AMAZING WHENEVER I POINT OUT THE BACKWARD PAST BEHAVIOR ON THE 2 X 3 ISLAND SOME WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I AM BITTER OR HAVE A “CHIP”.
THE TRUTH WILL ALWAYS BE THE TRUTH IRREGARDLESS OF THE SOURCE.
“success against 174 ranked Montserrat in a CONCACAF Nations League, Group B draw scheduled to be played tonight (8 September 2023). ”
My money was on
Montserrat – 90 Minutes @ 15/8
Barbados 2-3 Montserrat
Watched a large part of the game. Part of the problem can easily be fixed.
I’ve seen fans of a soccer team do this before and it may help here. As our boys have a tendency to pass backwards, having fans hold a big arrow pointing towards the goal of the opposing team maybe of help.
One of our attacking players was excellent. Perhaps we should ask for 1 man vs 1 man games.
Even when Barbados was leading 2-1 I did not feel comfortable. I stopped watching after some time. I can only imagine how those watching the game in Bridgetown felt. Tortured for the last 45 minutes
I am not a negative person. I stand ready to support and compliment our team.
But you are not going to go out there and lose every game and hear happy songs or kind words from me.
I will not say ‘good game’s, ‘good luck’, ‘you almost won’, ‘next time you will do better’…. Not that script
You will get the losers’ script..
‘You suck’, ‘you suck, bigtime’, ‘get off the field’, “it’s soccer, not kickball”
No more comments on soccer as it is depressing me.
Randy Harris, in Barbados, is the equivalent to Ali Bongo in Gabon.
They both represent facets of imperialism presenting as forms of democracy.
The dictatorial, even fascist, ethos is well entrenched in Barbados, as well, and is emblematic of a Mia Mottley.
We’ve previously seen many circumstances where the BFA, even by its own regulations, presume to have FIFA as their highest court of law.
All these socalled international organizations, at their centre, have little to do with sport per se.
But instead they represent soft power devices to pressure countries which have quarrels with the West.
To sell the religion of freedom!
Case in point – the many recent years of bannings of Russian athletes across many sports under dubious circumstances. Soccer, for example.
When sport is otherwise to be supported as absent of regular politics.
That one man, Randy Harris, could spend a lifetime around the BFA, like Bongo in the political realm, should tell us that these are a sameness of a sameness.
Barbados football is like the debating skills on the Underground with predictable patterns and it’s players are just not ready the big league.
People may talk all flowery and pretty, but are busy saying nothing and going nowhere fast.
They like to chat biblically about revelations and speak in parables.
They should learn some patience as only a patient man can ride donkey.
A donkey may not arrive quickly, but it was good enough to carry Jesus and will not suffer a mechanical breakdown on the way.
One Life to Live, One Life to Give (Livin’ in Love)
David, seems as though Harris is being re-elected because it’s a ‘friends thing’ in the BFA and probably their way of rewarding him for being around football for several years. Remember, his involvement in the ‘BICO Tournement,’ and he was instumental in the Dover, Christ Church based ‘Paradise Football Club’s formation. Some individuals may prefer to take the ‘glass is half full’ approach to discussing this issue and mention footballers of a bygone era, rather than admit Barbados football is poor.
@Artax
It is not the person, this level of arrogance and incompetence has been going on long before Harris.
“It is not the person, this level of arrogance and incompetence has been going on long before Harris.”
@ David
Bear in mind, the title of this particular thread clearly suggests a specific focus on Randy Harris…… and NOT the BFA’s past presidents.
I can’t remember if ‘arrogance and incompetence’ prevailed during the tenures of past presidents such as George LasCaris and the late Lisle Austin.
But, for certainly for sure during Ronald Jones’ presidency, and, so far, during that of Harris.
All we have are memories and for some of us those memories are false. Didn’t we have one politician talking of ‘glorious years’ even when the land and people were groaning and suffering from his abject failure.
We remember a past that never was. The truth and our memories are at war.
To fully understand why Harris behaves like he does now , one would have to go back to who was his major political supporter when he was not president and this would show how politics and politicians have their apostles all over the place. Cricket ; same thing.
Sir Grantley Adams: Barbadians have short memories.
I read this and started to cry
‘The current population of Montserrat is 4,383 as of Saturday, September 9, 2023, based on the latest United Nations estimates.”
4,000?
To make it look respectable I added on some zeros
Barbados: 280,000
Montserrat: 4000.000
Now I feel better. Their population looks much bigger than ours
Nobody has ever brought evidence that Harris is a buller.
However Tucker Carlson has just had a second man making a public statement that Obama bulled him twice as they used crack cocaine.
Teh wunna Obama is a buller.
We hear Michelle staying in Spain with friends, say reports.
https://youtu.be/aZZ96oCh_rM?si=5zNHBf9LMs5r8_ar
Breaking news
I have the pictures.
Ticket Carlson found the man, I found the pictures.
Stay tuned.
Randy Harris, as criminals go, is a mere boy compared to Bola Tinubu.
Tinubu at the behest of the American government has gotten an appeal court in Nigeria to shamelessly throw out a case against Tinubu as an illegal president.
These Injustices, for example, ruled that the just under 500,000 USD seized by the FBI was not in fact the proceeds of drugs, like they were, as the illegally gained property of Tinubu, but instead the bank account itself was in fact the place to where guilt was to be located, and not Tinubu as owner of the same said account.
This is staggering. People should read this judgement.
Heads badly need to roll! Guillotine!
These are heads which should be sent looking for their shoulders before any trial.
What this roll uh shyte you post bout Tinubu got to do wid Bajan football?
@ David
Not all of us have ‘short memories.’
I’ll invite you to read another one of my contributions to the “Sports Needs An Oba Thread.”
Artax on August 20, 2023 at 8:11 AM:
“Unfortunately, however, ‘politicians’ have infiltrated many of these sporting bodies.
Although people have rights of freedom of expression and to take part in the conduct of public affairs or freely associate with any political party of their choice……
…… a problem ARISES when they are UNABLE to SEPARATE political posturing, biases and relationships from sports administration.”
“For example, in George Street, Hammie Lah was instrumental in organizing the David Thompson Memorial Football Classic Tournament, while Randy Harris, on the eve of BFA elections, was involved in organising the LIME Pelican Challenge for Roebuck Street.”
“There is president of a particular Association who calls the ‘call-in-programme’ infrequently, to support the BLP.”
“I believe sports should be apolitical and neutral.
But, in reality, it is intricately enmeshed within the larger socio-political context in which all sporting activities operate.”
@Artax
How more political can one get with Ronald Jones hanging on to president of the BFA?
Meanwhile pressure burst pipes.
————
Luis Rubiales resigns as president of Spanish FA over Jenni Hermoso kiss
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66637879
@Artax
Would you say LesCaris was one of the better presidents of the BFA ?
@ David
His resignation is welcomed. However, bringing things closer to home, why did the Barbados Football Authority mislead a sister Caribbean nation when they were asked to give a character reference for an ex-employee who had applied for a high profiled role within that country’s Football Authority?
It was alleged that several Barbadian ladies were compromised by this individual. Have these cases been investigated. If so what was the outcome? Did these young ladies receive a fair hearing and did they receive justice?
@TLSN
You will need to be specific if not you are talking loud and saying nothing.
@ David,
Here is an article from the UK Guardian newspaper.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/feb/03/fifa-investigates-after-st-kitts-appoint-coach-accused-of-sexual-abuse
@ David
One of the reasons why I mentioned it may be a ‘friends thing’ within the BFA is, recall the controversy leading up to the 2020 presidential elections.
The AGM and elections were originally scheduled to be held on March 22, 2020 at the ‘Wildey Gymnasium,’ but were postponed due to COVID-19, and rescheduled to August 9, and subsequently September 6.
Former BFA executive members, prospective board members and club administrators, publicly expressed their grievances with several issues concerning the BFA, including protocols and practices of the AGM.
Reports surfaced in the media about ‘a crooked nomination process,’ where board members who were contesting the elections, were also ‘electoral officers.’
Some persons said that, despite following the Association’s statues, their ‘nomination forms were personally rejected.’
There were also complaints of a lack of communication from the Association to member clubs relative to the AGM; as well as the unavailability of the individual authorised to handle nomination forms.
Despite concerns, the AGM and elections were held on September 7, and Harris won his third consecutive term as BFA’s president.
@ David
I cannot remember anything about LasCaris’ tenure at this time.
It’s both weak and strong that at the centre of empire Bajans or Caribbeans in NYC would be distracted by foolishness even as empire burns.
Expect at final collapse to see Columbuses everywhere! As the castastropic and terminal decline of capitalism hits home.
👍 Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down 👎 that is the question
“President Randy Harris, weak but strong”
People in positions of power just love their power trip
Just ask the Emperor of Bu who does not allow some comments to pass through His kingdom
Just ask the Emperor of Bu who does not allow some comments to pass through His kingdom
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LOL!! Murduh!!
Yuh mean dat you does have MORE post that DON’T get through?
Shiite man KiKi !!!
You and Waru gwine for the BU Guinness Record book?
If Bushie EVER get those BU keys, the word to describe your posts would be ‘miserly’… LOL
Bushie
Otherwise you complain. But when it comes to the dictatorship of things and people who you generally agree with, you represent, dictatorship here and elsewhere is good.
In yuh religion!
This preoccupation with trying to mek Kiki see the world like an old ass man like you have long failed. Thankfully.
30% hit rate
It is a conundrum to determine what shall be approved
I cram to understand Bu
EI EI O
EIEIO may refer to: The refrain to the children’s song, “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” Enforce In-Order Execution of I/O, a machine instruction used on the PowerPC computer processor. Computer bought the farm, an error message with symbol EIEIO, from the GNU Hurd operating system.
DJ Spirit me got the DJ Spirit
Hallelujah
Replay, Replay Version, Jah Order, Imitator Riddim
Our young athletes are still doing quite well , trying their best to excel on the track and making efforts to qualify in the sports sciences.
Our young footballers are still getting overseas contracts and so on.
The cultural , sports and other avenues in which our young citizens are trying to reach their full potential are being sucked dry by politics and socio economic snobbery.
Imagine if we could just get up one morning and put resources in areas that will bring true development rather than pie in the sky rubbish.
Imagine where our athletes, young business persons and cultural practitioners could be.
What a shame !
What a pitiful bunch of jokers , that we lavish with praise, while they spout worn cliches and believe that speechifying is really national development
Agreed 100% with William.
If the damn OFFICIALS had their positions tied to PERFORMANCE wunna would see how fast things would change bout here..
In NON-cursed countries…
The LEADERS are dumped when there is lack of success.
The coaches are dumped when results are bad.
The managers are scrapped when things are in disarray
The Committees are dumped when money cannot be accounted for..
BUT NOT BOUT HERE…
The athletes are changed when they have no facilities, resources or support
The accounts are withheld when money get their…
No meetings are held when the place is in a mess..
When de money get thief, the athletes suffer even more..
What a recipe for piss poor performance – and we EXCEL at PPP.
@ Pacha
Wait bozie… You is Kiki’s mudda now??!!
KiKi can defend themself – and has been putting licks in Bushie’s burro now for YEARS!!!
…Think the bushman going turn the udder cheek or wuh?
Nah!!
Licks in Kiki tail every time he wink…..
LOL
ha ha
Barbados vs Nicaragua tonight at 10:00.
The story says our coach is confident. Why do I have a feeling the Nicaraguan coach is even more confident.
3-0 at half-time.
Trying to remain supportive.
Nicaragua had the ball for 44 of the 45 minutes in the first half.
Outplayed
Out ran
Out fought
Between WI cricket and Barbados soccer my heart is in a thousand pieces. I feel like crying.
Their stadium bigger than ours in Barbados and it is packed.
When Montserrat was playing Barbados ours was not packed.
5-1
1-5 ???
Surely !!!
Big changes are coming from the TOP ..and all the way down to the bottom….
…unless of course this is all par for the BB course in B’bados
LOL
..the ONLY shiite that will change is the date of our most recent embarrassment.
@Bush Tea
We should aim for being the best that we can be. Are we there yet?
We seem lately to be satisfied with mediocrity in every sphere of living.
I saw the coach of the Barbados Team on CBC last night; he was trying to inject an air of optimism on the possible outcome of the match but that is difficult if one looks like a deer caught in the headlights.
David, of course we’re “satisfied with mediocrity.” We conveniently ignore the fact that local football is extremely poor, while the administrators have been abysmal failures. At least we can ‘brag’ about one or two players being awarded overseas contracts, even though with teams we’re not aware of, or ‘hardly hear anything about.’
It was my intention not to comment on this any further.
If time of possession of the soccer ball was measured, then Nicaragua had the ball far in excess of the time that Barbados had it. It was not a game of equals.
Our inability to string two or three plays together is (1) indicative of poor training, (2) in the game smarts (training again) and inadequate football skills. Are we selecting from our best players?
Do our players have the right chemistry so as to form a competitive team?
Are our coaches capable of strategizing a game for different teams? Or, are we just sending them out for 90 minutes?
Do our coaches have a sound idea of where we are relative to other teams?
To hear our coaches express confidence tells me that they are out of touch with reality.
Prior to the game where we were beaten by a team drawn from 4,000 Montserratians we were a soccer team in a basketball game.
My memory is failing but I would swear (not on a Bible) that a team beat us 63-3
Montserrat cannot be limited to 4,000, as there are several Montserratians living in the UK. More than half the members of the island’s football team were born in the UK. They play club football there as well, along with 2 or 3 guys who were born in Montserrat…. for teams such as Dartford, Nottingham Forest, Burmingham City and AFC Telford United. In all fairness, and under those circumstances, kudos must be given to the Barbados team for ‘holding their own.’
** there are several Montserratians living in the UK and its territories, and other jurisdictions.
@Artax
What you are saying is that a Randy Harris led BFA was unable to do a better job of recruiting overseas based players?
Here is the question, how does it effect the price of rice as it pertains to developing local talent and the sport?
No, I’m not, David. Montserrat’s situation is unique because the last volcano erruption, rendered more than half the island uninhabitable, thereby forcing citizens to migrate, especially to UK territories. Remember, Anguilla, BVI, Cayman and Montserrat are British Overseas Territories. Those footballers born in England nationalities are listed as Montserratian. I remain shocked that you purposely manipulated my comment into something I DID NOT ‘say’ or implied.
I will give you that point, but please bear in mind that Barbados also has a very large number of Bajans living outside of Barbados.
For the sake of argument, even if the ‘real’ population is 20,000, I still believe that 20,000 vs 280,000 should be an unequal battle.
And if you use playing in the UK as a measure of the level of football strength, the fact that Montserrat has more folks playing UK soccer than Barbados does tells us something. Even with our larger population and larger diaspora it is still harder for us to find a talented eleven.
Your comments are excellent, but I fear the difference in numbers are too much for you to overcome.
Barbados’ population would obviously be larger than a 39 sq ml Montserrat and also bearing in mind 60% of the island is uninhabitable. My argument was NOT about comparing or contrasting the population size of both islands. Nor was it about which island could attract the most overseas players. I simply attempted to indicate that MIN had a ‘bit more’ than 4,000 to choose from. That’s all. ‘Nothing more, nothing less.’ But, if we want to be ‘technical,’ a Montserratian footballer plays football ‘at home,’ if he plays in MIN or the UK.
Source: Nation
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CxMZ-bSIlsA/
A very small point
I would have love to see the interviewers and the interviewee at the same as I get the impression he is not looking directly at the person posing the question when he is answering.
Eye contact or lack of eye contact is one of the measure is use. You may ask ‘For what?’
BFA PRESIDENT SAYS IT IS STILL TOO EARLY TO ASSESS TRIDENTS’ PERFORMANCES.
By Rawle Toney
President of the Barbados Football Association (BFA), Randy Harris has maintained that it is still too early to judge the performances of the senior men’s football team.
In fact, Harris, who also serves as the president of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), suggested that he might be in a better position to assess the Tridents next year following the conclusion of the 2023-2024 Nations League.
The Tridents, competing in Group B of League B, currently find themselves at the bottom of the four-team table, having yet to secure a victory in their first two matches.
They began their campaign with a narrow 3-2 loss at home to Montserrat, but were then trounced 5-1 by Nicaragua in their second game in Managua.
When asked by Barbados TODAY about his view of the team’s performances to date, Harris responded, “I’m not certain whether I’m pleased or not pleased…We play football to win.
“There are a lot of influences outside of the national team that affect what happens on the field, we’re trying to get it right. I have a vision for football and my vision doesn’t end in 2023. We’re putting programmes in place and trying to build on the development of football in Barbados. We dont expect results right away, it will take some time to see the fruits of what we’re doing,”
Harris pointed out that the Tridents’ recent results had to be looked at in their entirety.
He explained that the changes in Concacaf mean that countries without a professional football system were now competing against teams composed of their best players who ply their trade professionally.
“The other thing is, that when you consider that football in 2023 is not what it was in 1980 or 1990, in that there is now one Concacaf and we are playing against teams that are now fully professionalised. We have not reached that stage as yet,” Harris admitted.
“I think you can understand that there’s a difference between an experienced doctor and an intern and that is what we are doing here at the moment; playing interns against specialists. Obviously, the attitude towards professionalism will start from a young age and we have to recognise that and that is what we are working towards.”
Barbados is scheduled to compete again on October 13 and 16 in consecutive matches against the Dominican Republic, with one game at home and one away.
The Tridents will host Nicaragua on November 17 and conclude their groupstage campaign with an away fixture against Montserrat on November 20.
rawletoney@barbadostoday.bb
“He explained that the changes in Concacaf mean that countries without a professional football system were now competing against teams composed of their best players who ply their trade professionally.”
What does this mean?
We have no professional players?
Our best players are not good enough to compete with the best elsewhere?
Our best players not good enough to become professional players elsewhere
“I think you can understand that there’s a difference between an experienced doctor and an intern and that is what we are doing here at the moment; playing interns against specialists. ”
Why not just say we suck? How interns get in this?
“Randy Harris has maintained that it is still too early to judge the performances of the senior men’s football team.”
These guys have a losing streak that is longer than time. Hopefully, he will judge them before the second coming and on a 0 to 4 scale have sucks at 0 and sucks at 4.
Not going to sit here and watch them lie to you. The grade is in. Sucks at all aspects of the game. Get real.
I am not saying that you have to beat every other team, but win at least one game.
Create a team with 11 men from St Lucy and call them the Northern Invaders. On Nov 30 invite them to a game and beat the hell out of them. Pay them to lose if you have any doubts
Someone PM me and told me that St Lucy has about 10,000 people and plenty more folks in the diaspora. Given what happened against that small island with just 4,000 … I now see that this was a bad idea.
Here comes a great idea. What if we pick the team from those who comment or are commented on here? The BU All Stars captained by TheOG.
If the national team cannot beat these blowhards, I turning up at immigration with passport, digital ID, birth certificate and handing them in and cussing on my way out of the office.
Game tonight with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
The population is 104,000.
Don’t try the number of islands excuse.
20:41
Barbados women has a 2-0 lead
21:59
Barbados 3-0
53:34
4-0
Love the hustle of these Bajan women
74:00
5-0
Great game by the young women of Barbados.
Good passing, great energy, always in attack mode, hungry for goals. One young lady had a hat trick.
No one can jump on a bandwagon faster than I can.
Good game. Go Barbados.
—xx—
Negative note: was surprised to see a few from the opposing team with a little bulge in the middle.