By Paul Nicholson
July 19 – Hillaren Frederick, candidate in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) presidential elections has released his manifest under the banner ‘Building bridges through effective Communication and Good Governance ….31….We are Strong’.
The 31 refers to the number of CFU member associations which standing together combine to make a powerful voice within CONCACAF and FIFA politics. It is this unity that Frederick says is required within the CFU member associations more than anything else at the moment.
This is looking to be a tough task in an election that has seen interfering from outside political forces seemingly intent on destabilising the Caribbean block.
As well as contesting the presidency in the July 23 elections in Miami, the US Virgin Islands Soccer Association president is also standing for the positions of 4th Vice President and Executive Committee Member, the last a position he currently holds.
Currently in his second term as USVI president, Frederick says that he would establish “a statute committee to put the CFU Constitution inline with those used by FIFA and CONCACAF.”
However, the core of his manifesto is around releasing more money to CFU member associations including lobbying CONCACAF for an increase in hosting allowances for qualifying tournaments and to ensure CONCACAF followed through on the proposal “for each CONCACAF member association and Union to receive $150,000 and $1,000,000 respectively annually.”
On the thorny issue of a professional Caribbean league, he proposes that CONCACAF “re-establishes the Caribbean Professional Football League Taskforce with the CFU as an integral member of this taskforce. We as a region need to be fully informed of the contents of the original report from the first taskforce, so we could lobby potential investors as a full and united union in the implementation of a Caribbean Professional league,” he says.
Frederick also addresses the major issue of the cost of travel between the islands for teams to compete, suggesting the creation of a travel committee to look at cost-effective options including “leasing a plane, purchasing bulk tickets a year in advance or leasing a ferry.”
“There is no doubt that the Caribbean Football Union has changed from 2011-2016. We are free to self express and to think for ourselves; but we cannot forget what and who we are as a people. Don’t let outside forces and individuals make us forget where we came from and where we want to go. I am a student of Caribbean Football, I know our history and I would defend the Caribbean and CFU with honesty and integrity wherever I go,” says Frederick.
“I will not allow trinkets of gold to cloud my judgment. I would always do right by Caribbean Football.
“I am the candidate who can build bridges in the CFU to unite everyone. We have to communicate continuously so we can regain each other’s trust.”
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