Adrian Frater, News Editor
Western Bureau:

Come Monday, the St James Football Association (StJFA) will be staging its annual general meeting (AGM), and unless there is a change of heart, popular sports personality Steve Bucknor and current FA treasurer Texchus Nembhard will be the two persons vying for the presidency.

As I have stated in previous columns and in conversations with my friends, it is my wish that instead of running against each other, the two men would have been better off on the same slate, working together to tackle the monumental task of fixing St James football and putting it back on the path to future viability.

In terms of individual records, there is absolutely no question that Bucknor is the more accomplished of the two gentlemen. His many accolades include being one of cricket's most illustrious umpires, being a former FIFA referee, a distinguished football coach, a former outstanding student athlete and arguably one of St James' most revered sons.

While he has no international achievements to his credit, Nembhard has nonetheless built up a tidy reputation for himself locally. He has been a loyal servant to football, coming to the fore as a referee before going into administration. He is now a highly respected referees inspector.

no-nonsense individuals

In terms of integrity, commitment, passion and a desire to see St James' football return to a position of prominence on the national radar, both gentlemen definitely meet the criteria. In addition to being no-nonsense individuals, I would say both are always above the board when it comes to fair play.

Personally, I would not be too worried if either of Bucknor or Nembhard emerges as the new president of the St James FA. Having worked with both gentlemen in the past, I know they are both sharp-shooters who have a history of taking strong decisions and are unlikely to speak out of both sides of their mouths if they came under pressure.

My primary concern going into the AGM has to do with those persons who will make up the supporting cast on the board. It is no secret that within recent times one of the major flaws facing St James' football is the alarming number of time-wasters who regularly end up on the board and reward the affiliates' trust with laziness.

I have known of numerous cases where, after being elected to the board, some individuals just slip into the background and refuse to do any real work. They are rarely present at board meetings, always unavailable to assist in any board projects and only show their heads when it comes to getting free tickets for national games at the stadium.

I know that both Bucknor and Nembhard are committed individuals who, I am sure, have the best interest of St James' football at heart. I am therefore hoping that whoever wins the presidency will be given a good team to work with. It would be an absolute disgrace if the person elected should fail because the affiliates saddle him with a weak team.

As the AGM draws closer, I am still hoping that it is not too late for Bucknor and Nembhard to sit down together and discuss their vision for the future of St James' football. If their respective agendas are not too far apart, I would recommend the forging of a compromise, as I believe the ideal situation is to have them both on the same team.

I know the idea of having Bucknor and Nembhard on the same team will not sit well with some individuals who are now working behind the scene to make the campaign an acrimonious one. Those people know they will never get on the board on merit, so they are trying to create confusion, hoping that by doing so, they will be able to creep in through the back door.

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