The six Ws – builders and breakers

THE EDITOR: In the 1950s and ’60s, the three Ws, Worrell, Weekes and Walcott, led lofty placement before the world of devout expressions of the soul of the oppressed people of the Caribbean – and how well did they do this, taking it well beyond a boundary, according to CLR James.

Today, in the opening decades of the 21st century, with West Indies cricket now in shambles, TT finds three other Ws, Warner, Williams and Wallace, indicted in the destruction of its football.

Where is the logic in current developments? Where is leadership in this?

The clear and only successful path forward which still remains for TT’s football under present circumstances is to work with FIFA and move to high ground at the earliest time. But what is happening instead? Everyone, from top to bottom, is savouring the sparks while Rome burns. History will mark this episode with ignobility.

One does not have to go through the history of football by starting with FIFA as a global institution, or from the regional point of view when the ambition was to create a West Indian football team on par with its cricket team as engineered by Worrell, Weekes, Walcott and so many others. The region might have captured a least one World Cup by now. Instead, today there is a team on every rock in the Caribbean Sea that is large enough to break surface and remain visible.

Why? That is a story all its own; the platitudes on human rights, aspirations and so forth will come fast and furious, and with much good justification in many instances. But with the latest developments surrounding the destruction of TT’s football, there is need to call halt!

All is not lost, but some must be called upon to get lost while the pieces are picked up and mended.

Truthfully, the juries are not yet in on Warner and Williams regarding TT’s football, but clearly the Wallace episode threatens to dislodge all that so many have dedicated so much to establish – and this must not be allowed to happen.

Now, for the roadmap on rescuing TT’s football – get to it!

MERVYN J O’NEIL

via e-mail