All local football clubs now required to be licensed

Paul Hewlett (BVIFA General Secretary), Alfredo Quiroz (CONCACAF) and Andy Bickerton (BVIFA President)

All member clubs of the BVI Football Association will have to become licensed, according to Alfredo Quiroz from the Club Licensing Department at CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football).

“Sanctions are yet to be determined for non-compliant clubs,” commented Quiroz.

“CONCACAF certainly won’t be coming in and saying, if you are not licensed, then you cannot play. But there has to be some incentives to comply.”

During a meeting with local clubs yesterday (January 18) at the BVI Football Association’s Head Office, Quiroz noted that ‘football is changing’.

“And CONCACAF wants to make the game more attractive, as well as more organized – from those that run clubs to those that go watch,” he added.

According to the BVI Football Association, moving clubs into the process of becoming compliant with both FIFA and CONCACAF guidelines has begun.

It added that the process started with a National Criteria to be reached by the end of 2017, and more immediate target dates for the various stages of completion by the end of March 2017.

“All clubs will have to fill out and submit four online documents, as well as complete 11 additional criteria such as naming a head coach; general manager; media, finance, and marketing personnel; budgets; and various legal documents,” the local association further said in a media release.

Quiroz, in the meantime, commented: “The process will be constantly reviewed and made more challenging as we look to develop stronger structures and levels of control.”

Databases will be built of all CONCACAF’s member clubs, and used to create effective tools for planning future competitions such as the Champions League, where it will now become possible to see the type of facilities and infrastructure each participating club has.

“The local Football Association office remains the first point of contact to assist the clubs in the process, and provide support. But then, once the online forms are submitted, a First Instance Body will be set up locally to review the applications and grant licenses,” added the BVI Football Association.

There will also be an appeals body.

Quiroz said it is a win win situation, and clubs should not be put off by change or in adhering to CONCACAF’s new policies and programmes.

“The benefits are for all to see,” he concluded.

Quiroz continued: “We will all be doing things a little better, step by step, for players, fans, sponsors. It can help identify the need for improvements on and off the field, increase the knowledge of support staff, and help everyone understand what we need to do to move forward.”

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