By the end of this week, we will know all the candidates for this May’s Canadian Soccer Association presidential election.
The leading, likeliest candidates are current vice presidents Rob Newman and Victor Montagliani, and it’s widely believed sitting president Dominique Maestracci will seek another four years at the helm.
And so, the time of backroom bargaining and political infighting begins. I’ll spare you the rumours, but all of us here at CSN felt this would be a pretty good time to check in with Ontario Soccer Association president Ron Smale.
Ontario holds a whopping 25% of the vote – half of what’s needed to crown a Canadian calcio king. Smale is known to be a tough, determined politico. So what does he want right now?
To take the backroom – and himself – out of it.
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“It’s not about my personal preference,” Smale told CSN this afternoon. “If there’s ever a time, it’s now to start working collectively together. So it’s not about me. It’s about the whole board of the province of Ontario moving the game forward. We will select the right leader to do that.”
As previously promised, Smale is giving up his seat on the CSA board. He will not seek his province’s new regional elected CSA seat, preferring to focus on provincial matters instead.
“As I said before, I’d be the first one to vote myself off the island. I said I would not hold two roles or two titles, and as such, I want people to know that my word is my word.”
Smale says the OSA screened 14 possible candidates for the Ontario regional seat, and will announce its choice on Friday. Their nominee will enter May’s election, against any other candidates who choose to step forward with both a nominee and a seconder.
But who will Ontario back for president? Does one of Montagiani, Maestracci or Newman appeal to Smale more than the others?
“I’d like us to be focused on issues,” he says. “It’s becoming very political, as you can see and as you know. What are the priorities for Canadian soccer moving forward? And with that, we make sure that we’ve got the right people leading the organization.”
So the OSA is inviting all the presidential candidates to its own AGM – which will be held the final weekend of April, exactly one week before the CSA elections.
“I believe that because the CSA is the largest sporting association in Canada, I think there should be an all-candidates forum for the president’s position, so that membership can ask questions, and know a little bit about the people who are running for the positions, and what their goals and objectives are. I’m hoping to widen the scope of this screening of candidates.”
Smale says he would like the OSA AGM to become a nationwide public forum, but he concedes the candidates may not agree.
“I think there needs to be this open candidates’ forum. I think people need to make a connection. And in the past, that’s never happened. It’s always been huddled in the AGM meeting, or the night before. We need to move away from that.”
After hearing and considering each candidate, the OSA will decide who to support in an open vote of its 27 board members. Smale, as chairman, has no vote – although he does get to cast tie-breakers if the rest of the board is deadlocked.
“There will be 27 votes from 27 people who will have a voice in the direction of this country going forward,” Smale promises.
Oh, and he might not even be OSA president by then. Smale’s term is ending, and he’ll be standing for re-election at the April AGM.
Much more to follow – very, very soon.
Onward!