We are entering an absolutely critical phase of the fight to reform the Canadian Soccer Association.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
To recap the whole thing briefly:
- The CSA board presently includes voting seats for twelve provincial and territorial soccer association presidents.
- However well-intentioned most of these good people may be, they are serving two masters, and cannot put the best interests of Canada’s national soccer teams first.
- A reform package was drafted last year that would eliminate them all.
- The pro-reform president of the Alberta Soccer Association, Chris Billings, was ousted by an anti-reform group headed by ASA first vice-president Mario Charpentier.
- CSA director-at-large Mike Traficante (a past-president of the ASA) stands publicly accused of assisting in Billings’ overthrow. He has refused all requests from Canadian Soccer News to either clarify his position, or clear his name.
- The measures received tentative approval at last spring’s CSA annual general meeting, with only Alberta and Quebec voting against reform.
- Late in 2010, a revised reform package was drafted, allowing three provincial presidents to remain on the CSA board. Alberta and Quebec both approved the changes.
- Interestingly, Ontario did not. More on that at the end of this piece.
- The CSA’s Constitution Committee meets again next month, to draft a final version of the reform package, to be voted on at the CSA AGM in the spring.
What we have, then, is a Canadian Soccer Association that is publicly trumpeting reform, where at least one director is actively working behind the scenes to prevent it.
We also have a hopelessly dysfunctional situation in Alberta, where dozens of soccer people – and entire geographical districts – have been suspended indefinitely for their opposition to the Charpentier/Traficante coup.
Late last week, an Alberta judge ordered the ASA to hold a special general meeting on January 21, and an annual general meeting by the end of April. Mr. Justice Tilleman added his opinion that the “winding up” of the ASA is looking more possible.
Charpentier clearly does not want an SGM. The deadline to call one for January 21 passed at the end of December. The ASA board sent around a justification letter last week – which multiple concerned Albertans immediately forwarded to Canadian Soccer News.
All that’s at stake here, ultimately, is any chance to have a professional, non-conflicted CSA board of directors charting the course of Canada’s international soccer future – including the elusive dream of returning our men’s team to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1986.
That’s why this outrageous, appalling situation in Alberta matters so much to the rest of the country. The fact that CSA directors are being directly accused of helping overthrow an elected provincial soccer association president deeply underscores the urgent need to change the way Metcalfe Street does business.
As hinted above, the most interesting wildcard in the current deck is Ontario. Canada’s most populous province backed the original reform package, but is digging in hard against the watered-down revisions.
I will be meeting and interviewing Ontario Soccer Association president Ron Smale tomorrow, and will have a full write-up of his thoughts and positions for you on Wednesday.
For now, though, if you are concerned and troubled by all this, please feel free to contact Charpentier and Traficante directly.
Mario Charpentier: president@edmontonsoccer.com
Mike Traficante: mtraficante@soccercan.ca
Onward!