BEHIND THE PLAY #82

FIFA came to Surrey and led with dignity and respect

In mid-April I got a call from a friend I met at UBC when we were both working at UBC Intramural Sports. I hadn’t heard from him much since but the few times we did cross parts it was clear he was becoming invested in the game. First as a coach at Surrey United and then in the DEI space around the game and through the Qatar Aspire Zone Foundation and other competitions in Asia including the Commonwealth Games and the Pan-Arab Games.

“I’m hosting a dinner for Gerd Dembowsky, the FIFA Head of Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination at my house and I’d like you to come.” Ten days later I was there and Sukhi did not disappoint. The theme of the night was to educate and highlight the contributions that the South Asian community has made to football in the Lower Mainland amidst the considerable challenges they repeatedly face. There were many heavyweights in the game from that community there and it really was edifying to hear their perspectives along with several others. Frankly, the quality of the speeches from all who spoke was quite stunning.

I was lucky enough to end up sitting next to another FIFA official, Senior International Relations and Public Affairs Manager at FIFA Celine Zigual and got to hear some of the challenges she faces in her role. She was one of three FIFA officials in total came to the dinner along with the mayor of Surrey Brenda Locke, MP Parm Bains, Brad Baker and Gayle Statton from the CSA Board, the President of BC Soccer Deb Pudek and former MLA Moe Sahota among others. Local coaches, that I knew anyways, were represented by Paul Bahia (Surrey FC TD), Jesse Symons (UBC Women’s team head coach) and Spiro Pegios (Surrey United legend).

So I learned that Sukhi has pull :).

But I also learned that there’s people who work at FIFA who are earnest, caring and intelligent and seem to have the core principles of what they game should represent at the centre of their work. I also learned that Gerd has good taste in music.

It really was an affirming evening of interesting people invested in the game from a tremendous variety of backgrounds set amidst the Sandhus gorgeous backyard with fantastic Indian food being served up.

Charlie Cuzzetto

Charlie was also at Sukhi’s get together. He passed away just eleven days later. He truly was a legendary figure in the Vancouver soccer community. We didn’t know each other well but I was very pleased to be able to chat with him and he remembered that we had last met at Canada House in Doha during the World Cup when he was a CSA Board member. He told me he enjoyed this newsletter and that meant a lot to me. It was amazing to see he was as calm and gracious that night as he was when we met in Qatar. Someone captured this photo of the two of us chatting (in the right top corner of the photo). I’m glad to have it to look back on.

Rest in peace Charlie.

Caps at Swangard

The Whitecaps game vs Calgary Cavalry in the Canadian Championship, strangely scheduled during the World Cup (July 8) in a city hosting seven games, was moved to Swangard Stadium out of necessity. I logged onto TicketMaster the minute sales opened and it was a frenzy. The site seemed overloaded and I had to re-load a few times, with each new screen showing noticeably fewer seats each time. Snagged four in the end and it was sold out soon after I’m told.

Swangard, for me, is the heart and soul of the professional game here in Vancouver. I played there for the Vancouver 86ers in 1989 (one month loan at start of season), 1991 and 1992. It’s where the Southsiders originated and was the site of several games in the 2007 U20 World Cup in addition to hosting the most dominant professional soccer team in Canadian history in the 86ers. It was also where the Sun Cup, now known as the Youth Provincial Cup finals and then known as the ultimate prize in youth soccer, was held for decades.

Very good chance more Can Champ games, including the final, will be played at Swangard should the Cap advance past Cavalry.

Go read Jim Easton’s newsletter

Jim Easton’s Re-think Football newsletter is outstanding. If you’re not already reading it, click here to sample his most recent issue Lost in the Bazaar.

For those not familiar, Jim was truly one of Canada’s most technically gifted midfielders and played with an intelligence akin to the craft put into his newsletters. We played together for a season on the above-mentioned Vancouver 86ers and have sporadically kept in touch since then.

FIFA denigration of the World Cup

It’s just become a litany of shilling and debasements…

• 48 teams

• Internal ticket re-selling at 15% commissions to both buyers and sellers

• “Right to Ticket” digital collectibles

• Paid entry to fan zones

• Dynamic pricing

• Half time show at final that extends the length of the half time break

• $300 host city limited edition shirts (999 of each)

• …and a FIFA Peace Prize

That’s pretty much just off the top of my head.

And yet the tickets are nowhere near being sold out and hotel operators are reporting that bookings are way below expectations, including in Vancouver where the industry says booking are down 20% compared to this time last year.