Many topics were discussed at the pre-tournament meeting
The ConIFA World Cup media day opened with a bang today with the public face of the organisation on show to the world’s media.
But the real action was elsewhere at a pre-tournament meeting of the heads of the 16 football federations attending a meeting that covered some serious ground.
Some mundane issues like the transport to the stadia were covered and some of the federations were shocked by the revelation that the referees would be traveling with the teams on the buses from the shred hotels to the stadia. A long discussion ensued about transparency in which all agreed that ConIFA should stipulate in advance which referee was on which bus, and that a referee that traveled to the game with one side, must travel back with their opponents.
There were humorous moments in the discussion. The representative from Padania (Northern Italy) made a self-deprecating joke about understanding better than the others the possibilities for bribery the transport arrangements opened up.
At one stage Head of refereeing Management Roger Lundbäck insisted that the allocation of referees to buses had to wait because they hadn’t met to decide who was going to win each game! Most of the attendees got the joke. Less controversial though important issues like kits, water and recovery periods were covered.
Three areas of interest that sparked much reaction ended the meeting. A new tool for referees is to be introduced, green cards. These can only be issued to players guilty of specific offences, namely diving/embellishment or dissent. If guilty of a green card offence, a player must leave the field like a red card but may be replaced as long as his side has a substitution left. Dissent will include excessive histrionics or exhibitionism to show fake astonishment at refereeing calls, as well as the practice of surrounding the referees.
Two other hot button issues were discussed, politics and gambling.
The Cascadia jerseys in their shiny wrappers.
The ConIFA Officials were very adamant in stressing that ConIFA was not a political organisation and they would not allow political displays or protests on the pitch. Give that a good contingent of the sides have separatist ambitions like Padania and Tamil Eelam, or the side exists to highlight a historical ethnic discrimination like the United Koreans of Japan and Matabeleland, this might prove difficult. That’s before you get to Tibet currently occupied against its will by China, and Northern Cyprus, currently occupied with its will by Turkish troops.
The High Commission of Cyprus may be grateful to feel that as of today, it is no longer alone in issuing a petty objection to the tournament. Prost has ascertained that the Government of Georgia apparently sent in a belated objection to Abkhazia’s participation.
[Londoners don’t like bullies – unfortunately for the Cypriot Government]
Most oddly, the subject of gambling arose. There is a blanket ban. The ConIFA Spokesman recognised the dichotomy of a tournament being underwritten by a bookmaker being so hardline on it, but insisted the credibility of the game came first.
Most ominously, he said that ConIFA had handed the Police a list of all the names of players, coaches, and officials participating in the Cup, and they Police would alert them the minute someone on that list placed a bet.
As the night drew on, more sides arrived and the cup hotel was a cavalcade of colour, including the newly arrived Cascadia kits.
The tournament kicks off tomorrow at 4am West coast time when Cascadia will play Ellan Vannin. Prost will be live tweeting all Cascadia’s games from London. Please follow us here.
