Greetings to all!#The 2011 Fiji Football Association (Fiji FA) season is officially over with the conclusion of the RC Manubhai/Southern Forest National Club Championship and the Fiji FA Women’s Inter District Championship. #This will be my final post for the season in this column as I will be travelling to overseas for some personal commitments this week. #In my absence senior vice president Shiek Ibrahim will step in the role of Acting Fiji FA president till my return in January 2012. #The 2011 season has its share of the ups and downs. Targets were set of which some were achieved while others were not. There was the Pacific Games where the result which was supposed to be achieved but nonetheless our senior women’s side did us proud. #During the annual Fiji FA congress a new administration was elected and positive things are already happening. Literally people will notice a lot of changes soon which will be for the betterment of football in the country. #We have managed to tap into the Fiji National University with a teachers programme for coaching which is a major boost as far as development is concerned. #Juan Carlos Buzzetti had been reappointed as the national coach so overall things will be moving very fast as we get ready for a very busy 2012 season. We will take all the positives and negatives from the 2011 season and look at ways to get better in the New Year. #Council Meeting#The last Fiji FA Council meeting for the 2011 season was held last Saturday at the National Football Academy in Ba. #The major outcomes were# #*The 12-team motion passed to expand the Super Premier division during the annual Fiji Football Association Congress earlier this year was declared irregular ast Saturday. An extra ordinary congress will now be called to revise the decision and pass the 12-team format if the districts agree to. Fiji FA board of control last said that the new format could not be passed without the 10-team format first being rescinded and that the mover and seconder of the motion during the annual congress did not follow the right procedure which saw the decision passed. At the moment we have decided to continue with the 10-team format for the 2012 season and any changes at the extra ordinary congress will be adopted in the 2013 season. This means that the promotion /relegation series will go on and the two match series will be played in early January between Nadroga and Tailevu Naitasiri. #*From the 2012 season it will be compulsory for district associations to have an Under -21 side which will also travel with the senior district side and participate in the U21 competition prior to their league match. Any district failing to comply will face drastic consequences which in some case we might relegate the association. Often when players leave school they do not have any competition and thus they end up quitting or taking up another sport. With this new initiative players after they leave school will still be involved with football and districts will benefit in the long run as they will not have to seek players from the other districts. #* Senior vice president Sheik Ibrahim will step in the role of acting Fiji FA President in the absence of Rajesh Patel who will be away in overseas due to personal commitments. #*Each affiliated Fiji FA district side will need to provide quarterly reports regularly and must have club competition in their respective districts. Fiji FA vice presidents have been tasked to monitor and report progress during Board of Control meeting#*Rewa being the winners of Pillay Garments Champions League, Vodafone Fiji FACT, Inkk Mobile Battle of the Giants will be joined by Fiji Sun/Weet-Bix National Football League champion Ba and Court Inter District Championship winner Labasa for the 2012 Pillay Garments Champions League. A request by Suva to become the fourth side in the Champions League was not accepted as the board felt that the concept of having all champion side in a competition needed to be maintained. #*Alternative dates for the three major tournaments had been set but that is likely to change as delegates stressed that the short time frame between the Fiji FACT and BOG would make things difficult as far as collecting funds for team preparation was concerned. The Fiji FACT is likely to be rescheduled to late April. #*90 minutes matches for the Fiji FACT and Battle of the Giants have been approved. Only eight from tens team will earn the right to participate in these two tournaments. There will be cutoff dates set and top eight sides from the National League at that stage will earn a spot#*The concept of zonal Premier leagues will no longer be adopted in the 2012 season. Instead both Southern and Western premier districts will participate in a Viti Levu league in a home and away basis. All Northern sides will also participate in a Vanua Levu league. # *The Women’s Inter District Championship will now be held few weeks prior to the Men’s IDC in order to generate more interest.#Final Words #I would like to thank the district officials, my board, public, die hard football fans for the confidence they have had in me. Our task is to improve football and take it to greater heights. We will leave no stones unturned in our quest. #With these words I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. #
