By Donald Duff in Nassau, Bahamas

Vice-president of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) and president of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Colin Klass said on Monday that both CONCACAF and UEFA were in solid financial positions.

“One of the things that was reported very clearly is that financially CONCACAF is very solid,” Klass told Stabroek Sport following the annual congress of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football at the Atlantis Hotel here.

“It has been announced also that UEFA said the same thing. In the midst of  the downturn that is taking place they are still very solid,” he added.
Klass said it was not that the downturn was not affecting football but the two organisations were able to pull things together.

Klass also reported that three new persons were inducted into the CONCACAF Hall of Fame.

The three persons are former Jamaican Football Federation president Tony James, Nicaraguan Football Federation president Julio Rocha and retired CONCACAF executive Clive Toye of the USA.
“We also discussed tomorrow’s agenda with FIFA and decided on what we will support and what we will not support.”

Concerning the challenge to incumbent and president of the Jamaican Football Federation (JFF) Captain Horace Burrell from former St Kitts and Nevis Football Association president Peter Jenkins for Burrell’s position on the executive, Klass said Jenkins had withdrawn from the race.

The withdrawal stemmed from a meeting of CFU which took place the previous evening.

“As part of the camaraderie and solidarity of CONCACAF and CFU there is a policy that basically any nominee is discussed by the executive.  The executive makes those recommendations. We have a meeting and then we agree going forward so there is no need for an election because that is agreed up front but this one went outside the normal protocol,” he explained.
Meanwhile the GFF on Monday presented awards to five football stalwarts who have distinguished themselves in the sport.

“Actually we presented awards to five persons who we felt contributed to football in our region and beyond, far beyond the call of duty and those persons were president Blatter, president  Warner, Chuck Blazer, Lisle Austin and Harold Taylor,” Klass told Stabroek Sport.

“If you combine those ages together you will get almost 200 years of contribution to football.”
The presentations were done by Klass.