The University of London School of Advanced Studies / Institute of Latin American Studies is holding a conference; one of the speakers seems particularly focused upon our favorite region: Alan Tomlinson (University of Brighton): FIFA, CONCACAF and the Caribbean: a critical assessment The expansion of football's world governing body, FIFA, has generated resources and finances for the member associations of FIFA in the form of various development and aid projects and schemes. FIFA personnel claim that this has been consistently 'for the good of the game' (as FIFA's in-house slogan puts it). In this paper I review the history of FIFA's relation with the Americas, assess the contribution of key powerbrokers to the rising profile of the CONCACAF confederation (North and Central Americas), and evaluate the claims made for FIFA's Goal project upon football in the Caribbean. The paper draws upon observational data, exclusive interviews with CONCACAF and FIFA personnel, and specialist archival sources on the global politics of football. It concludes that the idealist claims of football leaders in the region are compromised by their real motives of self-aggrandizement and greed, and that the development of football at all levels in the Caribbean has been hampered by this. Of course I will be there to hear what this well-read professor has to say, and to see how accurate he actually is. I'll report back afterwards. In the interim, are there any questions anyone would like to ask, or, are there folks who might try to attend? The registration form is here. I haven't confirmed, but I find it hard to believe that the conference woudl turn down £££ (or even $$$) from folks who really wanted to attend, even given the late date... Post questions you'd like explored, either with Tomlinson or at the conference in general, below.