Dear Editor,
I am a footballer who resides in Bartica and I speak on behalf of every fun-loving football player and fan there.
There is need for the Guyana Football Federation to investigate what is happening in football in this community. The Bartica Football Association (BFA) is like a toothless poodle. They organize nothing; others do. It has been a very long time since the BFA had a general members meeting; there is no properly run club in Bartica, yet there is an office. I suppose the GFF pays rent and a staff member, which is a waste of money.
The Secretary resides in Lethem and has a business there. He appears when someone decides to stand up for football in Bartica. He has gone on national television and blamed the NDC for the lack of maintenance of the ground, although the BFA in the past used the ground more often than any other organization.
Because of the poor oversight of the BFA, no senior player has been called to national trials in a decade. Gone are the days when we had the Terrence Archers, the Calmeth Youngs, the Orin Pompeys, the Christopher Georges and the Orin Jordans. In that period Bartica had six functioning clubs and at the moment we have four that are non-functioning. The BFA is lacking in vision in the development of football in our community and the country as a whole.
Sir, it is time that we have a change in administration so that the younger folks will have an opportunity to contribute to the national football grid, the community and themselves as a whole. There are only two functioning executives − Mr Powell and Mr Beckles − who are excellent in their professions but have not shone as football administrators.
Yours faithfully,
Linden Washington
Football player
