By Iva Wharton
The Georgetown Football Association (GFA) has written a letter to the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) indicating its willingness to sit down once again to try and bring an end to the current impasse.
The letter, copied to the eight associations affiliated to the GFF, President of the Coaches Football Association, Guyana Referee’s Council, Guyana National Women’s Football Association, the Georgetown Referee’s Association and 14 clubs affiliated to the GFA stated that the association was not pleased with the GFF’s attempts to induce players, clubs, executives, referee officials, supporters and sponsors to leave the association.
The GFA said the present situation does not augur well for the development of the sport which is why it has decided to extend an invitation to the GFF to recommence talks that will see the crystallizing of several items that were agreed to at a previous meeting namely:-That the GFF provide the GFA with all original invoices pertaining to the hosting of the postponed GFF’s Annual General Meeting so as to enable the GFA to fulfill its promise of undertaking the
cost of the said postponed 2011 Annual General Meeting; that both the GFF and the GFA appear before the Honourable Judge and formally establish the immediate restoration of all constitutional/voting rights of the GFA upon the withdrawal of the High Court action by the GFA; That the GFF will establish all constitutional committees required by the constitution and communicate the same to all associations and no disciplinary action will be taken against any player, club, executive and/or official of the GFA or any association, unless due process is observed and finally that the GFA will, in accordance with its constitution, hold its election of office bearers without the requirement for an arbitration panel to decide whether or not this should be done.
“The constitutional voting rights of the GFA has been an issue throughout the presidencies of Oliver Hinckson, Christopher Matthias, Dr. George Norton, Odinga Lumumba, Troy Mendonca and Vernon Burnett a period in excess of fifteen (15) years,” the GFA stated whilst pleading that the GFF do all that is necessary to bring this current impasse/injustice to an end.
Currently both sides are in talks with the Upper Demerara Football Sub Association (UDFSA) to have teams affiliated to that association compete in either the Kashif or Shanghai or the Banks Beer/GFA end of year tournament.
UDFA’s President Sharma Solomon in a previous interview this publication had stated that he would make a decision after meeting with the 10 clubs that are affiliated to the association. He, however, said that eight of the 10 clubs have indicated an interest in competing in the Banks Beer/GFA end of year tournament.
The GFF on the other hand had said that clubs that are affiliated to the federation will be sanctioned if they compete in any tournament not sanctioned by the federation.
