– GFF to honour outstanding monies owed to players early next year
By Emmerson Campbell
After weeks of silence, yesterday the top brass of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) at its Campbellville headquarters, answered several unanswered questions and also shed light on their expenditure for the year.
Acting president, Franklin Wilson and General Secretary of the federation, Noel Adonis held an hour long press conference that touched on GFF’s expenses, comments by members of the national team, monies owed to the players and money spent during 2012.
Wilson mentioned that to date, the federation has spent almost 200 million Guyana Dollars in expenses for the year largely because of international friendlies and World Cup Qualifier games.
“To date we have expended a total of $191,825,409 and we are still counting because we still owe the players and we still owe a number of entities out there,” said Wilson yesterday.
“That is the money spent by the GFF on the World Cup team for 2012. We have tried the best we could have and we will continue to do so to ensure that the team is properly prepared to compete,” added Wilson.
The acting president went on to give a run down of how the money was spent.
“The agreed rates with the team which was agreed to in May of this year for local camps and friendlies on non FIFA dates was $US20 per day, for FIFA dates friendlies and camps was $US25 per day and for World Cup camps and games $US30 daily.”
He added, “In terms of the match fees which were another component of the agreement for friendlies on non FIFA dates for starters $US150, for substitutes used, $US100 and for substitutes not used, $US75.”
For the World Cup Qualifier Games the fees were as follows:
“$US350 for starters and substitutes used and $US200 for substitutes not used.
“In terms of the incentive package that we had agreed to with the players friendlies on non FIFA dates $75,000GY for wins or draws plus $US50 for goals scored and this was the rate that was used in the Caribbean Cup.
“For FIFA date friendlies, an incentive of $US6000 for a win, or draw plus $US50 per goal scored, in terms of the World Cup package it was $US15, 000 for wins or draws at home and $US30, 000 for wins or draws away plus $US50 for goals scored.
“In the case of the El Salvador draw, the US$30,000 kicked in, subsequent to this agreement, I think we agreed to group advancing incentives, as you know it was the first time that we qualified for the third stage and that is why we agreed to these kinds of incentives to encourage the team.
“We had agreed in early June to an incentive of $US150, 000 that would have kicked in if we had qualified for the CONCACAF finals so this is give you an idea of the agreement that we had with the players prior to the World Cup games which started in June.”
Wilson outlined the following expenses that were incurred by the team:
Accommodation in Guyana alone for the players in the team, G$25,508,186 , tickets printed G$2,023000 and advertisements, G$8,908,513.
said Wilson “In terms of the team’s stipend, match fees and bonus, we would have expended to date G$53,446,840, in terms of meals eleven million seven hundred and forty seven thousand three hundred and nine dollars, air fare to date has amounted to forty two million, four hundred and fifty five thousand, eight hundred and sixty dollars.”
He continued “In terms of security, four million, seven hundred and fifty eight thousand one hundred and twenty five dollars, medical expenses, five hundred and fifty one thousand eight hundred and twelve dollars plus another one million.”
Wilson said the players equipment amounted to four million, four thousand and thirty nine dollars while ground rental and preparation cost the team 4.1 million dollars. Gate management was 1.4 million dollars.
“And these are some of the major expenses we had to incur,” said Wilson.
He revealed that the GFF will honour the outstanding monies owed to players by the first quarter of next year.
“In terms of monies owed, as you know we said before that we owe the players and whatever commitments that we made, we will honour the honorarium, the loss bonus which will amount to US$8500 we will honour that as I said before, the 12 percent of the profits after expenses from the Mexico game in Houston, that is still being worked on and we will honour it.
“There is also talk that we owe on the Caribbean Cup, yes we do but let me say this, in terms of the St Lucia bonus which one win plus the four goals amounted to $US575 that we owe but the per diem of $US20 per day has already been paid to the players.
“For the Grenada leg of the tournament, $US1000 is owed to the players which we will pay in terms of the per diem again which was $US20 per day that would have already been paid, there were a couple of cases with loss of earnings which we will honour as well.”
When asked how much money GFF earned from taking the game to Houston, Wilson replied that it was $US75,500 before expenses and once the expenses are cleared the players will receive their 12 percent bonus.
When asked to reveal his thoughts on allegations that were made about the running of the GFF by members of the team to media operatives, Wilson said: “It is not something that we condone, in any situation there are processes and procedures that should be followed in terms of airing grievances and I do believe that the players were overboard in that regard but again they are entitled to do what they see best but it is something we have to be more forceful with going forward.”
When quizzed on if there will be changes in the federation with regard to new blood that the Jaguars have been calling for Wilson stated:
“We do believe that there is room for improvement, but we will continue to seek improvement in the way we operate internally and externally and we will welcome constructive views on how to develop football in Guyana.”
