By Delvon Mc Ewan
The Normalisation Committee (NC) of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) under Chairman Clinton Urling yesterday named Claude Bolton as its Technical Director.
The announcement was made yesterday at a press conference held at the GFF Office Dadawana Steet, Section K Campbellville.
Bolton, who fills the position previously held by Mark Rodrigues under the Christopher Mathias administration, is a Canadian, of Guyanese d descent.
This will be his second stint as Technical Director after occupying the post for a short period between 2000-2001 when the GFF was led by Colin Klass.
Bolton yesterday said he was concerned about the development of Guyana’s football.
“I’m very patriotic, so patriotic that I have the GFF logo tattooed on my left leg….for me, my objective is to see Guyana’s football develop over my financial gains,” he stated.
He said he will be using 2015 to assess and analyze for a better future for football. “Over the next couple of months, I will assess and put methods in place to come up with the role and objectives for the future.”
Bolton, who stated that he is satisfied with his contractual agreement, disclosed that he will be working closely with the coach (who will be appointed tomorrow according to the GFF) to select the best team to represent the nation.
As it regards the timing of his appointment; the current atmosphere over Guyana’s football, Bolton said challenges do exist, opining similar situations exist throughout CONCACAF.
According to the GFF, the Technical Director, who will serve a four-year term is a Chartered Professional Coach (ChPC) in Canada and brings with him over 15 years of professional coaching and technical experience.
He is among those that have achieved some of the highest certification levels in North America.
He holds a United States Soccer Federation National “A” License, a Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) “B” License, and a English Football Association International Coaching License. In addition, he holds National “A”, Goalkeeping, Fitness, and Youth licenses from the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), and also holds a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) National Advanced Youth Certificate.
“He brings with him both domestic and international coaching and playing experience,”, the GFF stated.
Bolton was Captain of the California University of Pennsylvania NCAA Squad in the United States on a full athletic scholarship. He also played in the Ontario Soccer league, the Canadian Indoor Soccer league and the National Soccer League of Canada. Here in Guyana he played with the Pele Football Club and had once tried out for the Senior Men’s National Squad.
According to the GFF the criteria to select the Technical Director was transparent. The GFF NC stated that it advertised in the local media and a total of eight applications were received from local, and foreign individuals stretching from the Region to North America, to Europe, however, Bolton was the best candidate.
