Following a period of deliberation, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Normalization Committee has officially sanctioned Slingerz FC for their deliberate refusal to compete against the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) in the Stag Beer Elite League.
“The Normalisation Committee (NC) of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) deliberated on the non-appearance of Slingerz Football Club for their October 12, 2015, Stag Elite League game fixture against the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and noted that the club violated Article 4 (19) of Rules and Regulation of the League,” a release from the GFF stated.
“According to the rules that governs the league, ‘A No-show is when a team willfully does not appear at a game without a specific agreement approved by the GFF.’
“Should a club be found guilty of deliberately withdrawing itself from the game, the rules states that a 3-0 loss, a 3-point deduction from their standings and a League fine of GUY$200 000, of which 50% is awarded to the aggrieved Club,” the release added.
Slingerz FC refused to take the playing area at the Camp Ayanganna ground in their matchup against GDF, after receiving a correspondence from the GFF which stated that four of their players were ineligible to play due to uncertainty surrounding their transfers to the club.
The letter from the federation noted that the four players had not yet received their International Transfer Certificates (ITC) from their previous clubs.
Slingerz FC was told that the aforesaid players would not be eligible to compete until an investigation was launched and the matter reviewed in accordance with FIFA’s disciplinary code by the federation.
The West Demerara had requested for the fixture to be rescheduled but this request was not accepted by the federation. Following the incident, the club has been given a timeframe to submit detailed transfer documentation on the contentious players.
The issue came to forefront after Buxton United queried the eligibility of several overseas players in the tournament.
