The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has effectively banned Sports Management Inc. (SMI), the coordinators of the recently concluded Magnum ‘Unfinished Business’ Street Futsal Tournament, from staging events for the foreseeable future, stating that the entity is persona non-grata.
This was confirmed by an official release signed by the federation’s General Secretary Ian Alves on June 22 to the regional member associations, affiliates, and elite league clubs. The release was not sent to the press.
The correspondence stated, “I write on to inform you that the Executive Committee of the Guyana Football Federation convened an emergency meeting on June 20th 2022 to discuss the issues surrounding the staging of an unsanctioned tournament on Saturday, June 18th, 2022 dubbed ‘Unfinished Business’ Futsal tournament organised by Sports Management Inc. (SMI). The President and Executive Committee would like to inform the membership that SMI proceeded with this football event despite their failure to provide the information requested by the GFF, which would have allowed the competitions department to properly evaluate the arrangements they had in place and their ability to stage this event safely. We have attached the correspondences between the two organizations for your reference.”
The release further stated, “The GFF Executive Committee has therefore concluded that SMI has breached the established rules and protocol private football promoters must observe in order to organize football events. These rules are essential for the maintenance of public order, security of fans, players, officials, and Good Governance of football. Consequently, Sports Management Inc. has been declared Persona Non-Grata by the Guyana Football Federation and shall no longer be permitted to organize football events until such time as the GFF administration shall determine. In accordance with Article 13.1 (h) of the GFF Constitution, members are not to have any sporting contact with this organization.
The suspension of SMI comes on the heels of the GFF’s decision to suspend several players along with an official for their participation in the unsanctioned tournament on June 18.
The suspension of the players was confirmed by an official release from the federation to its membership on June 19. The reprimanded players are Daniel Wilson, Pernell Schultz, Colin Nelson, Nicholas MacArthur, Jermaine Junior, Gregory Richardson, Clive Nobrega, Jermaine Beckles, Eusi Phillips, Jamal Pedro, Hubert Pedro, Randolph Wagner, and Darren Niles. The penalised official is Travis Bess.
However, the principal of SMI, Edison Jefford, during an interview with Stabroek Sport indicated that he has not received formal notice of the company’s suspension, adding that he was made aware of the correspondence via several contacts in the football fraternity.
Jefford said that has been the method of communication between his organisation and the GFF, contrary to what the federation is proffering, further disclosing that they have not responded to him formally after supplying the federation with all requested information.
According to the former sports journalist, athlete, and national sports awardee, the GFF was so fixated on impeding and stopping his grassroots football programme, that it pre-empted its own due process and wrote to stakeholders indicating that another organisation was at the helm of the activity in the National Park.
Jefford said that he wrote the GFF on Friday, June 17, indicating that SMI was responsible for the activity and not the organization they had wrongly assigned. In addition, Jefford said he requested support from the GFF after receiving all the other requisite permits as had been the standard operating procedure with the federation.
The seasoned coordinator of grassroots sports activities said that he could not have written the federation before because he did not have the other permits. He indicated that he got his permits on Friday, June 17 after due process, following which he immediately wrote the federation.
Jefford informed that in the past, GFF required you to attach the police permit, which is only procured after you are cleared from the Guyana Fire Service, Environmental Protection Agency, and the Georgetown Magistrates Court, to the letter requesting support from the federation.
The entrepreneur related that the GFF responded on Saturday, June 18 asking him to show his competencies in organising football events, to which he immediately responded. Jefford said he received no response from the GFF following that letter and he was unaware that the federation’s claim of an unsanctioned tournament was directed at him as a means of stopping his activity.
He said that at no point did the GFF write to his organisation indicating that the activity is unsanctioned, adding that everything he learned from the federation was communicated through the press and to sub-associations and relevant stakeholders.
According to Jefford, although the GFF following the end of the activity, issued a threat to suspend individuals involved in the event, he did not receive any formal communication from the entity but addressed the issue on social media by offering support to players, and called the GFF’s action “petty”.
“The federation subsequently wrote stakeholders indicating that SMI is persona non-grata and they should have no dealings with the organisation because SMI went ahead with its activity despite a failure to provide information to the GFF for the benefit of the competitions department,” he noted.
Jefford said nothing could be further from the truth, since the GFF was provided with all the information it requested, but failed to respond. Further, his event maintained public order and the Guyana Police Force properly secured fans, players and officials.
“The Guyana Police Force ensured that they were adequate scanners at the venue for security and safety and I was very impressed with their operation that resulted in zero incidences of any breach of security and optimum safety,” he added.
He believes that he could have gone ahead with the street football event without any engagement with the federation as in many other notable events around the country, but he sought to be inclusive and is now paying the penalty for attempting to conduct his operations in the right manner.
