Call-up for Gold Cup preliminaries plagued by lack of pride, discipline
By Steve Ninvalle
Stabroek News
June 28, 2002
When the likes of Keith `Wyler’ Niles, Patrick `Labba’ Barton, Earl O’Neil, Terrence Archer, Gordon `Ultimate Warrior’ Braithwaite and Denzil `Hunky Brains’ Thompson played football for this country they did it with a sense of pride.
Yes! Those were the days. In that era those fine sportsmen who served their country with honour would easily have given a limb to wear the national colours.
They dug deep and went the extra mile all for the Dear Land of Guyana. Many wept openly when this country lost a football match.
But as the tune goes, those were the days my friend.
Now it seems that national pride only refers to the money transfer agency. Apparently some of our present footballers have no sense of commitment to their country.
It appears that no vestige of national honour lies in the veins of some of those chosen.
The national selectors recently called up a squad of 24 players to prepare for the Gold Cup preliminaries and low and behold only a handful have seen it fit to attend.
These sessions were arranged over a month in advance in an attempt to have a well-oiled unit ready to take on the Netherland Antilles on July 28.
But if attendance continues as it is Guyana may be struggling to put together a starting line up much less a team, in time for their first game. The Guyana Football Federation and coaches must work hand in hand to stamp out indiscipline wherever it lurks.
`Mo Fire’ must be hurled at those players who think wearing the national colours is tantamount to putting on a pair of old rubber dinkies.
Those who do not turn up for practice without PROPER excuses should be booted without hesitation. Guyana can do without them. The axe against indiscipline must be wielded without fair or favour.
Those not prepared to walk the straight and narrow path must be axed. Ireland did it when its own captain was kicked off the team a few days before the World Cup because he dared to give back-chat to the coach.
Those players who have shunned the call to national duty must not be spared the wrath of those in authority. They must know that if necessary, Guyana can do without them.
One good indication that the GFF plans tackling the problem square on is in appointing no-nonsense Joseph `Bill’ Wilson as the head coach of the senior squad. At least there is a light at the end of the tunnel.