Matthias resigns from GFL
- cites treachery, back-biting and back-stabbing at every level
By Donald Duff
Stabroek News
September 19, 2002
President of the Georgetown Football League (GFL) Christopher Matthias yesterday tendered his resignation from the body plunging the operations of the GFL further into chaos.
Matthias, who recently returned from vacation overseas had attended a joint GFL/ Guyana Football Federation (GFF) meeting Tuesday evening. The meeting was held with the intention of returning football within the GFL to normalcy following a no-confidence motion by the general council which removed Matthias’ Millennium Executive only for the GFF to declare the no-confidence motion and the Interim Management Committee which replaced Matthias’ executive illegal.
Matthias’ sudden resignation yesterday came as a shocking surprise in the midst of attempts by GFF president Colin Klass to have the Millennium Executive remain in power.
In his resignation letter to GFL secretary Raol Johnson, Matthias cited “the high degree of inconsistency, envy, jealousy, treachery, deceit, greed, back-biting and back-stabbing at every level,” as reasons which forced his sudden and ignominious exit from the throne of the second most powerful football body in Guyana.
Matthias’ letter stated that the above factors… “Indeed creates an unhealthy environment for myself, or any person of sound mind and honest intention in which to remain.”
Matthias charged that the environment “facilitated the covert undermining and destabilising acts which the GFL was made to experience and endure.”
Matthias also gave as reasons for his departure the absence of a national policy and programme for the development of the sport as well as the opinions held by some that non-footballers should not hold such high offices.
He expressed the view that the GFL possessed a few honest and dedicated individuals with the talent to take the organisation to the heights it should attain and thanked the executive members who shared his vision of administrative soundness and technical correctness and who unselfishly laboured for the realization of those goals.
Matthias, who is also the president of Pele Football Club also tendered his resignation to that body while thanking the members for their “tangible support throughout the past years.”
Speaking to Stabroek Sport yesterday Matthias said that the GFF had accepted his resignation in principle.
Matthias said he had informed GFF president Colin Klass at Tuesday’s meeting of his decision and his intention of forwarding his resignation to the GFF which he did yesterday. The resignation took immediate effect.
He said Klass had said that he understood his position and was willing to support it.
Matthias said he will still be around and remains willing to make any contribution for the benefit of football once it does not affect his credibility, integrity or personal development. Matthias is the second high ranking official to quit the GFL in recent months following the resignation of first vice president Desmond Alfred in July. (Back to top)
GFF/GFL meeting rattled by Matthis’ resignation
By Donald Duff
A meeting between the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and the Georgetown Football League (GFL) on Tuesday to iron out a number of issues and chart the weay forward for football in Georgetown was thrown out of sync by the sudden resignation of GFL president Christopher Matthis.
According to reports the meeting was held to establish the financial situation of the GFL which has been rocked by allegations of financial impropriety against GFL treasurer Daune Campbell. Campbell, who has denied the allegations was according to sources the only executive member not present at the meeting.
Sources told Stabroek Sport yesterday that GFF president Colin Klass requested from the members present assistance in providing evidence as it related to the alleged misappropriation of funds from the GFl’s coffers.
The GFF/GFL meeting was also aimed at re-establishing the authority of the Millennium Executive headed by Matthis but Matthias’ resignation has plunged the GFL once more into unknown waters.
The highest ranking official in the GFL is second vice president Frank `English’ Parris who sources told Stabroek Sport was tipped to act as president follwing the resignation earlier this year of first vice president Desmond Alfred.
Sources told Stabroek Sport that the remaining members of the Millennium Executive were not prepared to continue to function as executive members of the GFL. Another meeting between the GFF and the GFL is planned.