GFL says - GFF shouldn't be in control of football
By Steve Ninvalle
Stabroek News
August 12, 2004
Just days before CONCACAF representative Harold Taylor is scheduled to arrive in Guyana to investigate allegations of constitutional violations by the Guyana Football Federation, the Georgetown Football League has dropped a bombshell with a declaration that the present executive of the GFF should not be accepted as the functional administrators of football.
In a letter to CONCACAF president Austin 'Jack' Warner, copied to Caribbean Football Union, the Guyana Olympic Association and the Director of Sport, the GFL claimed that the existence of the executive is "clearly unconstitutional" and called for a new election.
The GFL requested that in the interim a neutral committee be installed to administer football in Guyana.
"At the meeting of the Georgetown Football League General Council, the body by unanimous decision has determined it was reasonable to conclude that the GFF executive should not be accepted as the functional administrators of football in Guyana because their existence is clearly unconstitutional.
It is important to note that in anticipation of transparent and fruitful mediation we will show CFU and CONCACAF that our position is based on facts and not on guess work or speculation," the letter to Warner.
It claimed that the GFF elections of April 26, 2003 should be deemed unconstitutional, illegal and thus null and void. It was stated that the GFL was denied a chance to vote at the elections while the Women's Association although not functional was allowed.
Also the National Referee Council which was without a constitution, rules and regulation was allowed to participate in the same election. In addition the letter noted that the various sub-associations that had access to voting at the elections cannot produce any credible information on clubs that participated in their own local elections.
The GFF and the GFL are locked in a bitter dispute which started early last month when the GFF dissolved the Interim Management Committee of the GFL and replaced it with a hand-picked panel.
As the dispute widened the GFL appealed to CONCACAF claiming that the GFF had continually violated the constitution and had shown wanton disregard for due process in its relationship with the GFL.
As a result CONCACAF's Emergency Committee met and appointed Taylor the sole commissioner to investigate and report back to CONCACAF.
Taylor told Stabroek Sport yesterday that his trip to Guyana is for serious business and not "window dressing."
"I come in on Monday and I want to hold a meeting with the GFF that afternoon," Taylor said.
The Trinidadian will have a one-on-one meeting with the Minister of Sport Gail Teixeira Tuesday afternoon. That same day he will meet with the Steering Committee of the GFL.
According to Taylor, who departs Guyana on Wednesday, he will be forwarding his report to CONCACAF by the following Monday.
"The Emergency Committee of CONCACAF will take it from there. I'm not coming to Guyana for window dressing," Taylor declared.