Unassuming FIFA official Lawrence Griffith is a Special Person’

Mar 06, 2011 News

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“I was asked very early to perform various administrative duties even without the requisite qualifications, but I guess it was my willingness to assist in any area that needed someone that made me determined to learn, and ultimately successful.”

By Rawle Welch

If ever there was a case of someone being destined for a particular profession, a perfect example would be Lawrence Llewellyn Griffith, whose contribution in the field of sport is exemplary and we believe, makes him worthy to be deemed a ‘Special Person’.
Griffith’s calling to football and sport administration is undeniable. On no less than three occasions, opportunities were presented that could easily have led him away from the sport, but invariably, some form of inspiration arose that led him right back to where he belonged.
His involvement in sport, however, was somewhat inadvertent, as the preference of his father had pointed him in the direction of piano music, while his successful career as a football official could be attributed to discipline and focus garnered from the early exposure to his parents’ authority.
Griffith said that at an early age, his father, who was a strict disciplinarian, wanted him and his brother, Norman, to learn the art of music, and they attended piano lessons tutored by one Mr. Simmons, who was located on Church Street, a few lots away from New Garden Street.
“I would walk from school to Mr. Simmons’ piano lessons and reached to Grade 2 when my teacher and his family migrated. My father then told me that I must find another music teacher to continue my lessons, but at that time I knew of no one else, so that was my last involvement in piano music, even though I still had to sing in the Church choir,” a smiling Griffith recalled.

He stated that in his search for an alternative to music he turned to football since he lived just a few yards away from the D’Urban Park Playfield, where he eventually joined Lodge Rovers Football Club, which at the time was coached by the now deceased Harold ‘Lightweight’ Kissoon, an astute tactician and mentor.
Griffith remembered that because his father was such a stickler for discipline, he could not play on Sundays, because that day was unconditionally set aside for Church – Susamachar Methodist at Light Street and South Road.
Lawrence Griffith, who has spent the majority of his life within the realm of sport was born on April 3, 1958, to Sherlock and Gloria Griffith and lived in Werk-en-Rust, before moving to Hadfield Street, Lodge, shortly before attaining the age of one.
‘Sparrow’, as he is affectionately referred to, attended Our Lady of Fatima Primary School where he wrote the Common Entrance examinations gaining a place at Central High, but because it was not under Government control at the time, his father would have had to pay for his tuition which according to him, he was unable to do at the time.
Griffith asserted that he was given another chance to write the exams and gained a place at East Ruimveldt Secondary, and made it to the stage where he was about to write the General Certificate of Education (GCE) exams, but once again the family’s economic circumstances would prevent him from being able to do so.
“My father, who was a Policeman at the time, felt that I was not prepared to write the GCE exams and expressed fear that I would waste his money, so once again I was faced with another challenge in life,” Griffith recounted.
That left him no choice but to enter the world of work, and he got his first job as an electrician at the Guyana Rice Board (GRB), a development which according to him was due mainly to his involvement in sports.
“At that time, I was in St. Barnabas Football Club and we were not doing too well, and at that same time, the GRB’s first-choice goalkeeper Estwick Northe had just broken his arm and my friend Ryan Otto, who had witnessed my exploits between the uprights playing for St. Barnabas, approached me and asked that I turn out for them and I agreed, but we lost 2-1,” Griffith reflected.
Nevertheless, he had gained employment at the Board, but was soon required to make a critical decision – whether to take up an appointment in the Guyana National Service (for which he had already been confirmed to travel to Kimbia to commence training) or stick with the job at the GRB.

In the end he chose the latter, much to the disappointment of close friend Lennox Lewis, who had also signed up and even passed the medical examination like Griffith to undergo training at Kimbia.
The choice was as they say, destiny, and something he would not regret, as he embarked upon a path of sports and administrative success that is responsible for what he has achieved and who he is today.
Griffith has enjoyed impressive results in both endeavours, as Assistant Referee and Sports Administrator, covering many, many miles in a tireless quest to be exposed to invaluable courses, seminars and tournaments that have moulded him into one of the most important figures in local football, with an enviable resume.
The unassuming Griffith has undertaken tasks such as setting the schedules for matches and referees’ appointments, while he also sits on various committees within the sports sector, including being the Guyana Football Federation representative on the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), and also conducts courses for local referees along with holding managerial positions on several national team tours.
He is a seasoned veteran in such positions, having gained a wealth of knowledge throughout his illustrious, but humble career which so far has spanned over three decades.
Griffith scored many firsts during his time as a FIFA Assistant Referee, but initially excelled as a Sports Organiser at the GRB in 1984.
He recounted that his first involvement in the administrative aspect of sports came when he joined Santos Football Club, in 1977, and was asked to perform the duties of Secretary. It is a period he describes as integral in helping him hone the skills that would serve him so well in future years.
“Keith Smartt, a former national player, encouraged me to join the club as he felt that my stint with St. Barnabas could not enhance my career in the sport. So I took his advice and transferred to Santos.”
Though he never played for the senior national team, Griffith said he has no regrets, recognizing that during his time competition was fierce. He respectfully mentioned the names of some outstanding goalkeepers at the time such as Kenneth Price, Wendell Sandiford, Denzil Thompson, Brian Tracey, Clive Too-Chung and Phillip Scantlebury among others.
He did, however, have the opportunity to participate in several Brazilian Cup matches against Pele Football Club, and performed exceptionally to be named the Most Valuable Player on one occasion.
“In those days the standard of football in Guyana was high, and for someone to make the national team you had to be special.”
Griffith ended his on-field playing activity in 1983 and started a new one as a referee, on the advice of the late Everoy Bobb, who urged him to concentrate on that aspect and not so much on the Administrative side.

In 1993, Griffith became a FIFA-accredited Assistant Referee and has since traveled far and wide officiating in some of the most prestigious tournaments in these parts including the Gold Cup, Shell Caribbean Cup, CONCACAF Under-20, the International Club Championship and the CAC Games, on many occasions becoming the first Guyanese official to do so.
Relating how it all began, Griffith opined that it was more luck for him and ill-luck for a fellow counterpart, Orin Argyle, who was designated to officiate at the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship in Honduras in 1994, but due to a bad knee could not attend, just days before departure, thereby creating the opportunity for him to go.
“In those days, the local body had to pay your airfare, and they were not in a position to do so at the time, so my wife (Hazel) borrowed the money for me to purchase my ticket to the tournament and the rest is history,” Griffith remembered fondly.
He said that he had a wonderful tournament despite the obstacles and his performance was of such that every noteworthy tournament after then he was selected to officiate and he also had a proud record of never being sent home after the preliminary rounds, a testimony to his commitment and dedication to the profession.
Griffith has also had the opportunity to mingle with the most influential figures in the sport, including FIFA President Sepp Blatter, his Deputy Austin ‘Jack’ Warner and many other important emissaries.
He has traveled extensively in the course of official duties.
Commenting on his administrative know-how, Griffith said that it was essentially gained on the job and not necessarily through higher education.
“”I was asked very early to perform various administrative duties even without the requisite qualifications, but I guess it was my willingness to assist in any area that needed someone that made me determined to learn, and ultimately successful. I must add that I’ve never failed an exam,” Griffith proudly proclaimed.
During his tenure as an administrator, Griffith has held such designations as Sports & Culture Officer at Sanata Textile Mill, Competition Coordinator of the GFF,PRO and Vice-President of the Guyana Netball Association, Referee Instructor Secretary of the Referees’ Association, member of the Organising Committee for the Shell Caribbean Cup, Manager of Guystac/ Guymine Athletics team versus Joint Services, Manager of the senior national team on numerous occasions, President of the Dodgers Netball Club, Sports Organiser for the Annual Agri Sector Games, and the list goes on.
All these positions he has held with distinction over the years and when asked for his advice to those desirous of following in his footsteps, Griffith had this to say “…….be knowledgeable of whichever sport you would like to get involved in and make a career. You must be committed to it since on most occasions it would not be a high income earner, but your love for it must be paramount. Respect yourself and those looking to emulate you will respect you as well.”
Griffith is surely one of the standouts in his profession and whenever he decides to call it a day, this quiet and easygoing official will certainly prove difficult to replace.

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