Letters to the Sports Editor….Response to Lester Sealy’s letter

Oct 15, 2011 Sports

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Dear Sports Editor,
Please allow me to respond to a letter in your Sunday Oct 2nd Newspaper, Caption: GFF General Council should sanction C. Beckles written by Lester Sealy.
This would be my only and final response to Mr. Sealy as it relates to football, based on what Mr. Sealy said at the corner of Regent street and Orange Walk, not too long ago, which I would reveal at the conclusion of my letter.
I would now address the issues raised by Mr. Sealy’s paid pen.
Firstly, my comments on Klass’s suspension remains the same as I have no reason to doubt that the GFF did not receive any cash at the meeting in Trinidad and Tobago, and Klass’s indictment has nothing to do with this issue, but with his conduct leading up to the investigation about same.
Secondly, Mr. Sealy accused me of being a supporter of Klass due to overseas trips that I was sent on.  Well I would like to inform Mr. Sealy that I am economically sound and can pay to go to any part of this world with my own finance due to my financial independence.
I would like to offer Mr. Sealy a return trip to FIFA Headquarters in Zurich, all expenses paid by me for him to get the facts right, under the following conditions.
(1)    That he make public the correct information that he would have received along with an apology.
(2)    Divulge the information regarding who is his employer for his paid pen.
(3)    Denounce Georgetown Football Association who has had four consecutive presidents with financial mismanagement.
(4)    State honestly whether he is in football as a volunteer or for his own personal aggrandizement.
Mr. Sealy says what the Constitution states and my knowledge about same, well I don’t want to go too much into this in public, since we have a General Council that can deal with same, but I still stand by my interpretation and legal opinion and recently my reasons are much stronger.  I will deal with this at the General Council as it relates to the said issue.
It was also decided that coming out of the Management Administration Course, recently held by FIFA Instructor, which I attended, the General Council would be more proactive, since we have gained a wealth of knowledge and which I have promised to do.  And with the current situation with the Caribbean Confederation in turmoil it is even more necessary for the General council to be involved in all decision making.
As it relates to whether Klass and I were involved in any discussions during the provisional suspension, the answer is yes.
He is human and he is a colleague of mine and no one can stop me from talking to him, but what we discussed and if it is in an official capacity as it relates to football then that’s a different matter.
I will talk to Leslie Austin and Bin Hamman also, but in what capacity.  I am quite sure that Mr. Sealy is reaching and talking with a number of persons who were suspended by the General Council prior to the Court Injunction.
Mr. Sealy went on to say that I failed my Cooper test twice, yes, that is so and 80% of the referees would have failed from time to time, even recently as August Fitness Test 2011.
Mr. Sealy went on to say that Camptown FC has been disciplined by the GFF in the National League, while Liquid Gold was not; paid pen again.
Mr. Sealy could have easily called the Bartica Football Association office for verification of same and I would have readily provided the evidence to prove that Liquid Gold was already disciplined.
The National League has spots allocated to the different associations, so Georgetown Football Association has their allotment like Bartica also.
Finally Mr. Sealy I have an economic life.  I am into football as a volunteer; I have never received a cent as an administrator of football.
As secretary of the Bartica Football association, even though you said I spend most of my time in Lethem, we were able to run off more competitions that many other associations, we have an audited financial statement yearly, we were able to donate a Swing (which was in excess of $200,000) to the Play Park in Bartica for the kids; we were able to upgrade our Floodlights at a cost of $2.5M dollars, run an academy, make balls and uniforms more affordable for the clubs by importing them, make contributions to other associations and organizations from time to time.  During last year we also applied for 40 acres of land with a plan to develop same into a multi-purpose facility for football.
In addition the President and I from time to time used our own financial resources, vehicles and cell phones with no financial gains in return.
Last but not least, Mr. Sealy, can you remember we had a discussion at the corner of Regent Street and Orange Walk not so long ago, about your absence from General Council, you said that the GFF does not want to give a percent of the profit for events organized to the Organising Committee, then you went on to say you are in football for what you can get now, like if anybody promotes a tournament and is willing to pay you to coordinate that is what you are interested in.
Lester we are still friends, but let your pen be a voluntary one so that you can write balanced.
Carlton Beckles

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