Hearts of Oak Masters Football club had successful year...

Hearts of Oak Masters Football club had successful year…

Feb 04, 2014 Sports

Says Berbice football defunct: Former national players call for something to be done

The Hearts of Oak Masters Football Club (HOOMFC) is not at all happy with the way things are going in the football circle in Guyana. In fact, they are very disappointed with the operations of the newly elected Guyana Football Federation which has hardly achieved much since it took over the sport.

Executives of the Hearts of Oak Football club (2) – From left (standing); Secretary Kenrick Bowry, Vice President Sherwin Forde, Assistant Secretary/Treasurer Ceon Bristol Player, President and Coach Neil ‘Grizzly’ Humphrey, (stooping) Assistant Coach Nigel Felix, Pro Phillip Carrington and Treasurer Sam Jones.

The New Amsterdam based group is made up of a number of former national stalwarts, and has strong claims to being one of the top organisers of football activities in Guyana, and recently presented a review of its accomplishment for the past year.
With former players the likes of Adrian ‘Sugar Foot’ Forde, Philip ‘Pine’ Carrington, Neil ‘Grizzly’ Humphrey, Sam Jones, Kenrick Bowry, Sherwin Forde and Kurt Alphonso among others, the group did achieve much. However, they are blasting the GFF for not doing much since its ascension to office. They said that particular body which has been in place for less than one year and promised to take the sport to higher heights, has not lived up to expectations and seems heading for disarray with resignations and suspensions highlighting its achievements so far.
However, with that a part and no end probable in sight for the impending predicament and the slide in local game, the HOOMFC’s main concern is what has happened to, or left of football in Berbice. This is despite their being an office with paid staff at what is supposed to be the Berbice football Association Office in New Amsterdam. The defunct BFA has not organized a single activity for the past two years and one wonders why an investigation has not been launched or the office has not been closed. They are calling on Mr. Matthias to walk the walk and live up to his promise.
What is funnier, according to the former players, is the person responsible for the stewardship of the game in the ancient county is now a senior executive member of the Guyana Football Federation. They are not in a fight with anybody, but they want to see football being played or football activities being organized and they also stated that when public funds are involved, people should be accountable.
They will continue to do what they do best, that is organise football related activities. “We as former national players feel saddened with the state of the administration and playing of the game today. Too much fighting and bantering and not much happening,” one member stated.
For the year the Hearts of Oak Masters Football Club organized a total of 15 football or football related activities, the most by any similar organization in the country.
Among the activities were the Annual Hilbert “Old Beef” Humphrey Memorial U13 Primary School competition; the Annual T&T and Guyana Sports Club outreach U13 Inter Secondary School tournament; the club’s annual anniversary Inter Primary School Tournament; the Patrick “Patto” Patrick April Knock Memorial Inter Secondary School knockout tournament; and its annual Teach Them Young Summer Football camp in July.
August was a busy month as the club organized an U15 Inter club Knockout tournament; also the annual past and present student football and cricket matches between Berbice High and Berbice Educational Institutes; and the first ever Council for Friends in New Amsterdam COFONA five a side football tournament was also held during the month.
These were followed by the Wilbur Hope Memorial Inter Secondary School Knockout Tournament; an Inter Secondary School U15 football tournament and the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) New Amsterdam Branch Inter Primary School female football tournament all in September.
October saw the playoff of the Prison Service annual football tournament and an Inter Ward senior football tournament. In November the club organised an Inter ward U15 football tournament, while in December it ended the year with the playoff of the Inter Primary School football tournament.
All of the activities were held at the Scot Church Ground at Princess Elizabeth Road in New Amsterdam, which is one of the few venues in Berbice with permanent lighting.
There were a number of other activates held that the club members participated in, including hosting veteran teams from other parts of the country. The club members also participated in coaching at the various schools around Berbice and assisted teachers, students and other interested persons with syllabuses and SBA in Physical Education and other sports related activities in schools and other institutions. An open day was also held, while the club was also involved in self-help activities in and around New Amsterdam.
The club is presently headed by Neil “Grizzly” Humphrey as President, while the other executive members are Sherwin Forde Vice President, Kenrick Bowry being Secretary andSam Jones serving as Treasurer, Ceon Bristol the Assistant Secretary/ Treasurer, Phillip Carrington is the Public Relations Officer, with Humphrey doubling up as the coach and Nigel Felix and Randy ‘Blades’ Sears as the assistant coaches.
The executives and members of the club would like to thank all of their supporters and members both local and overseas for their unstinted support throughout the years. They plan to do more for 2014.