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Pettiness and perceived right of ownership continue to plague local football

Jun 24, 2015 Sports

By Rawle Welch
As the football world continues to reel from the plethora of bribery scandals unearthed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the USA, sources close to the local scene is suggesting that the caretaker Normalisation Committee (NC) recent actions is threatening to destabilize the sport once again.
According to a source, the NC under its General Secretary (GS) had written the Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA) stating that its right to participate in the upcoming Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Congress has been revoked.
The source added that the GS’s correspondence stated that following an international investigation the FIFA has advised that the UDFA right to attend and participate in the NC Congress be rescinded.
The UDFA responded to the GS by asking him to show cause for such an action since the executive seems unaware of an international investigation and moreso what that investigation was all about among other questions which this newspaper is cognizant of.
The letter to the GS also reminded of the whole purpose of the NC’s existence which is to bring about a stabilizing and cordial atmosphere among the sport’s stakeholders after a period of chaos which by the very actions of the current administration could resurrect its ugly head once again.
It must be noted that it was the very FIFA / CONCACAF officials, that mediated in the previous turmoil that, who said that there will be no recrimination towards anyone, while also urging the NC to stay far away from revisiting decisions taken by the previous administration.
To now renege on the verdict which was announced quite pellucid to the media and other stakeholders in the small room at the Pegasus Hotel last year, if true, is simply dishonest and a step backward, especially in light of what has been happening to the sport globally.
The NC is the Body charged with making the day to day decisions for football locally and if what the GS articulated in his missive to the UDFA implicating FIFA as the authority that made such a judgment then other affiliates should take that ruling as a forewarning for their own future attendance at Congress.
Today it is the UDFA, but who knows who it will be tomorrow.
To add even more intrigue into the current state of affairs is the rumour of certain members of the NC vigorous campaign to stay on after the September deadline for the Body’s dissolution.
There seems to be a creeping characteristic of authoritarianism being displayed right now within the corridors of football and if not checked could send us back to the dark days.
Nepotism and cronyism is still the order of the day and these acts of deceit is causing internal revolt and while it has been contained so far, the continued disregard for consensus will eventually find its way out.
Too many persons are depending on football for their daily existence, perhaps forgetting that the sport in Guyana is still regarded at best as amateur.
It must be recalled also that it was this same NC that met with the current executive of the UDFA during their fact finding and meeting with affiliates outreach so to now hear of such a development is surprising and perhaps sinister.
Could they be making room for one of their cronies’ only time has the answer, but the early signs seem to indicate that the move resembles a similar indulgence of the previous political status quo?
Pettiness and the perceived right of ownership continue to plague local football and it has resulted in many believing that unless these two impediments are eradicated from the psyche of some in the football fraternity, acrimony and the possibility of us being subjected to a severe punishment is not improbable.
Let integrity, transparency and accountability be the tenets of football governance, failing which who knows which local or international law enforcement agency might be watching.
Don’t be fooled by the tsunami occurring within FIFA right now it will dissipate at some point and those who’re thinking of taking advantage of the pandemonium taking place better think twice and do what is right.

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