Letter to the Sports Editor…Response to Chronicle Article

Oct 22, 2015 Sports

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Dear Editor,
Thanks for the opportunity to reply to an article on the Sports page of the Guyana Chronicle on October 20th, 2015, “GFF suspends technical development officer for three months”. Though the title is not of material trouble to Buxton United Football Club (BUFC), aspects of the article are, given the writer’s name is not attached.
I don’t doubt the undertones of intent, but attempts to stigmatize the Club without seeking out clarification smacks a certain trait. This Club has a robust management structure, and while Mr. France can defend himself anywhere and at any time, I as Secretary of this Noble Organization will not allow it to be demonized.
Mr. Editor, I waited for twenty-four hours to hear a GFF version of the events since Mr. France is still a GFF staff and BUFC is a Member of the GFF, but I heard nothing, hence, I rise in defence of BUFC for the records. I like all of the chosen representatives of ALL Elite Clubs had training in the Transfer Matching System (TMS) before the start of the League, so we all knew the rules. No Club should bring in a player playing out of Guyana unless they receive the green light from FIFA. Someone please tell Guyana why did Clubs knowing they did not get international transfers, brought in players- except they wanted to cheat.
It must be told that TMS is not only for transfer certificate, but FIFA uses it to monitor implementation of Players contract with the new Club. Hence, when a foreign player is in Guyana without FIFA’s clearance, the content of his new contract and its terms are unknown, thus FIFA cannot monitor contract payments and conditions of acceptance electronically. This is another avenue the cheaters benefit from.
The League was deliberately started without Clubs having recourse to independent Adjudication (no judicial bodies in place), so when an infraction occurs you have to write the friends of my friend for justice. BUFC wrote the GFF on this issue on Aug. 21st, 2015 to no avail.
I am convinced Mr. Editor that Mr. France was made a fall guy because of BUFC’s advocacy on ethics at the GFF and to appease the fraternization of the groupies of angelicink.
What is there to be leaked if Clubs knowingly import unregistered players and play them in the Elite League?
If there was a leak, then who at the GFF was covering this illegality that was leaked and why? Imagine Clubs with unregistered players having the audacity to parade them in the media as fire power for the League, but when registration is questioned France is responsible!!!Why will a Club play a player that does not have a transfer letter? Who at the GFF receives domestic or international transfers? Not France!
Was any Association written to in July 2015 for their list of transfers within their Association?
Mr. France as TMS Manager cannot access the TMS of NO Club, only FIFA and the person from that Club trained to do so can. International transfers cleared by FIFA do not go to Mr. France. I am now anxious to hear the GFF PR department‘s reply. It should be known that when a Club negotiates (TMS) electronically for a player it is only FIFA and the two parties, not even the GFF is involve at that stage.
Mr. Editor, the Secretary of BUFC hand delivered all copies of transfers it received from proposed Members, to the GFF, by the end of July 2015, but in October 2015 there are
Clubs still importing overseas Players for the league. It seems like the GFF deliberately allowed a system of none accountability in relation to transfers to benefit those who appeared deep pocketed. The Associations personnel were found to vote on Constitutions and Slates but not to supply transfer lists.  It is issues like the following that have offended the establishment to the extent of pursuing Mr. France to get at BUFC.
On the 15th May, 2015 BUFC wrote the GFF on the issue of conflict of interest, by having a known football promoter sit on the League Vetting Committee and the Competitions Committee while contracted to manage world Cup Games. This observation would lead to the ultimate, as the Competitions Committee designed a format to manage the League. The said member in both Committees bided for the management contract he designed and won – earning millions of Guyana dollars and then was asked to resign we were told. The groupies must eat as the establishment facilitates them. This is a case of a Government engineer doing the engineering estimates to build a school and then bidding for the job. All the issues raised by the concerned
Clubs were to no avail since there is no GFF Ethics Committee to write.
Mr. Editor, like if those developments were not enough, the establishment allowed the same person to be presidential candidate on a slate for an Association that was birthed in June 2015- importing the membership to vote in those elections. Such is the battle of sanity that has to be waged in order that a just GFF can be had, thus, there will be lots of other fall guys along the way- thank God France is Now.
For the Good Of The Game.
Eton Moses- Secretary BUFC

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