Football must remove those bent on using it for personal greed

Oct 07, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
This is my second letter on the failure of Clinton Urling as a sport official in Guyana. In September 2017, after returning to Guyana, having completed studies in Sports Management, Mr. Urling took to the local press to once more expressing dis-satisfaction with the tenure of the GFF Executive, specifically progress made on the FIFA Forward Project and ongoing elite league impasse. In a prior September 5, 2017 Guyana Chronicle piece captioned, Urling disappointed in state of FIFA Goal Project, two years after acquiring land, he opined that the biggest achievement of the NC was its acquisition of prime real estate for a new GFF Secretariat, training complex and modern football only stadium.
The thirty year lease for land aback Providence he spoke of, and that he supposedly acquired was deemed invalid by the Eccles/Ramsburg Neighbourhood Democratic Council and the Government of Guyana after lawyers reviewed the process by which it was effected. A number of Mr. Urling’s “views” have been written by Mr. Rawle Toney of the Guyana Chronicle, who was contracted as the NC’s Sponsorship and Communications Officer during Mr. Urling’s tenure as NC Chairman.
In another September 2017 article, this time in the Kaieteur News, captioned, Kaieteur News raps former NC Chairman – Clinton Urling, he states,”I have no intention to run for any office of the GFF. However, I do remain committed to seeing the development of the sport of football in Guyana. If I’m asked to serve in any capacity, and once availability permits, I would acquiesce to do so. “In two years, Mr. Urling has found nothing positive to say about football in Guyana, its Executive and Secretariat.
This despite the GFF’s new leadership and the Secretariat among others being praised by none other than FIFA’s President, CONCACAF’s President and FIFA’s General Secretary for their successes, some of which are: (1) U-15 boys winning Guyana first ever regional youth tournament, (2) securing two, five-year youth development football contracts, (3) furthest ever a Guyanese team advanced in the Caribbean Football Union tournament, (4) Women’s Football Development League launched, (4) first ever Women’s Football Technical Officer employed, (5) the commencement of construction for a modern multi-purpose footballing stadium at Providence, (6) the success of the grassroots football programme, (7) expansion of football played in the hinterland, (7) the wildly popular nation-wide Scotia Bank sponsored Academy Training Centers , (8) new GFF strategic plan, (9) establishment of Guyana’s first ever under-13 male team and (10) fulfillment of regulations set out by FIFA for the management of the GFF finances.
These are some, there are numerous successes that our local footballers and all of Guyana must be aware and proud of; Guyana’s football legacy must be built on success after success from the bottom up. Political greed, vested interest, misguided rhetoric and schemes intended to destabilize and undermine Guyana’s football development programme can never be in the best interest of Guyanese football and footballers.
Awarding huge contracts to private promoters and assuring them of the reestablishment of the K&S yearend tournament, is in fact the corner stone of Urling’s vision for football development. The GFF must undertake a forensic audit of the NC’s tenure, FIFA must also take decisive action to remove elements of the sport that have historically and are currently attempting to ruin it in Guyana and for what? Power, privilege and access to FIFA’s money.
Mike Archer

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