- says footballers should return stipend for not performing
By Rawle Toney
Embattled president of the Guyana Football federation yesterday came out kicking and screaming against his senior national football team the Golden Jaguars by boldly proclaiming that he would not be pressured into resigning and accusing the footballers of not delivering any returns on an investment by the GFF of approximately $23m.
“I will not be pressured into stepping down. I came into this office voluntarily and so will I leave,” a furious Klass said yesterday at a press conference held at the GFF’s office in Dadawana Street Campbellville.
IN FOR THE LONG HAUL! Guyana Football Federation (GFF) president Colin Klass, centre flanked by GFF general secretary Noel Adonis and Aubrey `Shanghai’ Major left at yesterday’s press conference. (Clairmonte Marcus photo)
Klass was reacting to a statement from the Golden Jaguars which indicated that the entire team would retire from international football unless he stepped down as president of the GFF.
The call by the Jaguars has received support from some quarters.
But asked if he would accede to the request from his senior football team Klass answered…”People are speculating so let me reverse the question. How many calls have there been made to all and sundry in this country and around the World for people to step down and aside and have those calls been heeded too?
Former national football coach Mervyn `Pug’ Wilson on Wednesday called on the GFF boss to step down while former Stabroek News’ Sports Editor Orin Davidson wrote a scathing column against the GFF boss.
Klass, it seems, is ready for a battle.
“It is like in a household. When your kids come and say that well I decide that you must come and give me $10,000 to go to school, do you just bend and give them $10,000?
“You have to be able to take whatever it is in the context. You have to be able to establish who it is that are making these calls. Under no circumstance, will I be pressured as it relates to what is being reported in the media.
“My colleagues from throughout the region have been pressured in the media over the years and they stood up for what was right. The media is excellent but I would not be pressured because somebody says you must go. Then my life will be up in shambles because if every time a person keeps telling me to jump, I keep jumping, then what will happen to my life?
“I’m saying that if they come up to us with the facts that reveal that this federation had been misusing or doing whatever it is, then we can then take it from there and then there will be something tangible for you to claim, but just for you to be saying that I didn’t do this or didn’t do that, just come with the facts just based on what is available to us, just tell us where we went wrong.”
Klass said for 2008 alone, the GFF spent approximately over $23 million dollars (unaudited) on the national team alone and for them to spend so much money without any results was hard.
“Monies are provided by the same US$250,000 which seems to be very elastic. That is where the funds come from because there is nobody that contributes anything except for some entities that are really behind us.
“This nation, this football federation, what have we benefited in terms of return on this investment. We expected to qualify for the World Cup and we expected to qualify for the Digicel tournament at minimum and that is all we ask.
“Now what should have happened on that morning that they confronted me, is that they should have been collecting all the stipend and returning it to the football federation because they have not delivered to date.”
And in answer to a question on his term in office Klass said: “I think that I have delivered but I do not think that all that I have done all that I wanted to do and it must be weighed against the resources available to me.
“Because while people keep mentioning the 20 years, out of those years of being in service for football you had almost more than 10 years where Guyana had nothing. Where the struggle was to try to restore Guyana’s football which was banned by FIFA which lasted more than five years. After that period there was no money to do anything.”
In Support of my National Team.
Like the game itself, it takes a dynamic team to operate and steer the national football machinery, with each player representing an essential component with a specific role to play in the ultimate objective, “the development of the sport.”
A shrewd leader understands this indisputable fact and wisely embraces the responsibility to assemble such a team from amongst the body of National stake holders. The key members of such a team ought to be; the Government of Guyana, the business sector, Law enforcement, the media, Public health and not for profit NGO’s to name a few. We have all witnessed embarrassingly, the treatment that the Guyana Football Federation typically receives from these organisations over the past decade and in many instances, beyond. Regrettably, Mr. Colin Klass has conveniently secured himself behind the notion that race and class are the main culprits. The truth is that race and class will unfortunately influence almost every aspect of our endeavours but the human spirit responds more passionately to integrity and character or the lack of.
Mr. Klass no longer commands the admiration and unbiased respect of the key stake holders with-in our society, and therefore cannot transcend the inherent obstacles that race and class presents us all, each day of our lives. He is an isolated leader that is left with only one option, that is to seek refuge with-in the pretentious clutches of desperate opportunistic individuals like himself, who disgracefully exploit their access to the public media. His arrogance has produced a malicious sense of reluctance to accept the condition of his isolation and the effect it is having on this beautiful sport. He is now an icon of embarrassment to us all and as a fitting tribute to his spectacular legacy, he must redeem himself by doing the honourable thing, “RESIGN NOW for the good of the game.”
Regards,
Wayne Forde,
First Vice President,
Georgetown Football Association.
Well said, couldn’t be said any better.
Mr Ford u seem like a man with a lot of words but your organisation also is responsible for the distruction of football in guyana ,tell the public why a team was kicked out of the namilco tournament because they asked for appearance fee. klass was 100% right when he said that the team did not deliver, think about it if they had qualified we would not be having this conversation, 75% of them should not be on the team including coaching staff this is the end most of them ,they were treated good in the digicel they were treated like dirt in the worldcup. I stood up and curse klass on our way back from suriname not to mention they did not even have passage to return to guyana ,did the players mention that to anyone in the madia .
I dont recall then saying anything about food and poor living conditions in trinidad .I can write a book on this subject because i tour with the team i am they number one fan when i return to guyana i am doing a video on the whole situation and i am sending one each to my sports minister and my presiden. My name is Mark Anthony Phillips email goldjagforlife@hotmail.com i am not afraid i will say this once the entire national is a bunch of weak souls and i know i will get a lot of mails but i assure there is not a guyanese that love that team more than i do stop attacking Klass attack the sub associations vote out all the presidents and put people that will vote Klass out u dont need a rocket scientist to know that.
Dear Mr Klass
I believe that it is not unreasonable to suggest that for any one individual to remain in any one position of authority for as long as you have, is not healthy for anyone but yourself.
The time for fresh minds with fresh ideas for the development of football in Guyana is long overdue.
I recall discussions that I had with you several years ago about what could be done for the development of game, from grass roots issues such as getting the game on the national curriculum, to issues affecting the national side and national development.
I was left thinking that you didn’t demonstrate much of an understanding of the responsibility resting with your office.
You may count yourself most blessed that you are in a Guyanese environment – any football-loving country would have sacked you many season ago.
Time for you to be honest with yourself, at the very least?
It’s probably time that the leadership of the GFF changes as our footballing vision seems to have stagnated. We’re nowhere near where we should be in international football, when we consider the raw ability that our footballers possess. They’re not being properly nurtured and this balme has to be laid at the foot of the GFF.
Football is the richest sport in the world, yet in Guyana it is deemed a poor man’s sport. The facilities are abominable, the atmosphere at football matches borders on illegal (marijuana smoking etc) and the attitude of the players leave a lot to be desired.. How can such qualities encourage a larger following of football? Again, the GFF has indicated an unwillingness to tackle some of the grassroot problems of football in Guyana to make it more appealing to a wider cross section of Guyana.
Mr Klass, if you have been at the helm for over a decade and yet our football quality has not improved, then its obvious that you are not the man for the job. Do the best thing and resign immediately and give someone else a chance.
Our football desperately needs new vision.
I agree with you 100%, Mr Class will not go, the sugar and honey
is too sweet, Colin Class is like the political leaders in
Guyana, only “DEATH” does move them Rupman.
Colin I have know you for over 25 years we were all in the same stand at GFC
I believe when you started out this journey you had very good plans and intentions but after 20 years I believe you can safety say you don’t have the popular vote and command the respect that is need to continue to work as president.
I am appealing to you to resign or go graceful as you so eloquently explained in your reply as above. I believe you can depart now on your terms set a date when you will departure from your position as GFF president
Thank you for your efforts over the years
Mr. Klass in my opinion 20 yrs. Is enough time for anyone to be at the head of any organization, group or club? One should be able to execute all their plans or at least lay the foundation for the future to build on. That amount of time you are at the helm without anything for the Guyanese footballs/fans to be proud has come to an end.
Also I would suggest you make the balance sheets available to an independent auditor to show how you and the federation spent the monies received. Only then will the fact be known as to if the federation did in fact spent the monies as it was intended.
It is time the leaders in society be held accountable to the people they serve.
Colin, from my name you surely would know who I am. I’ve known you for over 35 yrs, we went to school together bro, it is with great embarrassment to see you being asked, ordered and expected by everyone who has anything to do with football to step down. You seem to take their calls as a plea, begging you to leave, but bro, read it in it’s correct context, it’s a demand.
Guyana has a lot of talented footballers, but they and the National Team cannot excel simple because they are stifled from the top…Colin Klass. Colin, if you leave now, it will be the best thing you may have ever done for football in your 20 yrs.
Look at it this way optimistically – Sometimes your self respect is much more valuable than your contributions. Leave in peace while you still can.
Just like a number of football supporters in Guyana, I also would like Mr Klass to leave the GFF. The action on the part of the Snr Team is commendable and I know they have put their football careers on the line here. But what about the two gentlemen seated next to Klass? One very successful football promoter and one very respected sports administrator, what are you guys getting out of alligning yourselves with such an administration?
The footballers have made a stand, they have put all they have to lose on the line, no more playing for the national team, which is any footballer’s ultimate goal. But the GFF members around Klass can do something else, join another association, promote basketball or something, they have a future if they denounce Klass and his style of leadership. It is not the end of their careers if they resign.
As history has shown, tyranny and dictatorial leadership cannot forever hold back the will of the people, so Mr Klass be careful of the examples you seem to be following.
And to his GFF executives, you are not in the military, you can leave when you want, because when Klass falls you will not be able to say you were just taking orders.
Leave gentlemen, please leave now..
football in pain all over the caribbean we need a barack in football in this region klass we have the rope u have to let my people fotballers free, we need obama in soccer
just move mystic and waile out rasta
just go peaceful before fineman return fa u
go go go go mistic
What an inarticulate, nonsensical and convoluted defense from Mr Klass. All the more pathetic. NOW we know for sure…it’s all the players’ fault. They’re indisciplined, ungrateful, lazy and unmotivated. Everyone else is to blame too, the government, the private sector and the football fans. This almost confirms the widely held view that local football is the province of gangsters, the illiterate, the illogical, tow-away bannas and thugs.
I will credit Klass with this though…he has a very nimble mind and is an astute politician. He has outmaneuovered, outsmarted, divided, conquered and outlasted many of his critics over 20 years and has withstood many attempts to dislodge him from the pinnacle. He can not be dismissed as an easy adversary, nor will the task of his removal be straightforward.
It’s probably going to get worse before it gets better. Klass seems quite prepared to take the whole footballing community down with him when he goes.
What I can’t quite understand is how someone like Noel Adonis can stand by and be party to this hijacking. May you rediscover your conscience, Noel. Soon!