Pele, Western Tigers will not compete in GFA Premier League tourney-Kwabina Griffith

By Iva Wharton

Pele and Western Tigers football clubs will automatically be placed in the first division league because of their absence from the Georgetown Football Association’s Banks Presidents Beer League currently in progress.
The tournament is sponsored by beverage giants Banks DIH.

Kwabina Griffith, Vice President of GFA with responsibility for Technical and Tactical Development, said: “going forward the first 10 teams in this competition will form the Premier League. So to become a Premier League team next year, you have to place one to 10 in this competition.”

Prior to the disbandment of the previous administration both Pele and Western Tigers were in the Premier League.
According to Griffith, the association received a letter from the Pele Football Club stating that the club would not be competing in the competition because of a late notice. No communication, he said, was received from Western Tigers.

Kwabina Griffith

Griffith said that notifications by way of letters were sent to all clubs before the start of the tournament close to three weeks ago.
The Vice President said that 15 of the 17 clubs affiliated to the GFA are competing in the tournament which according to him seems to be a success.

“We have had some pretty exciting games. Of particular mention was the Fruta Conquerors and Alpha Football Club match. Fruta Conquerors held the mighty Alpha to a 1-1 draw, a team that has quite a few players on the national team, so I think special commendation should go out to the Fruta team,” he opined.

Fruta Conquerors, he said, was one of the up and coming teams in Georgetown. According to Griffith, Fruta Conquerors is a pretty young team which has shown that it can hold its own against any of the teams in the competition.

“If I am not mistaken they beat Camptown 1 – 0 in the first match and drew with Alpha one all. With Alpha, now you are talking about two of the national Super League teams and Alpha undeniably is the most successful team in the last three years. It’s good to see a club investing in its youths, keeping a core of youths working and they are reaping the benefits,’ he added.

Griffith said that is what the GFA hopes to do with its Under-13 players. He also said that this tournament enables a number of teams that were once first division team to match skills with previous Premier League teams.

Griffith said that many of the teams such as the University of Guyana, Black Pearland Riddim Squad among others, gave a good account of themselves, which he said is good for the sport.

The tournament will allow a number of former First Division teams a chance to move up the ranks to Premiership.