Dear Editor,
The collective decision taken by reigning champions Slingerz FC, runner-up Alpha United, along with Pele and GFC, not to participate in the 2nd edition of the Stag Elite League is indeed commendable. That is unless the GFF executive goes the route of putting a competent, efficient and professional individual(s) in place, to mediate and resolve the ongoing impasse.
When the agreement was finalised last year under the stewardship of Chairman Clinton Urling, FIFA appointed a normalization committee. Mr Wayne Forde was the President at the time, and Fruta Conquerors was also an Elite League club. As a consequence, the individual should have had first-hand knowledge of the Elite League’s rules, regulations, laws, by-laws and statutes. If for some strange reason the GFF President isn’t aware of the existing conditionality, then he shouldn’t be in the position he now holds.
Suffice it to say that it is visionless and unprofessional to expand the participating teams to 10 in the 2nd edition of the competition. Apart from being an automatic promotion, the expansion also gives credence to allegations of politicking, since there will be two additional votes come next year, when Forde’s two-year term of office comes to an end. By the way, why aren’t there two votes for all the Elite clubs, since with relegation, what will be the situation with the relegated clubs?
In addition, the expansion is counterproductive to development. The previous agreement described the Elite League as a pilot project in an embryonic stage, with two additional teams being added at the end of two years. Editor, unless the GFF executive is cast in stone, utilizing statutes under the guise of being in conformity with CFU, CONCACAF and FIFA is being simply naïve. The relevant stipulation allows countries to be flexible with the rules in some instances to suit its own national club interest. For instance, in some competitions a player should have received 3-5 yellow cards, before he misses the next match. Internationally, the ruling is two yellow cards. The demographic and economic circumstances prevailing in Guyana can’t be overlooked. Which other country within the CFU, has road transport, ground rental and other associated costs in relation to hosting a double header? Which clubs, will be burdened with the responsibility? This is against the backdrop of the GFF incurring significant losses at the culmination of the competition’s first edition. Realistically, most clubs do not have the administrative expertise, marketing and promotional strategies to facilitate such an undertaking. At the end of the day, with sport no longer being sport, but rather business, the competition must make dollars – and sense.
What would have been beneficial to the Elite League and the sport by extension, was if the GFF could have introduced a competition at a tier below involving 14 teams drawn from all the associations, played in a League format over two rounds, with the top two securing automatic promotion to the Elite League. It would be unfair to amend the rules without first and foremost involving the relevant stakeholders (clubs) for their respective input, prior to a draft amendment being circulated for perusal and comments. This should entail a written response within a specific time-frame.
What are clubs expected to do after compiling a budget of expenditure for the duration of the competition? Is it prudent to grant automatic promotion to 2 clubs, after the closure of the transfer window, which places them at a significant disadvantage? Both Slingerz FC and Alpha United are the two biggest spenders in terms of securing foreign based players, and they have expended huge sums. What must they do with the two extra players, and who will provide financial compensation?
Yours faithfully,
Lester Sealey
