Football News

May 19, 2016

GFF MONTHLY DIGEST Dec, 2015: ISSUE 2

presserGUYANA FOOTBALL FEDERATION

 MONTHLY DIGEST

 Dec, 2015: ISSUE 2

 

  • DETAILS

Dec. 1 – President and General Secretary Meeting with Banks DIH Limited

Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President, Wayne Forde and General Secretary Diedre Davis met with Banks DIH’s representatives to discuss possible future sponsorship of the GFF’s activities.

President Forde spoke of the existing relationship between the GFF and the beverage giant apart from the customary year-end period.

The GFF President emphasized the importance of corporate support to the successful execution of the GFF’s plans.

 

Dec. 2 – GFF Meeting with Digicel

The president of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Wayne Forde, along with a team met with Telecommunication service provider Digicel. Other members of the team were Vice President and retired Brigadier General Bruce Lovell, General Secretary Diedre Davis, Committee Member Dion Inniss and Marketing and Communication Director Rawle Toney.

Digicel was represented by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kevin Kelly, Director of Customer Care Sherwyn Osborne, Director of Marketing Jacqueline James and its Public Relations Officer Vidya Sanichara.

The President expressed a desire for the GFF to re-establish its relationship with Digicel and also for the GFF to play a more meaningful role in the Digicel’s School football tournament.

A proposal was made for Digicel to partner with the GFF in several areas of youth development. However, the company’s CEO maintained that Digicel is more interested in school’s football.

Dec. 3 – FIFA Development Officer Howard McIntosh Meeting with Council

Howard McIntosh, FIFA’s Development Officer, visited Guyana and met with the GFF’s Council, where the FIFA Goal Project and the Federation’s plans for development were the topical issues.

The FIFA Goal Programme was initiated by the FIFA President Joseph Seppi Blatter for the benefit of national associations, and ratified by the 1999 Extraordinary FIFA Congress in Los Angeles, USA. Goal is a tailor-made development and assistance programme designed to realize projects based on the specific needs of national associations.

The FIFA Goal Project will see the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) acquiring an 8.5 acre of land at Providence Community Centre Ground.  According to President of the GFF, Wayne Forde, it is important that the local body has a home to further the development of football in Guyana. This land has been acquired following an agreement between the Eccles/Ramsburg Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC).

The first Goal Project is expected to be completed in four years. The second Goal Project will be in Linden and the third in the Rupununi.

It was McIntosh’s first visit to Guyana since the November 14 General Congress and Elections making his voyage one of the most important of his previous two for 2015.

Dec. 6 – GFF President and Technical Director Visit Lethem

President Wayne Forde and Technical Director Claude Bolton visited Region 9 (Lethem), where several meetings were held with important stakeholders in the area.

Among the issues discussed were the Association’s participation in this year’s FA Cup and the GFF’s plans to develop the game in the region and to facilitate exposure to their (Region 9) footballers.

Dec. 9 – Council Meeting with Architect Marcel Gaskin

The Council of the GFF met with Marcel Gaskin of Marcel Gaskin and Associates Ltd, the architect of the Federation’s Goal Project at Providence.

Under the Normalisation Committee, the GFF and the Eccles/Ramsburg Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) signed an agreement that saw the local governing body for the sport receiving a 30-year lease for the 8.5 acres Providence Community Centre Ground.

Marcel Gaskin was contracted to develop the conceptual design for the facility. Mr. Gaskin briefed the Executive regarding his involvement and the status of the project at that time.

Dec. 10 – President Wayne Forde Meeting with National Association for Women’s Football

A meeting was held with representatives of the National Association for Women’s Football (NAWF) and President Wayne Forde to discuss transition challenges and the role of the Association in the development of women’s football in Guyana.

The meeting was attended by the President and General Secretary of the GFF along with the President of the National Association of Women’s Football (NAWF), Ms. Charmin Wade, Secretary Ms. Andrea Hall and Committees Members Lawrence Griffith and Tricia Munroe.

Dec. 10 – GFF Held Trials for National Futsal Team

Technical Director Claude Bolton held trials for selection to Guyana’s National Futsal team. Guyana will be participating at the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Futsal Tournament, set for January 22 – 26 in Cuba.

Approximately thirty (30) players gathered at the National Gymnasium for the three-day trials and Bolton, who also served as the head coach for Canada’s National Futsal team, explained that the squad would have been trimmed to between sixteen (16) to eighteen (18) players. The selected players would have been part of a mini-camp from January 9 – 11, 2016.

Guyana was placed in Group ‘A’ with Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda and Haiti, while in Group ‘B’, host Cuba will be joined by St. Maarten, Costa Rica and Guadeloupe.

The top two teams from the CFU tournament advanced to the CONCACAF Futsal Championship. The 2016 CONCACAF Futsal Championship will be held in Costa Rica in May.

Guyana last participated at the CFU Futsal Tournament in 2008, finishing fourth behind winners and host Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti (second place) and Suriname (third place).

Dec. 11 – Council Members Meeting with Members of The Normalization Committee

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Council met with members of the Clinton Urling-led Normalisation Committee where the handing over process was discussed.

Prior to the November 14 General Congress and Elections, football in Guyana was, for almost one year, managed by a FIFA-installed Normalisation Committee.

Dec. 11 – Council Unanimously Voted for Goal Project

President Wayne Forde chaired his second Council and the body unanimously approved the commencement of work on Guyana’s FIFA Goal Project.

President Forde highlighted the need for the GFF to have a home and one which will aid in the development of the game.

FIFA’s Development Officer Howard McIntosh on his visit to Guyana conveyed FIFA’s satisfaction with the conceptual design and readiness to move forward with the Goal Project.

This is Guyana’s second attempt at a Goal Project which is funded by FIFA under their development initiatives.

Dec. 13 –President Forde Delivers Feature Address at UDFA’s ‘GT Beer Cup’ Opening Ceremony

GFF President Wayne Forde journeyed to Linden, where he delivered the feature address at the Upper Demerara Football Association’s (UDFA) GT Beer Cup; the association’s end-of-the-year knockout tournament.

It was Forde’s first visit to Linden since becoming President; he paid tribute to some of Region 10’s former national players who made a positive impact on the game nationally.

pointed out that it is important for the UDFA to have a functioning executive especially since it is the second largest member of the GFF (GFA is the largest). He congratulated the Sharma Solomon-led association for a job well done since returning to office.

Chief Executive Officer of Caribbean Containers Inc.

President Wayne Forde, 1st Vice President, Brigadier General Bruce Lovell (Rtd.) and General Secretary Diedre Davis met with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Caribbean Containers Inc., Ms. Patricia Bacchus, to discuss a potential partnership in 2016, geared at addressing education in Guyana’s football community.

This meeting saw Ms. Bacchus being very interested in receiving a proposal from the GFF regarding the sponsorship of a Back-to-School initiative where CCI would assist in the provision of back to school items for a select number of children in a footballing community to be identified by the GFF

Dec. 15 – GFF sponsors Airline Ticket for Players to Attend CFU/MLS Combine in Curacao

The GFF sponsored the airline ticket for Alpha United’s striker Delon Lanferman and Pele FC defender Jumane Somerset to attend the Caribbean Football Union/Maor League Soccer (CFU/MLS) Combine in Curacao.

The three-day event, December 17 – 20, featured players from within the confines of the CFU competing in front of professional scouts for an opportunity to earn an invitation to the annual Addidas MLS Player Combine in Florida on January 8 – 13, 2016.

Third Vice President Thandi McAllister upon making the presentation at the Federation’s headquarters wished the players the best of luck on their quest to the MLS.

The CFU/MLS combines cater for players between the ages of 18 – 22 years-old and is an annual showcase of caribbean football talent organised jointly by MLS and the CFU in 2013, with the inaugural combine held in January 2014.

Dec. 16 – President Forde Officially Kicked Off the 2nd Stag Super XVI Football Knockout Tournament.

President Wayne Forde, accompanied by 2nd Vice President Rawlston Adams, declared officially open, the 2nd STAG Super XVI Football Knockout Tournament which was held at the Leonora Stadium.

The tournament featured clubs from the West Demerara Football Association, East Demerara Football Association and the East Bank Football Association.

President Forde lauded the associations for working together; something he said was seriously lacking in Guyana’s football.

 Dec. 18 Council First Press Conference

The Council held their first Press Conference in the Boardroom of the Secretariat. President Wayne Forde, along with 1st Vice President Bruce Lovell and 2nd Vice President Rawlston Adams, engaged the local media on a cross-section of topics and issues.

The press conference informed members of the media of the Council’s first month in office, updates regarding the goal project and discussed plans for the end-of-year football tournaments in Guyana.

Forde stressed the need for a great and open relationship with the media, since he believes the ‘fifth estate’ plays a vital role in Guyana’s football development.

Dec. 21- Meeting with Minister of Indigenous People’s Affairs

GFF President Wayne Forde, 1st Vice President and Brigadier General Bruce Lovell (Rtd.) and General Secretary Diedre Davis met with Minister of Indigenous People’s Affair Hon. Minister Valerie Garrido-Lowe to enhance the partnership between the Ministry and the Federation in the development of football in the Hinterland Regions.

The minister pledged her support to the GFF’s initiatives which will enable football to be developed in the indigenous communities across Guyana.

ABBREVIATION / ACRONYMS

# ABBREVIATION / ACRONYM MEANING
1 CEO Chief Executive Officer

 

2 CFU Caribbean Football Union
 

3

 

CONCACAF

 

The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football

 

4

 

FA Cup

 

Football Association Challenge Cup

 

5

FIFA  

International Federation of Association Football

 

6

GFA Georgetown Football Federation
 

7

GFF Guyana Football Federation
 

8

MLS Major League Soccer
 

9

NDC Neighbourhood Democratic Council
 

10

UDFA Upper Demerara Football Association

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Ms. Diedre Davis

General Secretary

Guyana Football Federation

Tel: 592 225 0892

e-mail: [email protected]

Website: https://www.gffonline.com

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/GuyanaFootballFederation/

Instagram: Guyana_Football_Federation

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