WHEN it comes to club football, few in the game have worked as tirelessly as Roxanne Keith, who serves as Team Manager and Assistant Secretary to Pele FC, one of Guyana’s oldest
football clubs.
Supporting and being part of the club has been something of a lifelong commitment for Roxanne, as she pointed out, “I have been around Pele FC since I was about 13 years old. I went to Bedford School with famous players such as Clive Perry and ‘’Durdy’ Butts, so when they went on to join Pele FC I continued to support them at the club.
“When female football started, I was one of Pele’s female players and two of my sons (Mandella and Konata Mannings) have gone on to represent the club as players.”
“For the past eight years I have served as Team Manager, while for the past six years, I have been Assistant Secretary and Treasurer.”
Having played local football for the club, Keith provides a fascinating glimpse into the history of local Guyanese football, recalling the talented females she played alongside, having captained the Pele FC female side, lining up with Deborah Douglas, Alison Daly, and Maureen Young.
With the Guyana Football Federation developing youth and future star players of Guyana through the launch of the GFF-Scotiabank National Academy, it’s important to not forget players of the past and Roxanne’s lifelong dedication to the game in Guyana provides a valuable insight into the players of a previous generation.
Indeed, working at a club with such a rich history as Pele FC, Roxanne has seen numerous famed players come through the ranks, as she reminisced on the likes of Keith Niles, Patrick Barton, the late Shawn Bishop and Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson.
Guyana’s National Women’s team, the Lady Jags, on the other hand, tended in recent times to be dominated by overseas-born players from the Diaspora, leading many fans to question why locally based women do not reach the level required to play internationally.
The recent conclusion of the Women’s Development League is one small step in producing local-based women who can make the National team.
When it comes to the future of Women’s football in Guyana, Roxanne Keith believes “all the clubs have to form women’s teams, but to do that, they have to seek finances to keep them going. Female teams at every club is a part of the sport that I would most definitely love to see become a reality before I get old.”
