Davis breaks silence on her appointment
DEIDRE DAVIS
DEIDRE DAVIS

DEIDRE DAVIS, the woman selected as the understudy of temporary General Secretary of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Richard Groden, yesterday broke her silence stating that a fresh start professionally propelled her to apply for the advertised vacancy of general secretary of the GFF. Davis took office last Tuesday (February 24) and will officially take the position of general secretary of the GFF when the life of the Normalisation Committee comes to an end but for now, she sits as an assistant to Groden.

According to FIFA, the life of the GFF Normalisation Committee runs until the end of September and during that time, Davis will be Groden’s assistant and after his departure, Davis will take the position on a permanent basis.
The GFF was without a general secretary following the sacking of Mabiola Howard in December who had taken over from Noel Adonis.
Davis, according to the Normalisation Committee, holds an MBA from the Australian Institute of Business and a Bachelor of Sciences Degree in International Relations from the University of Guyana.
She also has nine years professional experience working with the Roraima Group of Companies where her most recent title was that of Human Resources Manager.
Speaking to Chronicle Sport yesterday, Davis said she was actually looking for a professional change and it prompted her to send an application to the GFF.
Though being completely ignorant to football, Davis said, “Like any job, there was some research that went into it. In terms of football in Guyana, I know that there is a lot of controversy, particularly within the last two years, so I understood what I was getting into. In terms of hands-on experience, I have none; this is a fresh start for me”.
But Davis’ role of understudy to Groden had caused the GFF to undergo serious scrutiny since many feel that the Federation could hsve done better than hiring or reaching out to Groden who was one of several Caribbean football officials involved in one of the biggest scandals in the region.
Groden was one of four officials who escaped punishment from FIFA over the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) bribery scandal that saw then-GFF president Colin Klass being banned from the sport, with Groden receiving a warning from FIFA’s ethics committee for his involvement in the Qatari Mohamed bin Hammam cash-for-votes scandal.
The Normalisation Committee had stated that Groden has extensive experience in the inner workings of the international football network, having served on many FIFA and CONCACAF committees throughout his career.
He also served as CEO of the Organising Committees of five Trinidad national teams’ appearances in various World Cup categories, including the Soca Warriors in the 2006 World Cup in Germany and the Girls’ Under-17 finals in 2010 in Trinidad.
“I learn of Mr Groden’s appointment after I would have applied for this position and from my understanding and my own research of Mr Groden, he has extensive knowledge of football administration which is useful for any person coming into the game.
I know that there was some controversy with regard to him and I know the Normalisation Committee would have done their own investigation regarding his selection and his appointment from CONCACAF and FIFA and I am here to learn and that is my position on the matter,” Davis said.

(By Rawle Toney)

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All our printed editions are available online
emblem3
Subscribe to the Guyana Chronicle.
Sign up to receive news and updates.
We respect your privacy.