… players called up for national duties; `Sparrow’ Griffith appointed Golden Jaguars manager
ALL matches in the Georgetown Football Association (GFA)/Cellink Plus Premier League have been rescheduled, as a number of players have been called to national duties.

According to a GFA release, the Cellink Plus Premier league will resume on June 12 as some players involved in the tournament have been called up to prepare for possible selection on the national team to represent Guyana in the Bi-annual Parbo Bier Cup in Suriname.

The GFA president in his release informed that “under administrative rule, the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) consideration must be granted for postponement of games for teams that have three or more players in a national team.”

According to a source close to the GFF, seven players from the Alpha United Football Club are members of the national squad currently preparing for the Parbo Bier tournament.

Meanwhile, the GFF has appointed Lawrence `Sparrow’ Griffith as manager of the team which leaves Guyana on Monday for Suriname for the tournament.

According to a GFF release, the local ball-weavers will come up against teams from Antigua, French Guiana and the host country, Suriname.

Griffith takes over from former manager Raul Adams who managed the team during its glory years when it qualified for the Digicel-sponsored Caribbean Cup semi-final in 2007.

Griffith brings to the table a wealth of experience as he was first appointed as manager of the senior national team in 2002 when Guyana contested the CONCACAF round of the World Cup Qualifier in Trinidad as well as in Curacao.

He was also assistant manager for the senior national team in 2005.

He also managed the national Futsal teams in 2004 in Trinidad & Tobago and Costa Rico and 2008 in Trinidad & Tobago.

From 2005 to 2008, Griffith managed the national Under-15 and U-16 teams for different tournaments that were contested in Trinidad & Tobago.

He had a stint as manager with Alpha United in French Guiana and managed the Inter-Guyana Games Team that participated in Suriname last year.

Griffith, a former FIFA International Assistant Referee and now a FIFA-trained Referee Instructor and Assessor, is heading a new-look management team, with Paul James as head coach, Billal Nantambu as assistant coach and Gavin Brown as goalkeeper/assistant coach.

Cuban-trained, Lindley Langhorne is physiotherapist, while Howard Lowe has been named team captain.

Guyana will first come up against Antigua at the Andra Kampervene Stadium on June 3 from 19:00 h while Suriname will oppose French Guiana from 21:00 h. On June 5, Guyana will face Suriname from 21:00 h while Antigua and French Guiana will do battle two hours earlier.

On June 7, Guyana will tackle French Guiana from 17:00 h and in the final game of the tournament Suriname will oppose Antigua from 19:00 h.

The GFF release has informed that training sessions have been intensified with sessions conducted at the Carifesta Sports Complex, Thomas Lands, twice daily.

According to the release, a few changes to the team were done over the past days as Alpha United custodian Ronson Williams and Linden’s defender Randy Small were drafted into the squad.

Glenorvan Edmonds of Santos and Adrian Adams of Berbice opted out of the squad due to school.

Berbician Kurt Bristol withdrew due to an injury.

Dwight Peters was sent home after he turned up to the encampment on May 26 even though the players were all informed via letter from the GFF that the encampment would have been commencing on May 22. When he turned up, he reported to no one, but got dressed to go to the training venue.

It has been alleged that he said he did not know and he did open the letter, but on hearing this, the coaching staff immediately dismissed him from the Camp.

At present 24 players are encamped and training and the final 20 will be selected tomorrow.