KNOWN to many as one of the elder statesman of local football, defence stalwart Charles ‘Lily’ Pollard joined with the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation (K&S) in calling for peace between the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and the Georgetown Football Association (GFA), two major governing bodies of the world’s largest sport in Guyana.  Below is a full excerpt of Pollard’s plea:November 11, 2011 was the start of  a new beginning for Guyana’s football, as with this great success such as our triumphant win over one of the Caribbean’s top guns Trinidad and Tobago the Guyana national team known as the ‘Golden Jaguars’ made this country proud by qualifying for the third round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
While this success of the Jaguars is overwhelming to the country and its supporters, beyond the dark shadows lies a problem which can further hamper the continuance of this new beginning in football.
The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) have a long history of unexplainable differences which hinder the progress of football in Guyana.
In addition, these differences not only affect the ability of the local players selected at the National level, they also affect the development of the game in Guyana. eg. (Club owners are crying foul because their local players are not being selected to be a part of the National team).
But the real question is how these players can be selected to play at the national level, when organising bodies for local competitions fail to deliver competitive tournaments for the said players to compete in.
As we approach the end of 2011, to date no substantial competitive games have been played throughout the country, even in the rural communities where it is deemed necessary for the survival of the sport and its development of young players.
I, Charles ‘Lily’ Pollard, have seen the sport grow from strength to strength as we qualify for the third round stage of the FIFA World Cup.
I am now pleading and begging the relevant authorities to do everything in their power to put aside their egos and bring an end to this long overdue battle for the benefit of the country first and foremost, the young and upcoming players, and for the further development of the sport.
We, as footballers, are not just footballers we are role models as well as entertainers and without these games being played, we are hindered from accomplishing the objective, which is to draw more players to the world’s largest sport.
For instance, next Thursday will be the opening of the biggest and most entertaining football tournament in Guyana, the 22nd Kashif and Shanghai Festival, hosted by the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation and some of the country’s top local players have been excluded from competing in this tournament because of the ongoing battle between the GFF and the GFA.
To this end, I would like to categorically state that it is unfair for the players and fans to suffer like this because of these unexplainable differences between these two bodies, to whom I say, “Let the best players play the game we all love.”