MAJOR Vernon Burnett returned as president of the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) and this time the Guyana Defence Force  Officer says that his primary intention, apart from making his association the pilot tool for Guyana’s football development, is to fight the animosity which he says exists presently in football. The GFA held its election on Saturday  where Burnett who served as president for the past two years was returned and his elected executive now reads – Lavern Fraser-Thomas (Vice President Administration), Mark Philips (Vice President Competitions), Rawle Adams (Vice President – Technical & Tactical), Christopher Mathias (General Secretary), Dexter Schultz (Treasurer), Charmaine Wade (Assistant Secretary Treasurer).

“There’s too much animosity in football presently and that’s something that I will strongly be looking into, to try and get rid of it because it has no place in the sport if we are serious about moving the game forward,” explained Burnett while speaking to a group of reporters after being named President at the Regency Suites hotel.

He added “I’m committed to seeing football move forward in Guyana and I’m committed to making sure that the GFA follows whatever protocol there is in doing so.
 We’re ready to work with the  Guyana Football Federation (GFF) to ensure this happens as well. We will meet as an executive shortly to sit down and iron out what issues we may have and deal with football. Like I said, I know there’s too much animosity in the sport and I’m also committed to getting rid of it”.  

Burnett’s legacy as president would be the fact that he fought the GFF to obtain voting rights and full membership and  when asked if he was certain that it was enough to have him re-elected, he said “no it was contested election, you know, not everyone would share the same view about things, but I’m happy that I was re-elected to serve football and I’ll give my best”.

The January 19th election was held in keeping with an agreement brokered by FIFA/CONCACAF as it relates to the recent impasse between the GFA/GFF which was quelled by the sport’s world governing body and its member confederation.

Meanwhile, acting president of the GFF Franklin Wilson who was present at the GFA elections, extended congratulations to Burnett upon being re-elected, and said that the GFF is open and ready to work with the GFA for the betterment of Football in not only Georgetown but Guyana as well.

Wilson said that Saturday’s electoral process was the best ever seen in the history of football in Guyana and can now be used as a marketing tool as he congratulated the returning officers (Attorney at-Law Euclin Gomes and Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Health Joseph Hamilton) for a well done job.

President  Donald Ramotar made an impromptu stop at the meeting where he met with Burnett and his executive, and  urged the GFA’s executive to strive for excellence and to aid in the development of the world’s most popular sport.

Burnett also received congratulations from  Opposition Leader  David Granger  on behalf of APNU, who in a release sent to the media, stated that “APNU congratulates the newly elected members of the executive and wish them a successful period of service to the football community.
 APNU sees Saturday’s election as a significant first step forward towards reconciliation, rebuilding and re-development of football in Guyana.”

The clubs present at the elections pledged their fullest support behind the GFA and its executive and are hoping that their association becomes a model for the other affiliates of the GFF to emulate.