…challenging experience

By Ras Wadada

(Chronicle Sport had the honour of an exclusive interview with Chairman of the FIFA installed Normalisation Committee (NC), Clinton Urling, on the eve of his well accomplished tenure that lasted just over a year).

Q. How challenging was your tenure as Chairman of the NC?
A. It was one of the most challenging experiences of my life. I have held many leadership positions, including starting organisations, preceding the FIFA appointment.
I was the Chairman of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce (GCC) and also vice-president of the Private Service Commission PSC), but this football experience was more challenging than the two years I was at the helm of the GCC.
We were called to serve at a very short notice and with virtually no experience, after there was discord and mistrust within the GFF, the world governing body FIFA intervened and appointed the NC with specific mandates to be completed in a specified time frame. It was a crucial time as it was close to the usual busy year end football activities.
We had to navigate and figure out the landscape and make important decisions immediately. Throughout the year putting systems in place, that never existed before was time consuming and a challenging process.
Some people underestimate what the NC has achieved in just over a year in football when you think of what we met when we came in there was literally nothing in place.
When you look at what was accomplished by the GFF the year before we took charge you will understand.
We met a debt verified by FIFA of $450,00US (G$90M), we had a President operating with a reduced Executive due to resignations and suspensions, we had two aborted Congresses despite the presence of FIFA Officials, Financial and Management control systems were the weakest in the entire Region and it led to unaccounted Income and Expenditure.
There is a Forensic Audit that was commissioned by the previous Executive currently being circulated but it just covers the 2011 and 2012 period. From all indications from our Auditors, in terms of Financial Systems and Controls, after 2012 up until the NC came in, the situation got worse. When we arrived we had staff on the job for months without being paid because FIFA was not supplying any funds and there was zero sponsors on board with the Federation, there was no organized football, no Technical Director or General Secretary.
We went through a very transparent process in filling those positions since FIFA had given us a January 2015 deadline.
The NC worked tirelessly throughout the festive season interviewing persons.

Q. There has been talk on the ground that there was no Transparency in the process of appointing the NC, what is your reaction to that?
A. The process was one of recommendation by CONCACAF to FIFA. I got a call the week before the appointments were announced, informing me that based on recommendations I was appointed to chair the NC and I accepted. The statutes of FIFA under Article 7 provides for the appointment and installation of an NC as a temporary caretaker of the game.

Q. What are the major accomplishments that make you feel satisfied that the NC has achieved something tangible for the game?
A. The main one for me is the acquisition of the nine acres of land at Providence to construct a home for football. The value of that plot of land is G$1.2 billion and more importantly we have been able to engage and attract the attention of FIFA’s Goal Project to build a world class facility which can make the GFF a sustainable Organisation for the first time.
The other proud accomplishment of the NC is the establishment of the Elite League that included clubs being licensed in Guyana for the first time. We took a risk with a $250,000US investment in the League and so far we are seeing promising gate receipts.
The challenge for the new Executive is to build on what the NC has started and more importantly make it viably sustainable. We are also proud of the Financial Systems we have put in place and the fact that we have set up the various Judicial Committees.
The Ethics Committee is going to play a key role in keeping the Executive and members in line. They have the power to remove an entire Executive, and don’t think FIFA would take that lightly when they get the report.
I want to touch on the incorporation of the GFF which recently had some misleading information in one of the dailies. The GFF was not registered and we needed legal status and there were two options – Friendly Societies Act or Incorporation.
The former clearly contradicts the statutes of FIFA so there was no other choice and so people must not be deceived by the misinformation that the NC owns the GFF.
Under the Company Act Laws the Constitution of the GFF is the By-laws and the members are the owners. That particular article by that particular Daily is a no-no.

Q. What is the thrust you would share with the incoming Executive?
A. The biggest advice is to embrace what both teams claim to represent – Integrity and Unity. I was delighted when I saw the names of the two slates and thought well this is a positive start since these are the foundations for good governance along with other things

Q. How important is direct dialogue with all stakeholders of the game?
A. It is pre-eminent and very important. You must keep the members engaged

Q. What are your future plans as it relates to your involvement with the sport?
A. I will probably establish a club or work in a Football Academy. Guyana’s football cannot develop if we continue to use the same systems we have been using. We need more rounded players. More than often Guyanese footballers make the wrong decisions on and off the pitch so for me working in an environment where education is very much part of the program is where I would prefer to be and it must be long term.
I am also seriously thinking about pursuing a Masters in Sports Management.

Q. What are your parting words for the football fraternity?
A. Football has the greatest potential to really link the divide between sport and development. It is a very popular sport and has a financially viable economic power that could secure livelihoods for all the stakeholders, including the Media.
Once there is an Administrative level where it has structure in place and there is peace and stability. The Executive cannot afford to lose their integrity because they will not be able to speak to the other members.
The challenge for the new executive is to continue building on the platform the NC has set. As a group the NC has been able to stick together and I must admit that the work put in by the group was phenomenal.
We didn’t agree on everything, but we listened, especially to our TD and our staff. If it makes sense and is logical we implement, we change course or we adjust and this is the same professional approach the new executive must take.
We promised we would pay at least half of the $90M debt we inherited and today I am proud to inform we have repaid $62M so the incoming executive have a much smaller debt than we had when we arrived.
In another few months, once FIFA is satisfied, the GFF will receive close to $700,000US to work with. They are coming in on a strong footing. They have a good staff and structure in place as well as money from FIFA which we did not spend so it is a stable environment.
Of course we made some mistakes along the way, but a lot of it could have been avoided if we had put the right people in place or if we had advice from the right people. Delegation is good but when you delegate people and they have to make hard decisions they are afraid.
All the mistakes came from people who professed to know. The mistake we made was relying on them which is part of delegation. In spite of all this we have been able to accomplish the mandates set out by FIFA and it is now time to move on. On behalf of the entire NC we are grateful for the opportunity to serve the sport and thankful for all the support.