THE Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) stated that the Sanjeev Datadin-chaired disciplinary committee acted outside of its constitutional remit in adjudicating on the matter involving the federation and four of its Elite League clubs.
National champions Slingerz FC along with their usual rivals Alpha United, as well as the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) and Pele football club, refused to participate in the second edition of the STAG Elite League, calling it (the league) illegitimate since they felt that the GFF unconstitutionally added two more teams (Topp XX and Victoria Kings).
A call was made by the aforementioned clubs for arbitration, stating that instead of a back and forth between them and the GFF, good sense should have prevailed,especially for Slingerz FC and Alpha United, who were named as the clubs representing Guyana at the CFU club championship,which was a qualifier for the CONCACAF Champions League.
The Disciplinary Committee noted that “it follows therefore that for the Executive Committee to sanction the Complainants for non-participation could not be a code or rule violation. Their objection was on principle; a principle which we have found to be with legal foundation.
“The Executive Committee was not entitled to punish an Elite Member for non-participation in a Tournament which they had exceeded their legal authority to convene” the Disciplinary Committee said in its letter to the GFF and above mentioned clubs.
“Last year, the Executive Committee of the Guyana Football Federation took the historic and progressive decision to expand the Elite League from eight to ten Clubs by adding two Clubs that are legitimate holders of Elite Club Licence. The Executive Committee’s decision is in full compliance with the powers conferred by the GFF Constitution according to article 36:21″Forde said.
The GFF president said that the “rationale for doing so was obvious, timely and widely supported;we had a responsibility to get more players and regions of Guyana involved in the top level of football as a matter of urgency in order to accelerate the development of a sport which had been held back for too long.”
The Disciplinary Committee, Forde noted, despite lacking the Constitutional authority, seized itself to adjudicate in this matter after the clubs had lodged a complaint. On April 14th 2017, it ruled against the Executive Committee of the GFF.
Forde pointed out that the Executive Committee wishes to reiterate that the Disciplinary Committee had no Constitutional remit to deal with this matter. This position was confirmed by FIFA in its correspondence to the president of the GFF, dated May 3rd, 2017.
Additionally, the Executive is of the firm conviction that the process engaged by the Disciplinary Committee was thoroughly flawed.
While the GFF president said the Federation’s Disciplinary Committee’s decision was illegitimate, FIFA’s Statutes states that the “function of the disciplinary committee shall be governed by the FIFA Disciplinary Code. The disciplinary Committee may pronounce the sanctions described in FIFA statutes and the FIFA Disciplinary Code on member associations, clubs, officials, players intermediates and licensed match agents.
Meanwhile,when contacted,officials from the clubs stated that collectively, legal advice is being sought before responding to the GFF and FIFA’s latest decision.
It is expected that the GFF’s May 27 Congress will be heated, with the Elite League matters expected to be a high-point of discussion among the 22 members.