By Joe Chapman

WHEN the dust settled, Milerock football club emerged winners (1-0) in the controversial inaugural Osmond Cummings Under-20 football final against Botofago on Sunday night at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground.

Playing the final after first being scheduled by the organisers to contest for third place, Milerock were able to come away winners after being catapulted into the championship game after some last-minute calls which seemingly came from higher authorities, instructing the organiser to install them to play after all.

It does appear also that there was a conflict of interest, since reports suggest that actual instructions had come from a Guyana Football Federation official, but not heeded, a few days before Sunday which had advised the UDFA to allow Mileorck and not the Amelia’s Ward Panthers, to play in the final against Botofago.

What must have been coincidental also was the fact that the lone deciding goal in the game was scored by the Botofago player in question, who donned their uniform in the preliminary round of the championship.

Amar Jones, who was at the centre of the controversy, banged home the winner for Milerock against his former club which he played for in this very tournament, in the 23rd minute of the game.

But it was primarily this ruling, among other infractions, which brought into question if a player can play for two clubs in one competition and under what circumstances and conditions that is acceptable, and which must be addressed.

On that score, the UDFA and GFF constitutions are opposed and to some extent the interpretations.

The eventual result meant that the tournament culminated after some strange occurrences in this championship which was played in honour of a former Botofago player and official–the late Osmond Cummings–and which was sponsored mainly by his brother and former National striker Nigel ‘Mice’ Cummings.

 The former top forward for Botofago FC was saddened by the manner in which the tournament ended as he felt it was not what he anticipated for the memory of his eldest brother, after years of the tournament being okayed between two clubs these past few years.

‘Mice’ told this newspaper “It was drawn to my attention that the ruling came down from the Guyana Football Federation and was made known to us until the last minute, but that person (is) still trying to get to the bottom of this.”

It was his feeling that a tournament would have been more appropriate to remember his brother Osmond who had played and done so much for the game in the Upper Demerara area as a whole.

While it’s too early to deal with this tournament which began on the wrong footing, where the basic rules were apparently not sent out to the clubs despite an official from the GFF saying he actually sent some rules to the UDFA, it was the litany of complaints, violations by the clubs and by extension officials on the Upper Demerara Football Association which warrants a full fledged investigation.

 Thus, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President Mr. Wayne Forde should come up quickly with a decision at this juncture as to what would ensure there are no such recurrences.

But this should not have reached the GFF and one may ask why not the UDFA? But the fact that the UDFA President Terrence Mitchell was seemingly reluctant to draw the line with his lieutenant, tells another story to the clubs.

However, the manner in which official(s) of the Guyana Football Federation reacted to the verbal complaints made by the affected clubs also brings into question how such decisions were arrived at initially, and the question of why the promoters first, after the reluctance by the UDFA to right the wrongs, could have advertised that Amelia’s Ward Panthers and Botofago would contest the final in the first place.

Then at the very last moment on the night of the final when it was clear that three clubs were warming up to play the final, Amelia’s Ward Panthers, who were invited to contest the final, were pulled out, making way for Milerock FC to now contest the championship game.

It is now up to the authorities to bring closure to what now are fresh wounds inflicted on young players who went away disappointed because of the bungling by some officials.