… calls GFA boss wicked, deceitful and ungrateful

THE power struggle in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) continues and yesterday it took a different turn to what one might want to call ‘character assassination’.

President of the GFF, Christopher Matthias, launched a scathing attack on the president of Guyana Football Association (GFA) Vernon Burnett, whom he labelled wicked, deceitful and ungrateful, at a Press Conference held at the Federation’s Campbellville, Georgetown head office.
Matthias’ description of the Guyana Defence Force Commander might raise a few eyebrows, though giving reasons behind his declaration.
Matthias, who at the time was General Secretary of the GFA, and Burnett fought the-then Colin Klass-led administration to have full membership status and allow for their (GFA) constitutional rights to be respected.
When Klass was banned for 26 months by FIFA for his involvement in the famous bin Hammam scandal, his deputy Franklin Wilson took over as acting president.
On January 10, 2013, a team, led by CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb that also included FIFA’s Director of Members Association and Development, Thierry Regeness, visited Guyana and the outcome of their visit saw the GFA get rid of its illegal status and their full membership reinstated.
It is on those premises that Matthias feels that Burnett is being hypocritical in denying the GFF’s member associations (Linden and Bartica) the selfsame rights for which he (Burnett) had fought.
Burnett, along with members of the GFF’s highest decision-making body (Franklin Wilson, Odinga Lumumba, Aubrey Hutson, Alfred King, Wayne Dover, Wayne Francois and Vanessa Dickerson) have all stated that the GFF’s affiliates from Linden and Bartica are seen as illegal representatives at the Congress since they hold an Interim Management Committee (IMC) status which does not allow them to participate as full members and are not able to vote.
“Burnett is wicked because he attempted to deny his sister associations and affiliates the selfsame right which was denied the GFA and himself, and for which he had fought. He’s deceitful since he led this nation to believe that he held a conviction that no constitutional right of any association should be taken away or denied,” Matthias said.
The GFF president also added that “Burnett is ungrateful for, by his apparent contempt, he demonstrated a lack of appreciation of the efforts of Gerald Laurie, Avery Trim, Oliver Hinckson, Troy Mendonca, and Marlon Cole – all pioneers seeking to rid this institution of the measure of injustice which many would have suffered; Moreover, his Executives – Ivor Thompson, Kwabina Griffith, Mark Phillips, Dexter Schultz, Fiona Hamilton and Charmine Wade – and the clubs, whose executives and members all placed themselves on a limb with the possibility of being banned for life by endorsing his pursuit of legal action to obtain the constitutional right sought after.”
Matthias wasn’t quite finish in his bashing of the man with whom he once served as an executive of the GFA, he (Matthias) further said that Burnett’s measure of ungratefulness was “extended to the court who granted him the injunction relief sought upon hearing his application and to the members of FIFA and CONCACAF who supported his position and with whom he posed for a photo opportunity on the signing of the famous agreement on January 10, 2013”
Matthias went as far as stating that Burnett’s alleged wicked, deceitful and ungratefulness is an “insult to the professional and principled character of that honourable institution, the GDF in general, and the GDF Football Club in particular”.
As it relates to the reconvening of the GFF Congress, Matthias said that the June 1 date is still tentative and would be confirmed shortly.

(By Rawle Toney)