GFF President Wayne Forde (fourth left)with club reps
Five clubs have received their CONCACAF club licenses following a thorough process of ensuring as many clubs in Guyana are equipped with their licenses.
The clubs are Western Tigers FC, Milerock FC, Ann’s Grove United FC, New Amsterdam United FC and Den Amstel FC. Representatives of the clubs received their certificates from President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Wayne Forde, at a simple ceremony held at the Federation’s Secretariat.
In brief remarks to the recipients, Forde said: “The Executive Committee is indeed very proud of the effort that each and every one of the clubs represented here this afternoon would have invested in securing their CONCACAF licenses. We know it’s a challenging task. As you may know, many of your colleagues at the club level were invited to participate in the process and the Federation did its part in supporting, lending advice in any area that we felt was wanting at the club level. As it turned out, we now have five clubs that were able to satisfy those conditions and criteria set out by the CONCACAF Club Licensing process.”
Roger Moe, Second Vice-President of Western Tigers FC, in an invited comment, said his club is happy to have acquired its license: “It’s long overdue but we’re still excited to acquire same. Our club is a community-based club; it will be very good for the community because we have a community with a lot of young men who love sports and football and it will serve the community great.”
While noting that Ann’s Grove FC has a huge football base, Colonel Rawle Jerrick, President of the club, said: “I am elated. This is a sense of accomplishment for us. I along with the secretary and some other persons were elected in 2013 after the club was almost dissolved so this is an accomplishment for us.”
Lennox Adams, Secretary of the New Amsterdam FC has also expressed his club’s pleasure at acquiring its license: “We’re really happy to reach this stage of our development and we’re hoping to do good in the future. We have some seasoned players and some young players we’d like to step up to give them a chance to play.”
Milerock FC’s President Claude Williams said his club is extremely happy to receive its license: “We are elated…this was something long overdue and it could only be for the better. Our club is properly structured and has the capacity to perform at the highest level and we are honoured to be here.”
Patrick Burgess, President of the Den Amstel FC expressed his gratitude to the GFF for the support provided through the process: “Acquiring the club license is overwhelming. This is an opportunity we’ve been waiting for a very long time and we’re happy we have fulfilled the criteria. Here we have it now so on behalf of our club; we express a hearty thanks to the Federation for accepting us.”
Forde said the journey to acquire a club license is a process which he hopes more clubs will embrace.
“We’re not happy that we have five clubs out of a body of almost 20 clubs which participated that were successful but I think there is a natural order of progression…acquiring the license is just one step in the process.” He noted that the GFF remains committed “to create as many possibilities and opportunities that we can for the development of the players and clubs.”
