By Akeem Greene
Dormant after winning the country’s first Elite League in 2016, the West Demerara-based Slingerz Football Club will make an official return on Wednesday evening at the National Track and Field Facility, Leonora.
The top brass of the club held a media engagement on Tuesday to explain why they opted to make a return and their future endeavours.
Birthed in 2013, Slingerz FC quickly rose to the top of Guyana’s domestic football, but off-field issues kept them away from the sport since 2016.
“Our interest in football is always there; we love the sport and our intention was never to be away from football. We love the sport, we love to work with the players and we love what we can bring to the sport with our competitiveness,” Javed Ali, the club president, indicated.
“We made opportunities in the past to come back and meet with the federation, but I think this is the best time. It is like starting over after COVID-19,” he added.
In 2016, Slingerz FC was part of a quartet of clubs- Georgetown Football Club, Pele Football Club and Alpha United being the other three- who opted out of the blossoming Elite League due to changes the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) made with the League, one in particular, was adding two more clubs to the roster.
The GFF expanded the league from eight to 10 teams, bringing in Linden’s Topp XX and East Coast Demerara’s Victoria Kings, but some of the original league members were adamant that the move was a “breach of contract” which was signed during the tenure of Guyana’s first Normalisation Committee.
Slingerz had won the inaugural 2015-16 season of the League, which has not been played since 2019.
The Club has purchased a brand new team bus and is looking forward to partnering with other corporate entities, as Forrester’s Lumber and Building Complex has already come on board.
Ali said the salary for players will be tailored to suit their skill level and experience and they are also seeking to develop the Vergenoegen ground to be their main training base.
Before they reach back to ‘Elite League’ status, the Club has to go through the association football, and President of the West Demerara Football Association, Trevor Williams, is looking forward to their return owing to the massive investment the club makes into the players which translate to a better life for some of the footballers.
In looking to the future, the club has formed an alliance with Chase Academic Foundation in which they are sponsoring some of their youth players from the interior regions to attend the private school.
It is the brainchild of former player and now Head Coach, Vurlon Mills, who outlined a solid squad that he hopes to expand. He is confident this current batch has the ingredients and desire to accomplish the mission.
Apart from their championship successes, Slingerz FC participated in 42 friendly matches, winning 39, drawing two and losing only to New Amsterdam United.
The Club scored a total of 183 goals over the period and conceded 29 goals, winning against teams from every region in Guyana.
Slingerz FC roster:
Goalkeepers: Shawn Adonis, Prince Forde
Defenders: Kevin Dundas (captain), Quincy Adams, Jerome Harrigon, Shackem Welcome, Simeon Moore, Clevon Murray
Midfielders: Clive Nobrega, Vincent Chidera, Kvist Paul, Hector Azaton, Ricardo Halley, Dexroy Adams, Matrim Martin
Forwards: Samuel Garnett, Noron Barron, Delon Lanferman, Deon Alfred
