Hernandez calls for players association
- After snakes found in training camp
By Steve Ninvalle
Stabroek News
March 19, 2004
Senior national midfielder Neil Hernandez is calling for the establishment of a players' association which would facilitate footballers being treated fairly.
In an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sport, Hernandez claimed that unjust treatment was meted out to him and other members of the squad while preparing for the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers.
"What I'm saying is that the players have no one to turn to. Sometimes things happen and you are afraid to speak up because you can be easily victimised."
He explained that the creation of a players' association would ensure that players' rights are protected and that players, and not only administrators, benefit from football. As a body the players' association would be able to stand up to the Guyana Football Federation," Hernandez said.
Breaking the silence surrounding his impromptu self-expulsion from the senior national football camp, days before Guyana's return game against Grenada, Hernandez, who first played as a senior in 1999, said that it was a multitude of things that contributed to his walk out.
The midfielder said that following a practice game against host team Trinidad earlier this month he left the Centre of Excellency to make a phone call.
"I returned at 10 pm but it was not me alone that came back late. Howard Lowe and Abassy McPherson both came in at around 2 am.
"I was told that I would have been fined my week's stipend which would have been about $4,000. I asked why the other players who came in late were not fined also and received no reply. It was after this that I told the manager (Lennox Graham) that he could take the week's stipend and the gear also. I later received a letter which stated that they did take a week's stipend."
At the moment Hernandez is suspended from participating in all matches sanctioned by the Guyana Football Federation pending a meeting of the federation's disciplinary committee.
Hernandez, who scored one of the goals that helped Guyana to a historic 2-0 victory over Barbados last month, alleged sharing living quarters with snakes at the encampment base in Sophia as another reason which urged him to call it quits.
"On two occasions living snakes were found on players' beds. A next time one was found over my bed." Hernandez claimed that an overseas-based player slept out of camp because of the snake incident and was put out of the practice session when he returned the following morning. "Cleveland Slowe got food poisoning right in there," the midfielder said.
"It told myself that it was not safe for me to be in there with all these things happening. This was not one of the best camps that I have been in," he added.
However, in an invited comment manager of the senior team Lennox Graham said that Hernandez's behavior in Trinidad and Guyana is tantamount to gross indiscipline and insubordination.
"He now has to make excuses to justify his actions," Graham said. "Mr Hernandez left the hotel in Trinidad without permission from anyone. He came back at around 11 pm. He acted like he was at his own home," Graham said.
The manager said that when questioned Hernandez said that he had gone to make a phone call but Graham reasoned that there was a phone at the hotel which all the other players were using.
While confirming that snakes had indeed infiltrated the camp at Sophia, Graham said that the situation was quickly brought under control.
"Kayode McKinnon spoke of finding two snakes in the camp and said he felt that they were coming from the trees. We immediately cut down the trees and the problem was solved," Graham said. "To the best of my knowledge this happened after Hernandez had left camp."