`The GFF is broke' -General Secretary George Rutherford
By Lloyda Nicholas
Stabroek News
December 15, 2006
The Guyana Football Federa-tion estimates that preparation for the final leg of the Digicel Football Cup will cost in excess of $20 million General Secretary George Rutherford said yesterday.
In an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sport after Technical Director of the national football squad Jamaal Shabazz revealed that the first camp has been cancelled, Rutherford said that the governing body for football was virtually penniless.
Shabazz, also in an interview with Stabroek Sport had revealed the cancellation of the first proposed camp for the national footballers in preparation for next year's Digicel Caribbean Cup football finals scheduled for Trinidad and Tobago from January 12-23.
He had stated that Guyana's success at the Digicel Caribbean Cup finals is in the hands of the Guyanese people and is urging all stakeholders to step forward and support the team.
Rutherford provided a copy of the draft budget for the team's preparation and participation which estimated a `modest' $18 million but said that costs are expected to reach way above that once all expenditure is considered.
"The GFF is broke", Rutherford said adding that if the team is to benefit from the required preparation, the private sector and the Government will have to step up.
According to the proposed budget, the first camp was expected to target 22 players over five days funding their accommodation, stipend, transportation, meals and other subsidiary costs which took the figure to in excess of $1 million.
The second encampment was to incur similar costs but the budget added the air fare for tickets of three international players and the encampment of 24 players which brought the figure to over $2 million.
A proposed encampment in Brazil (with no proposed dates) at a cost of $3.7 million is also included in the budget.
Other costs included in the budget are $6.7 million for the teams' actual participation in the Digicel Cup finals and funds for the technical staff, although Shabazz is yet to land a contract with the GFF.
However, all the planned preparatory activities are looking increasingly unlikely with the first camp already cancelled.
The GFF secretary also suggested that they may have to drop the trip to Brazil from the itinerary.
Rutherford said that the GFF has nothing in its coffers since they have done some big spending this year.
He said for those who may have questions about how the GFF has been utilising the US$250,000 annual grant they get from FIFA,…."we have to have audited accounts by a reputable firm to continue receiving those funds."
Rutherford produced au-dited reports from 1999 to 2005 done by Jack Alli and Sons which he said are proof that they have been managing their funds well.
This year's projects have included the purchasing of their office building at a cost of $13 million. Additionally, an eight-acre piece of land was also acquired for the construction of a stadium.
Rutherford disclosed that on December 3, FIFA approved the construction of that stadium and US$400,000 will be provided for that project.
The GFF have also felt the burden of hosting the Group H matches of the Digicel Caribbean Cup and are yet to receive a US$20,000 subvention from the Caribbean Football Union.
The Federation also had to bear the brunt of the cost of the Inter-association football tournament after the Guyana Oil Company pulled out of sponsoring the event because a top official, who had been negotiating with the GFF, was fired.
The GFF also funded a Women's sensitivity football programme and hired a German coach to come to Guyana to conduct a training programme in addition to their other developmental programmes, Rutherford revealed.
Despite the National team's tremen-dous jump from 852 on the FIFA ranking to 105 over the past months, Rutherford said the Federa-tion has still been unable to attract large scale sponsorship from the private sector.
"Football has had such negative publicity in the past it will take more than winning a couple of games to bring people on board," was his frank assessment of the situation.
He added that one would have thought that with the performance of the team more people would have been willing to support them.
So far, Demerara and Trinidad Mutual Life and Fire Insurance has committed to providing $50,000 and Federal Management has donated $500,000 to the GFF.
Rutherford also praised BWIA for their provision of reduced fare tickets to the association for team and official travel.
Support from Government has been meager, Rutherford said considering the costs associated with supporting the team's performance.
So far, Rutherford said, they have received waivers on the airport tax for the players and officials of the Digicel Caribbean Cup for the Group H leg of the competition and for the travel of the National team.
Further, he said, the Minister of Sport Dr. Frank Anthony, has committed to funding the costs of team blazers. Rutherford also said that the Minister had promised to provide a bus for the national team's transportation during the Digicel Cup leg in Guyana but this never materialised.
Rutherford said that the Federation is currently trying to find other sources of financing. He said that they have applied for an overdraft facility of between $3-5 million in expectation of their first quarter funds from FIFA in January.
Looking forward to the possibility that Guyana may actually qualify to the CONCACAF Gold Cup, Rutherford said that he did not know where they were going to find the money needed. He, however, said that the GFF has included in its 2007 budget to FIFA, some of the expenses associated with Guyana's possible participation.
But Rutherford noted that private sector and Govern-ment support is critical if Guyana is to get the preparation that is needed.