“Football has certainly taken off” — GFF President Forde at launch

GFF-Pele Alumni Frank Watson Memorial Under-15

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF)-Pele Alumni Frank Watson Memorial Under-15 Intra-Association Tournament was officially launched Tuesday afternoon at the National Gymnasium. GFF President Wayne Forde is thankful for the agreement between the two entities that will ensure that structural football is played at one of the most critical levels in the development of any player.
The two entities signed a five-year agreement for a tournament in honour of Pele FC’s First President Frank Watson.
The purpose of this Tournament is to assist the development of youth football in Guyana and to utilise football as a vehicle to promote education for youth footballers, both boys and girls. Pele FC Alumni will contribute $4.5 million annually towards the administration of the programme and also provide gear, balls and trophies for the Tournament.
“Football has certainly taken off and it is evident in the daily reports that are coming out in the press,” boasted Forde, who was very happy about the collaboration.
“Special thanks to the Pele Alumni Corporation for coming on board with the GFF in a long-term contractual agreement that will ensure that structural football is played at one of the most critical levels in the development of any player.  This is the example of players that would have gained opportunities from football, taking a faithful leap in reinvesting their resources, their intellect and all to the facilities of their disposals to the development to the game, they would have played and certainly love,” the GFF President detailed.
According to Forde, the U-15 league is part of the GFF’s strategic plan to have consistent football played at every level. The National Milling Company (NAMILCO) paved the way and was the pioneer in the new structure that the GFF is trying to develop in football. “We now have two commercial partners that will ensure that football is played at the Under-15 and Under-17 [level] year-round for the next five years and I think this is the first of its kind. I don’t recall another period in Guyana’s football history, we would have had two commercial relationships that ensure that structured age-specific football is played all year round in every association and I think that the Pele Alumni Corporation needs to be commended for that.”
Former Pele President and Representative of the Pele Alumni Corporation, John Yates, gave a detailed history of the club, which started July 18, 1971, when the Brazilian soccer legend Edson Arantes do Nascimento, known worldwide as “King Pele” announced his retirement from playing international soccer. Lennox Arthur, a Guyana national soccer star, decided to honour King Pele by naming the local Albouystown YMCA team “Pele FC” to memorialise the soccer legend’s role as the number one ambassador in our sport.
According to Yates, Arthur’s vision was to elevate the level of soccer played in Guyana through this youth team. The dream became a reality with more than 50 children from Albouystown YMCA focusing on the criteria of being in school with excellent football skills.
“In order to achieve this vision, it required Lennox to sacrifice his national and division one soccer career,” Yates expressed.
For the record, Pele became Georgetown champions in 1976, some short five years after the club was established.
Director of Sport, Christopher Jones said it was indeed a pleasure for the Government of Guyana to stand in support of the Tournament. “As we (the GoG) mentioned earlier today in a brief conversation we had with the President of CONCACAF as well as President of GFF that the Government of Guyana is supportive of any endeavours with GFF to see the strengthening of football across the country. More so, we want to see the expansion of the programmes reaching the far-flung region, the hinterlands….The GFF, through its strategic development plan, has already demonstrated that its initiative is to reach beyond the coastal lands of Guyana…”
CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani congratulated Forde for the work he has done for football so far. “There’s a saying in life that says, ‘that someday in life there’ll be a moment you’ll have to stand up for who you are’. I think Guyana have shown that. The GFF have shown strong leadership and CONCACAF strongly support the leadership, the administration and executives of Guyana’s football for that reason.”
In his message, he told the youth players “life simulates football”. Montagliani asked if “you’re down one to nothing with one minute left, what you are going to do? Walk off the field? No, you don’t walk off the field”. He then asked, “If you’re down in life, what you’re going to do? Walk off the field? No, you do not walk off the field.”
“You are going to have highs and lows and you’ll have to deal with that, but it is a privilege and I want to seize that…wherever the journey takes you, it takes you. You might end up being a referee; you might end up being the President of CONCACAF. You don’t know where it’s going to take you or you might just enjoy it, but at the end of the day, you have to seize the moment.”
Forde also shed some light on future events: “In a matter of weeks the GFF will be announcing a similar nationwide U-13 League and thereafter, a U-20 League. This is all part of a bigger plan; this is all part of a larger programme being implemented by our technical development officers and more importantly, our technical director.”

He said the academy training centre was one of the most important components of football development in Guyana. The U-13, U-15, U-17 and U-20 Leagues will feed players into the academy. “The TD is very focused on the work that we need to do from a federation standpoint to get into the academy, but the only way we could get to that point is by first identifying the best talent within the various associations and the league provides the platform for that talent identification, which is one of the most important aspects for football development,” Forde stated.
According to the President, the GFF is already seeing results from the work that it has been doing at the youth level. “Only a few weeks ago, the Guyana Golden Jaguars U-17 team did exceptionally well in a tournament in Martinique to the extent that we prevailed over the Region’s powerhouse Haiti 3-1.”
He added that that was no small or simple accomplishment. “That is huge for Guyana. I cannot recall another time in our history where we were able to do that, so again I want to give credit to our technical staff.”
According to Forde, the vision of the executive committee is very simple. “The first thing we are trying to accomplish is stability, which I think we already have. Secondly, we are trying to develop and earn credibility by virtue of relationships which we have managed – true collaborations with Scotiabank and NAMILCO. Thirdly, we are trying to create commercial value within our products; that is a challenge in undertaking but rest assured in that regards, we will proceed as well and finally, we are trying to create lasting structures in the development of the sport.”
He further stated that the GFF wanted to demonstrate that football came first in everything that was done. “For too long there was a federation that appeared to be concerned with everything else other than the game itself and the executives have demonstrated over the past year and four months that our focus is on football.”
He made it clear that football was their priority and they would continue to pursue this path, because it was the only way to success and when the ball was being kicked on the field, every conversation seemed to disappear.