Officials of the ten clubs participating in the KFC Elite League Season Six Round One tournament, along with referees, have engaged in comprehensive review sessions conducted by the Guyana Football Federation’s Technical and Referees Departments on May 11 at the Federation’s National Training Centre at Providence East Bank Demerara.
The one-day assessments were held to pinpoint areas for improvement as the GFF prepares to kick off Round Two on May 24. Round One commenced in February and concluded this month after 45 matches.
GFF President Wayne Forde, Technical Director Bryan Joseph; Head of Referees, Lenval Peart; and Referee Instructor/Assessor Natasha Lewis were all in attendance at the reviews. The club session saw participation from representatives of Guyana Defence Force FC, Slingerz FC, Guyana Police Force FC, Santos FC, Den Amstel FC, Fruta Conquerors FC, Monedderlust FC, and Buxton United FC.
Valuable insights were shared on the organisation of Round One of Season Six, and topics covered included fixture alterations, team uniformity, and controversial refereeing decisions.
A snippet from the various review sessions held with clubs and referees
GFF President Wayne Forde shared that discussion with officials of the elite clubs was frank and engaging, resulting in the resolution of several areas of concern by the end of the session.
“I was pleased with the level of participation, and I want to thank all of the representatives for attending the review last Saturday. Football stakeholders share a unified goal, which is the advancement of the sport in Guyana, with the Elite League playing a key role in our strategic development strategy,” Forde has said.
“We are all looking forward to the start of the second round of the KFC Elite League Season Six, later this month,” Forde added.
During the second assessment session, overseen by Referee Instructor/ Assessor Natasha Lewis, match officials assigned to Season Six underwent a thorough evaluation, during which they were briefed on the concerns raised by players and coaches. Controversial decisions were scrutinised, and a refresher on the game’s rules were provided where necessary. The interactive sessions also emphasised the importance of consistency and sound decision-making in officiating.
Lewis stressed that these discussions are key to “raise the standard of refereeing, protect the image of football, protect the players, and ultimately allow the league to run smoothly” for Round Two.
GFF Technical Director Bryan Joseph added that it was “a great initiative that allowed the coaching staff to openly discuss challenges experienced in the first half of the league. The referee committee was also happy to share their thoughts on improving the relationship with the clubs on and off the pitch. We look forward to the other planned workshops, all designed to make our league better.”
