ROC react to GFA Normalisation Committee

The Regional Organisation Committee(ROC)  responsible of running the affairs of football in the regions has reacted strongly against the decussion of the Gambia Football Association (GFA)  Normalisation Committee for denying their legitimate rights of the Regional League Clubs to participate in deciding the constitution of the GFA. 

In a letter written by the secretary general on behalf of Regional League Clubs sent to the GFA acting secretary general of the normalisation Committee dated on the 25^th March 2013 and copy to the National Assembly, FIFA, Regional Governors, Mayors and the Media  in which MarketPlace Business Newspaper sports desk has a copy in possession.

The regional league clubs has express with grate concern and disappointment that “we leanrt of the plot by the GFA normalisation committee to deny the legitimate of Regional League Clubs their rights to participate in deciding the constitution of the GFA”.

The regional league clubs described the recent interview of GFA vice chairperson who doubles as the spokesperson of the normalisation committee as provoking, misleading and without merit when he indicated that “our Regional Clubs are ghost clubs and the FIFA did not accept the December 8^th adopted constitution. It is clear that the overwhelming majority (85%) of the clubs in The Gambia (first, second and regional league clubs) voted in favour of the draft constitution after minor amendments reflecting the choice of the football family for the development of football in The Gambia”.

“Recently, regional governors have recieved letters calling for another adoptive congress which in our view is baseless and in the total contravention of the status and value of football. It is clear that false information has been sent to FIFA all in a bid to discredit the regional clubs and their participation. Since the inauguration of the normalisation committee, their first attempt was to stop the regional league matches with the flimsy excuse of lack of funds, on the whole it was a plot to deny us our rights. Therefore the critical question we pose here that, is it a crime to live or build an industry in rural Gambia? Why are we treated differently from our colleagues in the urban setting?”

The regional clubs went further to said “for us it is a clear plot and manipulation of our game because few people who have power and infulance are using it at the detrimiment of the poor rural community. The great leadership of this country have repected and promoted democracy and good governance in all part of our dear motherland why will that changed when it comes to football?”

Our sports desk have also recieved a proofs authentic documents which indicate that The Gambia has an existing Regional Leagues, among them authentic documents from the GFA league clubs requesting for a player transfers from the regional league clubs among them, Bakau United, Siatmatty FC both requesting for a transfer of Jatta Baldeh in 2010 and 2008. While Red Scorpions FC also requested for Isatou Jallow’s loan move from Waterman Female FC in URR, Basse. Some of the documents are players ID Cards from different regional leagues Division 1^st and 2^nd with teams stamp and signed by the registerar as in line with the GFA rules and regulations as well as regional first division league male fixture for 2011-2012 season. 

“We would want to put on record that during the first adoptive congress in December it was the normalisation who in fact actual invited ghost the said clubs from URR and entire membership requested for a roll call and disqualified those people. Furthermore, all clubs at December adoptive congress where written to by the same normalisation committee. It is only when the constitution was wrote and indicate that only the clubs who voted in the last congress and exclutive are allowed to vote. We therefore request that you immediately desist from divide and rule game and changing the rules for your individual gains”.

Meanwhile, this reaction from the Regional Organisation Committee (ROC) league clubs came bearly one month two weeks after FIFA rejected the GFA normalisation committee adopted constitution which took place on the 8^th December 2012 in a letter sent to the FA by FIFA dated 14^th February 2013. Below is the full text of the communique by FIFA to GFA.

We inform you that the case of The Gambia Football Association (GFA) was debated at the FIFA member Association Committee meeting held in Zurich on 13^th February 2013. The committee was briefed on the outcomes of the GFA congress held on 8^th November 2012 as stated in the GFA letter dated 31^st December 2012.

The committee took note of the fact that many of the current members who refused the amendments drafted in collabration with FIFA and CAF had not been playing regular football in GFA competitions (so-called “ghost clubs”). In these conditions, it appeared that the adoption process was biased with the involvement of so-called members who had no real legitimacy to be represented in the congress.

Under these circulstances and taking in to account the wish of the normalisation committee, the FIFA Member Associations Committee decided to ask the normalisation committee to interpret the GFA statutes in a way as to ensure that only clubs which had played regularly GFA competition can participate in the GFA General Assembly and thus be part of any statutes revision of electoral process. It is a basic principle of football administration that only real foorball stakeholder may be member of a Member Association.

We thank you for taking note of the above and to keep us informed of any further development.