Kicks United FC
P. O. Box 405
The Valley
Anguilla

Dear Mr. Wattley

Re: Letter re Non-Invitation to Annual General Meeting

Pursuant to your public enquiry regarding the referenced subject matter, I find it prudent for me to respond publicly to ensure that the general public is not fooled into believing that something wrong or indefensible has been done by the Anguilla Football Association (AFA) Executive Committee in not inviting Kicks United FC to its Annual General Meeting (AGM).

Firstly, Article 10 of the AFA Statutes outlines the various membership forms of the Association and you will recall that on 10th February 2009 in response to your letter of 9th February 2009, the AFA informed you that at the 2008 AGM, the membership of the Association voted in keeping with the Statutes to extend Associate Membership to Kicks United FC since the composition of its playing membership did not qualify the Club for Full Membership. When Kicks United FC requested and held a meeting with the AFA Executive Committee on 18 June 2009, I, as President, informed you and other representatives of your Club that as of the date of the meeting, Kicks United FC had not written to the AFA indicating its acceptance or rejection of the Associate Membership that was extended to the Club. Despite your non-acceptance of the membership, the AFA continued to involve Kicks United FC in all of its activities, programmes, et al. with the expectation that the Club would subsequently inform the AFA of its decision. Unfortunately, the AFA was never informed. In fact, truth be told, as of this very moment Kicks United FC has never accepted the extension of Associate Membership offered to it by the AFA. So, your claim that Kicks United FC is a legitimate member is absolutely false. Kicks United FC is not a member of the Anguilla Football Association. You not being a member, explains why you do not know that the Executive Committee is made up of five (5) persons: the President, 2 Vice Presidents and 2 Executive Members. The General Secretary is not an elected member of this Committee.

Secondly, even if for argument sake Kicks United FC had indicated its acceptance of Associate Membership in the AFA, the AFA Statutes do not mandate the AFA Executive Committee to invite an Associate Member to the AGM. Article 10 §10.2 (b) (iii) states, “Members who fall into this category [Associate Member] may attend all General Meeting…” This conditionality of attendance of Associate Members is further enforced by Article 14 of the said Statutes which speak to the Members’ Rights. Article 14 §14.1 establishes the rights of Full Members of the Association. You will note that nowhere in this section of the Statutes does it speak to Associate Members’ rights. The reality is that Associate Members do not pay subscription fees, and do not support the Association in any way except the participation fee they would pay to play in a tournament organised by the Association. It would therefore be unfair to Full Members for Associate Members to enjoy the same privileges when Associate Members would not have met the same criteria. For the avoidance of doubt, I wish to state unequivocally that the AFA does not have Associate Members.

The Anguilla Football Association under my leadership will always put Anguillians and Anguilla first. We cannot and will not allow a Club that is made up predominantly of non-Anguillian players to be a Full Member of our Association since it goes against our Statutes and the overall development of the game at the national level. Kicks United FC based on its present membership does nothing to advance the development of local talent since the overwhelming majority of its players could never play for our national team. The same national team, when you were the Manager, you spoke so negatively about and even proposed replacing it with ineligible, non-national players from Kicks United FC. You are indeed right that football is an inclusive sport. However, what you fail to remember is that the inclusivity is based on nationality; and according to FIFA only players with passports of the country they wish to represent can qualify to play on national teams. Consequently, prudence will dictate that it would be futile for football development in Anguilla if the AFA allowed a Club that is made up of predominantly non-nationals to be a member.

Our motive is very clear; we have and will continue to make decisions in keeping with the AFA Statutes and the best interest of football development in Anguilla. Our decision to not invite Kicks United FC to the AFA AGM was and is based on the fact that Kicks United FC is not a member of the Anguilla Football Association. Our inclusivity is reserved for members and it is our members who must judge me and the other four (4) members of the Executive Committee since the five of us were elected by the membership to lead the Association.

If your desire to promote the development of football among non-nationals more than of Anguillians is to succeed, I will have no choice but to agree with you and exclaim, “Oh for the future of football in this country!”

In lieu of the foregoing, I wish to state that in the mind of the AFA Executive Committee this matter does not warrant any further discussion and is therefore closed.

Yours truly,

………………………………………
Raymond E. G. Guishard
President

cc: Mr. Jack Warner / President CFU, CONCACAF& Vice President FIFA
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