Lae soccer clubs split

By LARRY ANDREW
THE executive of suspended Lae Football Association was taken to task over their decision to affiliate with Football Federation PNG (FFPNG).
At a recent meeting spearheaded by Lae City Dwellers Peter Seske, the local clubs were not happy with the executives who sided with the new body.
“There are two factions in the association and after last Sunday’s meeting one side wants to remain under the PNG Football Association while the other wants to be with Football Federation PNG (FFPNG),” Seske said.
Lae Football Association clubs are sitting on the fence, undecided on which association to be part bearing in mind the impact their decision would have on players, technical officials and clubs.
Seske told The National that the group which he was in had more than 12 clubs out of 42 in the association who wished to remain with the PNGFA.
Seske said the clubs he was speaking for were in favour of staying with the recognised body and trying to find a solution to the issues, including their suspension, that were affecting the country’s biggest soccer association.
He said this was the stance their faction would take at the next meeting on Sunday.
“Our house is intact and we are creating our house and by Sunday we will know if we are for PNGFA or FFPNG, we cannot drag our people around.”
“We that are loyal to PNGFA will move. But our plea to PNGFA is to help us organise which they must do, and with the new executives pathway is there to assist associations such as for this week and onwards.
“This meeting on Sunday will see if we have enough members and I am the spokesperson,” Seske said.
He said the way they are looking at was that the new soccer body, FFPNG, had no way forward.
“It is a setback to all our players, our referees, badge holders and coaches.
These people have sweated for years to earn the badges and certificates from Fifa.” Seske also said the split would affect the standard of soccer in the province if some  senior clubs pulled out as they were loyal to PNGFA.
He said the level of football had been raised to a certain standard and they did not want a new association dragging it down.
He said any clubs from Lahi Soccer Association and LFA that did want to join FFPNG could call or text him on Digicel number 71440788. Meanwhile, the suspended president by PNGFA Roy Kamen was back at the helm as president of LFA under the FFPNG.
Kamen won back his position as president of LFA under the new body with Stanley Kanaha as vice-president.
Kamen along with his executive supported the new federation, FFPNG because they had not seen any benefits after being a member for PNGFA for over two decades.
“What they gave us or support us is peanuts and they don’t need to come and tell us what to do as we decide our own future,” Kamen said.
He called on other clubs who had yet to decide on their own destiny with LFA to join the new federation if they wanted to see real change at the association level.