Jamaican News/Nationals

Jamaican football in crisis

Burrell blasts government

KINGSTON, July 8 (AFP) --

Jamaica's football boss, Horace Burrell, has chided the government for its "tardiness" in restoring adequate levels of funding to the sport through the lottery-funded Sports Development Foundation (SDF).
The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), which like other sporting associations relies heavily on SDF funding, announced sharp cut-backs in its development programme because of money troubles.
Burrell said on Monday that the government's failure to resolve problems involving the lottery companies which led to a 65 per cent cut-back in the SDF subvention early this year had dealt the national programme a crippling blow.
Burrell said he was given firm assurances by Prime Minister PJ Patterson, and Minister of Finance Omar Davies, that they would do their best to have the cut in subvention restored.
Increased competition in the lotteries market has significantly reduced the take from the Jamaica Lottery Company, the main source of funding for the SDF.
This has forced the organisation to drastically cut its financial support to sports.
A JFF press release said due to a lack of money the women's senior team, preparing for World Cup qualifiers on July 13 and 23 and the senior men's team who were readying themselves for a tour of England later this month "are being sent home until further notice".
Additionally, national goalkeeper coach, Paul Campbell, and fitness trainer, Gydistan Ananias, have resigned as they "were unable to operate on a drastic salary cut", the release said.
"A programme in this day and age cannot be run without persons like that. We now have to recruit and where is the money going to come from?" Burrell asked.
Just over month ago, a bubbly Burrell announced from South Korea that the programme was set to receive a boost in its preparations for Germany 2006.
He said then that a programme similar to that implemented under former technical director, Rene Simoes -- with players in training at all times and with full pay -- would be a part of the way forward.
But Burrell said his earlier optimism was fuelled by the fact that "I was listening to the political directorate".
Burrell said the proposed construction of a complete training facility for national teams, which is to be financed by FIFA, is still on and final words are expected in about three months. "Our application has been tendered and is being processed by a special committee of FIFA," he said.
Meanwhile, Burrell also disclosed that an initiative to raise money from private business interests was still being pursued.

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Jamaican football boss could face rebellious executive

KINGSTON, July 10 (AFP) --
President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Captain Horace Burrell, could face mutiny from the crew on Wednesday when he calls them together for an executive meeting designed to chart a course out of financial insolvency.

Last week, just over a day after his return from the World Cup in South Korea and Japan, Burrell announced the immediate suspension of the entire national football programme.

This, he said, was because of lack of finances caused by a 65 per cent cut in government grants.

Included in the teams sent home were the senior women's team which was preparing for a World Cup qualifier this weekend and the under-17s and under-20s who were also preparing for qualifiers. The senior men's team was also getting ready for friendlies in the United Kingdom.

But while Burrell took the government to task for failing to provide adequate support for the national programme, a number of his executives have not stayed on board with his position. They accuse him of unfairly trying to embarrass the government.
"Contrary to popular belief, there are a number of us who are not in agreement with the Captain's outburst which I think is trying to embarrass the government in to action," said one executive.
Another executive, who like the others did not want to be named for fear of being marginalized, accused Burrell of operating an organization in which only a select few knew the goings on.
The executives said they have difficulty understanding how the JFF could be out of funds.

"I also do not understand how they could say now that they are in dire straits when the general secretary just spent two trips back and forth between Korea and Japan," said another.
"One would have thought that prudence and frugality would have been the order of the day, especially at a time when they say they have no money and players are going into camp and leaving without even as much as bus fare."

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Money makes the mare run

July 20th, 2002



GIVEN THE MAGNITUDE and success of the Jamaica Football Federation's (JFF) national programmes, it comes as a surprise that the organisation's financial difficulties are being greeted with scepticism in so many quarters.

Once there was a reduction in the monthly subvention from the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) it would only have been a matter of time before the JFF found itself unable to fund programmes and cutbacks were inevitable.

However, a total suspension of all national programmes, without notice, was bound to have negative repercussions.

Since 1994, the JFF has managed to fund an ambitious programme of keeping national squads in training at various levels, including a women's team.

The results can be considered quite spectacular or, if one is more conservative, satisfactory at the very least.

Still, questions regarding utilisation of funds were bound to rise, given the particular set of circumstances affecting the programme.

There shouldn't be any undermining of qualifying a squad for the World Cup finals in France 1998 as not a noteworthy achievement in addition to making the the Under-17 and Under-20 finals in New Zealand and Argentina respectively in the years following '98.

It should also be acknowledged this was done with impressive expenditure of funds.

I have been monitoring the statements made by JFF president Horace Burrell, doing the rounds on the various programmes, trying to justify the decision to suspend the preparation of national squads for imminent tournaments.

The president seems quite upset that anyone would dare question how the funds coming to the JFF have been expended. Well, Mr. Burrell, such a momentous decision was likely to raise financial questions, however unjustified you may deem them to be.

General secretary Horace Reid has also issued a lengthy statement, outlining the achievements of the JFF, an attempt to justify the existence of the current JFF policies.

I hardly believe this was necessary, given the circumstances of the cutback of the subvention and the traditional reticence of the private sector to support the local game.

However, the finance committee of the JFF needs to present the figures once again to satisfy those with questions about revenue and expenditure.

For all I know though, Burrell and Reid may have been presented with an opportunity to solicit support from the private sector for the programme going forward.

Reid's detailed rebuttal of the questioning of the JFF finances could very well form the basis of a paper prepared for presentation to enlist support.

Speaking of private sector support, I still hear many of my colleagues talking nonsense about massive inputs which are likely to be withdrawn if we don't have a foreign coach working as technical director.

I would like to take the opportunity once more to inform the ignorant that corporate support for France '98 only accounted for approximately 10 per cent of total expenditure.

The other ninety came from the taxpayers of this country by way of revenue being held by the SDF and distributed after receipts from the Jamaica Lottery Company, plus gate receipts from promotion of games, especially World Cup fixtures at home.

Sure, we were all happy with the two major sponsors, American Airlines and Grace Kennedy but the rest of the private sector has not yet come to the realisation that the social and economic benefit of a country's youth participation in sport is vitally important for the development of individuals.

Consequently, Wray & Nephew's short to medium term substantial sponsorship of the Premier League is to be applauded.

Prime Minister P.J. Patterson gave an assurance last week that the funding for sports will be restored at least to the levels prior to the SDF fallout and this is good news. In a future column, I will be taking a look at the JFF's programmes.

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Victory should build confidence -- Brown

FOOTBALL
BY IAN BURNETT Observer staff reporter
Sunday, August 04, 2002



JAMAICA'S technical director designate, Carl Brown, registered his first victory since his appointment last December, following his team's 1-0 victory over Grenada in St George's on Friday night.

But that milestone appeared secondary when Brown spoke to reporters after the game. His concern was focused on his largely inexperienced players and the benefits they would have gained from the match.

"Your first victory is always good, particularly when it is away, but the main aim of this exercise was to expose players," Brown said.

"I believe we will have to play a lot of games away from home, so it's a good start and a good experience for them.

"It was a good game with a young team and I believe some of the young players would have come out of the game with high marks," Brown said.

"I believe the team itself did well and this victory will only build their confidence for the future."

Since his appointment, the former national captain and defender went two games without a victory -- a 0-5 loss away to the United States of America and a spirited 0-1 loss to Nigeria in London.

He was given the reigns after the sacking of Brazilian, Clovis de Oliveira, and although the Boyz performed creditably, they lost 1-2 to the US and 0-1 to Costa Rica.

Friday's victory avenged a 0-2 loss to the Boyz from the spice isle a year ago, thanks to Fabian Taylor's magical 31st-minute strike.

Although the visitors held the upper hand with more organised play and better scoring opportunities, there was nothing to shout about.

"Basically a tough game like we have always played against Grenada. It is one of the things I have always told the players that when they play against a Caribbean team it is going to be tough; it's like getting a schoolboy team to play against the national team at home.

"We are going to have tough games and this is what Caribbean football is all about and they will have to learn to fight, and we had to do that ...," said Brown.

After slipping and sliding all over the sandy surface, the Reggae Boyz took control of the game and created numerous chances thereafter. However, debutante, Dahmani Ralph, who could have otherwise notched a hat-trick, failed to hit the target.

Franklyn Simpson, coach of Grenada, conceded that Jamaica proved too much for his team, particularly in the first half.

"The first half the Jamaicans really showed that they were the experienced team," he declared. "One of the things you have to admire is the toughness of the Jamaican players; you could see that they are exposed to international football.

"So at half-time I told my guys you got to be tough and we got to get it our way, we got to bring it to them, because when we bring it to them we bother them, that's why in the second half we turned it around and let Jamaica know, 'hey, we're coming at you'.

"This is definitely one of the better experiences we have had, as we always do when we play Jamaica," Simpson continued.

The Grenadians were scheduled to leave yesterday morning for St Martin for a Gold Cup qualifier. They won the first leg 8-3, and Simpson said they were looking forward to playing them and qualify and probably play Jamaica in Trinidad, if not before.

Jamaica will enter a Gold Cup qualifying tournament in Trinidad and Tobago between October and November this year.

As promised, Brown made six substitutions in the second half, but as the game petered out into a scrappy affair, substitute, Oneil Dunn was presented with the easiest of opportunities with six minutes remaining on the clock, but he skied his effort from only five yards.

Teams:

Jamaica -- Aaron Lawrence, Claude Davis, Shavar Thomas, Kirk Hendricks, Irvino English (Oneil Dunn 81st), Fabian Dawkins, Richard Henry (Marco McDonald 63rd), Jonathon Williams (Fabian Davis 61st), Fabian Taylor (Roen Nelson 74th), Kevin Wilson (Damion Williams 90th), Dahmani Ralph (Omar Daley 46th).

Grenada -- Kelon Baptiste, Anthony Modeste, Ricky Charles, Franklyn Baptiste, Brian Benjamin, Miguel Wharwood (Keatson Bain 90th), Kennedy Phillip, Chris Bain (Henderson Ettienne 73rd), Ian Andrew, Finbar Willaims (Denis Rennie 46th), Patrick Modeste.

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JJ/Jamaica Japan

Zico backs friendly match against Jamaica in October
TOKYO, Aug 10 (AFP) -- Japan's new national football team coach Zico said on Saturday that he will back a plan to have a friendly match against Jamaica in October for his first major job.
"It is important to play a match. It is what I have asked the Japan Football Association (JFA) to set up," said Zico, who returned from Brazil Saturday.
Zico, who signed with the association last month to guide the team, has requested to hold international matches in October, November and December. The JFA has already set up a match against Argentina in Tokyo on November 29.
JFA president Saburo Kawabuchi will meet Zico on Monday to receive a green light and decide on a stadium for the match.
Japan bowed to Jamaica 2-1 in the 1998 World Cup finals in France and then crashed to a 4-0 loss in the Hassan II Cup in Morocco in June 2000.
Zico also said he will check on Tuesday the under-21 national team who will take part in the Asian Games in Busan and travel with the team to Shanghai from August 19 to 23.

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