TIME FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO RUN THE JFF

There is no doubt that the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has benefited from the leadership of Captain Horace Burrell.

Capt. Burrell has run the JFF for about 13 years, from 1994 to 2003 and after a four-year break, again since 2007. Under his leadership Jamaica became the first English-speaking Caribbean nation to qualify for the FIFA World Cup back in 1998. The country has also qualified for the Under-17 World Cup as well. Under his leadership Jamaica has also seen a clear plan of action for raising the standard of play of local players, referees, and coaches. Under Capt Burrell’s leadership Jamaica has also seen a growing number of players sign professional contracts overseas. Currently, Jamaican home-grown players are representing clubs in the US major league, the English Premier League and in leagues all across the world from South America to Asia. Also among the captain’s other achievements is the setting up of a football academy on the grounds of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona campus under the FIFA GOAL Project that was designed to aid in the development of the sport based on the specific needs of national associations.

A lot of what Capt Burrell has accomplished came about because of his vision and his close association with some of the most powerful men in the sport namely former Caribbean Football Union (CFU) president Austin Jack Warner and the controversial president of FIFA Joseph Sepp Blatter. Ironically, it is the break down of the relationship between his two powerful friends that seems likely to cause the captain his job as president of the JFF.

Earlier this year during the build up to the FIFA elections when Blatter was being challenged by Qatar’s Mohammed Bin Hammam of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Warner invited federation heads from across the region to hear the Qatari’s administrator’s manifesto. As it turns out those federation heads got a bit more than they bargained for – US$40,000 in brown envelopes – money that by all indications was intended to ‘buy’ votes for Bin Hamman. This vote-buying scheme was exposed by CONCACAF General Secretary and since Blatter retained his presidency at the end of May, the fall out has been devastating.

Bin Hamman appeared before FIFA’s Ethics Committee and has been banned for life. An investigation was launched into Warner’s role in the whole affair, an investigation that was eventually halted because Warner resigned his Caribbean Football Union presidency. But the digging didn’t stop. Investigators were ordered to question CFU members, Capt Burrell included, who had attended the meeting in May. Then just days ago, the Daily Telegraph released a videotape of Warner telling those who attended the meeting in May, not to make their ‘gifts’ seem like they were coming from Bin Hamman. Forty eight hours later news broke that Capt Burrell was among several members of the CFU who were either banned or warned because of their involvement in whatever happened down in Trinidad last May.

Burrell was banned from all football activities for six months with three months suspended but he will be on probation for two years. He has accepted the ban claiming that it was because he refused to cooperate with FIFA investigators who had been assigned to probe the bribery scandal that had already claimed the football careers of Bin Hamman and Warner.

Burrell has now been tainted by this scandal by virtue of this suspension. Burrell was at the meeting in Trinidad and says he did not receive any money and while no one knows for sure the extent of his involvement in the scandal we do know that he was one of four persons to be banned by FIFA. This suggests that FIFA’s Ethics Committee – based on evidence gleaned by their investigators – believe Burrell’s involvement to be significant enough to warrant a six-month suspension.

Now as Burrell tries to raise almost a billion Jamaican dollars to fund Jamaica’s 2014 World Cup campaign, he will be haunted by the stigma of this suspension. Will sponsors feel comfortable trusting a JFF under Burrell’s leadership with hundreds of millions of dollars? Will FIFA, on this campaign to rid the sport of corruption, be comfortable enough to continue to lend support to the JFF with Burrell and his General Secretary Horace Reid, who was among those warned, at the helm?

It is for these reasons and more why Burrell should do the honourable thing and walk away from the leadership of the JFF. If he truly cares about Jamaica’s football he needs to demonstrate that he too is willing to break the stranglehold of corruption by removing himself from the presidency. As head of the JFF, the buck stops with him. It is still unclear, for example, that since Burrell insists that he did not get money from Bin Hamman whether or not anyone else from Jamaica did. No one has spoken definitively on the matter and as long as there are questions like that to be answered, Burrell’s presidency will continue to exist under the cloud of suspicion.

That is why he needs to walk away.

The JFF needs to wipe the slate clean and start afresh. For the sake of football it is the only way to go forward.

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8 Responses to “TIME FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO RUN THE JFF”

Marvin Neaugent says:

October 17, 2011 at 2:11 pm

Edited Version—Please ignore the 2 prior versions.
Now that FIFA has cited corrupt activities on the part of Captain Burrell, it is full time for Jamaica to look/investigate even deeper. It has always been my view that as good as he (Burrell) is perceived to be doing Jamaican’s football, our performance continues to regress since the time Simoes managed to lift us to world cup qualifying level. Have we gotten to a stage where Captain Burrell is Jamaica’s football and Jamaica’s Football is Captain Burrell? Why is it that most of the Parish Associations seem to be under the direct control/Influence of this one man? Is it because he continues to be the main sponsor at the local level? And if so, why is it so? This is where we need the investigations to focus. Parish by parish, don’t we need to find out what efforts have been made by each association to secure sponsorship, other than Captain’s Bakery? Are the associations really making serious efforts to seek out alternative sponsorship? Or, is there a deliberate and covert strategy at work to keep Burrell in the main sponsor seat, so the perception that he is the only man willing to come to the rescue of local football might be justified, and his dominance sustained?
And since we are on the subject of Jamaica’s football, what’s up with Coach Whitmore? Is he indispensible? 5 defeats back to back—well 6, really, if you count the defeat of the National team by Sporting Central. Is it not time for coach Whitmore to pack his bags and go?????
Jakan says:

October 17, 2011 at 11:24 pm

“This suggests that FIFA’s Ethics Committee – based on evidence gleaned by their investigators – believe Burrell’s involvement to be significant enough to warrant a six-month suspension.“

Are you kidding me! You seem to think you are dealing with reasonable men. Had they any evidence against Captain Burrell, he would have been banned for more than 6 months. Unlike you, this tells me he did nothing but upset them by not being a tattle tail on things he may not have had any information. Only liars talk about what they do not know
fm110 says:

October 19, 2011 at 2:28 am

Keep Captain Burrell as JFF president. He’s a team player and does not cause unecessary drama. A good example for the Reggae Boyz of the future.
Calvin Baker says:

October 20, 2011 at 1:28 pm

I think Captain Burrell diserves to be retained after his suspension is up. I am not sure many of us understand what takes place in FIFA. The video which was used by the ethics committee to ban the captain shows the extent to which these men in FIFA will stoop to remove all threat to their conspiracy. I believe the truth will come out and those men who have been fostering corruption in the camp will be exposed. There is nothing in the video that shows any act of bribery ont he part of the leaders of CFU. One need to watch this video with an open and honest mind. What FIFA has done is attempt to destroy Football in Carribean. CFU was the only group that could have determined wether Mr. Blatter be re-elected. The pre-election poll was showing Bin Hammam having 90 votes to J. S. Blatter having 85 votes. With an extra 15 votes he would have been the new FIFA president. The powers that be would have no such reality. Hence Captain Burrell who has dedicated his life to the progress of football in Jamaica and the region has to pay the price. I hope we will take time and look at the bigger picture and all those adverseries will review there stance. FIFA must say what is it that merits the suspension of these leaders. Then we can see for ourselves the wrong or right. I am therefore supporting Captain Burrell who think should not be faulted although he will not appeal the ruling against him.
Glenn Riley says:

October 21, 2011 at 11:20 pm

Only a fool would believe that Burrell got a six months ban for non cooperation. Burrell is giving that impression but do you really believe that FIFA would have suspended Burrell and the others for just not wanting to be questioned overseas? Can’t you see that FIFA is still protecting these individuals including Burrell by not disclosing why they are suspended. Burrell’s reputation is in tatters. Both he and Horace Reid must now go to avoid further embarrassment to Jamaica because the truth will come out fairly soon. Burrell, sadly was running a one man, arrogant show just like Jack Warner, a man you cannot trust and that is not good. Now they are putting up smoke screens.
GR.
Calvin Baker says:

October 26, 2011 at 9:01 am

The leaders of JFF must be mindful of FIA’s wish that those who have been suspended can resume their office after their suspension has been served. It would not be prudent to remove Captain Burrell from the presidency of JFF at this time. I would also suggest that the CFU congress be postponed and that Captain’s nomination remains on the ballot.
Calvin Baker says:

October 26, 2011 at 9:04 am

The leaders of JFF must be mindful of FIFA’s wish that those who have been suspended can resume their office after their suspensions have been served. It would not be prudent to remove Captain Burrell from the presidency of JFF at this time. I would also suggest that the CFU congress be postponed and that Captain’s nomination remains on the ballot.
Al says:

December 17, 2011 at 9:37 am

I do agree with the article, Burrel should step down. He has lost his integrity. Jamaica foot ball should not be impinge on one man.