Registered: 03/25/01
Posts: 15627
Loc: Miramar, FL, USA
Online
Burrell paints grave picture of JFF's finances
Everard Owen
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
HIGHGATE, St Mary -- President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Captain Horace Burrell told delegates at an ordinary congress here on Sunday that the federation's atrocious financial state will lead to sweeping changes and further cutbacks unless a light appears at the end of the tunnel.
"It is because of this serious financial crisis why the Executive Board decided that we have to look at all our programmes and to cut some of these. One of the first areas that has been cut is the female senior football programme," said Burrell as he addressed the local football parliament at the St Mary High School.
President of the JFF Captain Horace Burrell signs the register before the start of the ordinary congress at St Mary High School in Highgate on Sunday. (Photo: Everard Owen) President of the JFF Captain Horace Burrell signs the register before the start of the ordinary congress at St Mary High School in Highgate on Sunday. (Photo: Everard Owen) 1/1
Burrell said in light of the realities facing the federation, the Olympic programme could be next to face the knife unless appeals to government and corporate Jamaica fall on friendly ears.
The Board, it is said, will be forced to make a decision on Olympic qualifiers as soon as week's end.
The JFF currently funds nine national teams, and Burrell singled out the significant costs associated with flying these teams around for preparation and competition.
"It has been an extremely challenging year as we have found ourselves in a position at times that we can hardly operate because of a lack of finances. And the business we are able to conduct is made possible by the very hard working and committed group of JFF staff," said Burrell.
Among the cutbacks that have already been done, stipends to JFF executive officers have also felt the axe.
"This was a painful decision, but we are in crunch time," said the CONCACAF Executive Committee member.
Faced with the crippling effects of the global economical downturn, the JFF had already reduces staff and has cut the wages of existing ones.
Treasurer of the financially burdened body, Garfield Sinclair, cited the difficulties managing the accounts as potential revenues went up in smoke with the senior Reggae Boyz's failure to advance to the South Africa FIFA World Cup and the heavy debt bag it drags around.
The congress approved the draft audited reports for 2008/2009
Surprise him never haul out the old "this can be attributed directly to the previous administration."
When Boxhill had to work with tight purse strings after WC 2006, everyone screamed mismanagement. I can't understand how that does not apply here to Burrell.
That takes me back to what I was saying way back when...in spite of all the hollo hollo, there was not much difference between what these guys accomplished after 1998. I may be mistaken, though, so I ask that those with knowledge put a spotlight on the differences in the results they have realized.
_________________________
Obama/Biden 2012 - We need people who actually think in charge, though they should learn to lead!
Registered: 03/25/01
Posts: 15627
Loc: Miramar, FL, USA
Online
In the since, he returned to office in November 2007, the financial situation has not changed and none of our national team have qualified for a world cup and have won a total of one match at the CONCACAF final rounds. The technical skills of the national team players has dropped to the point where they are failing to make the grade in the UK.
Registered: 03/25/01
Posts: 15627
Loc: Miramar, FL, USA
Online
What Jamaica needs is a good paying road friendly before the World Cup. The Mexico just got Angola for a match in Houston, now is the time for the captain to earn his paycheck.
He should've moved to shore up the JFF financial situation from the moment he came into office. What has he done towards that end? Absolutely nothing. The only time he seems to act is when the funds dry up and he has no other option.
I would've rather if he had blamed everything on the previous administration and used the opportunity to make the necessary cuts to set the programme on a steady financial footing. At least that would've signified to me that he was committed to do what was right instead of what was popular.
If mi know seh the JFF bruk from before Burrell tek over then what took him this long? And when is he going to admit that Bora & Simoes didn't just walk away empty handed?
Like I said before. I kinda tempted to give Burrell a pass because if I was him I probably would be motivated to move in the same direction. It is the wrong direction, but you won't find too many people who will do the right thing knowing that doing so would result in them getting booted from their office.
Registered: 03/25/01
Posts: 15627
Loc: Miramar, FL, USA
Online
One of the major problems is that senior team loses money on every friendly played in Jamaica, which is madness. It will be very difficult getting sponsorship money with Athletics attracting so much attention in preparation for 2012.
IMO, the JFF needs to enter into a major sponsorship agreement with a major KIT company Puma, Adidas, Nike, Reebok and give them 85% stake in the JFF. The Horace's dictatorship must end for progress to be made!!!!
I think the problem is way deeper than just getting a few well paying games. We need sustainable revenue streams our football is surviving on a day to day basis. I am not bias or anything but the women's programme is sucking money and not going anywhere for years. There is a lot of countries that does not have a female program because they cannot afford it but JA have it all and not making the tournaments.
We need to take a step back temporarily, build the academy, bring in the best age group male players and develop them for the transfer markets and the senior reggae boyz team that generate the revenue. The little resources should be used to bring the age group teams to youth tournaments where they can develop and get notice by scouts. It is time we admit the reggae boyz is not good enough finacially support the other teams.
Dem kit companies would just use the Boyz to write off losses for tax purposes. I don't see di need fi give dem no stake in the JFF. What kind of beneficial agreement can the JFF enter into with these major companies when these companies saw that JA gave away the shop to lowly Kappa? They didn't become major companies by accepting less than a lesser competitor received. You can bet they will be looking for their own pound of flesh, making a bad situation worse.
The bottom line is that JA should be one of the most financially stable team in CONCACAF. I have mentioned before that Jamaica is the only team in CONCACAF who has the attributes to create fierce rivalry with every team in not only CONCACAF, but the entire Americas. This can be translated into sellouts everywhere they play, even in the office. With sellouts comes demands. But fi some strange reasons unnu have this tunnel vision towards England/Europe and Africa. Both money losing propositions.
Registered: 03/25/01
Posts: 15627
Loc: Miramar, FL, USA
Online
After some thinking, I realized that Jamaica senior men's national football needs to follow the model of Mexico, Honduras,Brazil and some of the top African national teams. That is only play World Cup qualification matches at home in their national stadiums, all other matches are away or neutral sites where the get excellent crowds and make $$$$$$.
Take a look at the schedule for Brazil, Honduras and Mexico over the past two years.
Captain forget about the Office, UNLESS it is a WCQ match.
Cash-less JFF ignores Women's qualifiers BY HOWARD WALKER Observer staff reporter walkerh@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, March 07, 2010
REID... if you spread yourself thin you don't give your teams a real shot
LACK of funding has forced the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) to pull the plug on the senior female footballers by not entering the qualifiers of the CONCACAF Gold Cup later this year.
The Caribbean qualifiers kicked off last Wednesday with 17 teams vying for two spots to the six-team Gold Cup slated for late October or early November.
Jamaica's non-participation also means the Reggae Girlz will miss a chance to qualify for the Central American and Caribbean Games in July in Puerto Rico.
JFF's general secretary Horace Reid it was the best thing to do in light of the limited resources available.
Said Reid: "When you have scare resources you have to prioritise. The focus will be on our developmental programmes; instead of pumping money into the top part of the programme, we'll put into the bottom part of the programme."
Under the present cash-strapped economic climate, the situation regarding the senior women's team will not change "until the funding situation at the JFF improves".
"The JFF is looking at some strategic position for women's development coming out of the failure of the Under-20s as well," Reid told the Sunday Observer.
In January, the National Under-20 girls failed in their effort to qualify for the FIFA World Cup after losing all three games to the USA, Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago.
"The talent that is coming through once they get to the top... are not good enough or not competitive enough. We're doing fairly well at the Caribbean (level), but that's neither here nor there. When we get to the other level the gap is widening, it's not closing," Reid lamented.
"What we should do is spend a lot more time and resources at the prep and primary school level," he offerred.
But the general thought is that one cannot cut off the head and expect the body to function.
"We don't believe so. The truth is when we get to that level we are just honouring the fixture without a realistic chance of going further. When you have very scare resources you have to identify and prioritise where we put those resources.
"...Nine national teams and.... if you spread yourself thin you don't give any of your teams a real shot," Reid noted.
The senior Reggae Girlz participated in the 2008 Olympic qualifiers and failed at the CONCACAF level under coach Charles Edwards.
Since then, they have been inactive amid the JFF's failed effort to secure sponsorship last year and a decision was taken to forego this year's Gold Cup qualifiers.
Now the onus is on the Under-17s to deliver, and they will enter their CONCACAF Championship set for March 10 in which two teams will qualify for the World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago in July.
