Bora better get ready to travel like crazy, England and the USA scouting evaluating and finding our players.

Burrell eyes Bora's contract
I am prepared to give it my best shot, says Burrell
Howard Walker, Observer writer howardh@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, September 11, 2007

BURRELL ... I am confident that everyone will play his part in helping Jamaica's football to once again reach the level every single Jamaican would like to see

Captain Horace Burrell, who is set to return as president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), told the Observer yesterday that one of his first priorities is to review the contract of the Technical Director, Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic, when he takes office in November, to decide the coach's future.

Said Burrell: "Certainly, I would want to review his contract and speak with other members of the new board before a decision is taken either way," said Burrell, who is currently in Miami on business.

Serbian Milutinovic, 63, is being paid US$1 million a year until 2010, which would be over 240 million Jamaican dollars, for what is generally thought to be a limited role in Jamaica's football programme.

"I will need to first have a look at his contract in details and also meet with my colleagues before I can say a thing on the future on the new technical director," Burrell added.
Burrell, 57, who will be doing his second stint as president, was nominated unopposed after the September 5 deadline for the Voting Congress set for November 4 in Negril, Westmoreland.

"I am honoured and really humbled by the confidence shown in me by my colleagues and I am looking forward to once again serving Jamaica with pride and enthusiasm with a view to taking Jamaica's football where it belongs.

"With the team that I have, I am confident that everyone will play his part in helping Jamaica's football to once again reach the level every single Jamaican would like to see," said Burrell.

Burrell, who led Jamaica to the World Cup in France 1998, lost his presidency in a bitter battle to Crenston Boxhill in 2003 by four votes, then declared, he was betrayed by the delegates. The delegates later claimed the lack of transparency for their decisions.

Burrell who first assumed the presidency of the JFF in 1994 said that's wasn't true.

"Talk is cheap and one of the first things that I did when I took office is to put in place all the controls necessary to ensure transparency and this is why today my colleagues saw it fit to support me in my return to the post of president. I have always insisted on the highest levels of integrity in my dealing in the JFF," noted Burrell.

The Boxhill-led administration was centred around the development of youth football, but sadly enough, it will be remembered for not qualifying a team to any World Cup and the tremendous drop in the Reggae Boyz's world ranking.

When Burrell demitted office in 2003, Jamaica were ranked 46th, now four years after, he will be in charge of a team ranked 95th with a lot of work to do before World Cup qualifiers start next year for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

"Remember my predictions. When you work with people over the years you understand each other and if we are honest, we know each other's limitations. It is unfortunate, but not surprising that this has happened, but I am prepared to put all that behind us and give it once again my best shot," said Burrell.

"The membership has given me a team and I have no difficulty in working with those members who will be elected. The process is truly democratic and I propose to provide the inspiration to all those members elected," said Captain Burrell, who can't wait to get started.