| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Karl |
Posted - Apr 17 2002 : 10:51:50 AM
Boot out unruly football teams: Ltr to the Editor...
Wed Apr 17 08:46:06 2002
208.138.28.218
...of the Observer.
Thursday, April 18, 2002
Dear Editor,
The Jamaica Football Federation must be of the view that if you do not live in one of the areas where some of the major football clubs originate then you are not interested in football in Jamaica at its highest levels.
How can they determine then that people who live outside Tivoli Gardens and Arnett Gardens are not interested in seeing them play? What is this foolishness about those teams playing at Up Park Camp without spectators?
Can someone enlighten me, please, regarding this situation? If this has got to be the case, why do they have to be in the various competitions? Why are they not kicked out? Do they have to play at all and any cost?
I have always been an admirer of Walter Boyd of Arnett and Marco McDonald of Tivoli. Yet, I may never see them playing against each other, to determine for myself, exactly how good they really are at the highest level.
If violence is the reason, then those teams must be told in no uncertain terms that if their supporters cannot behave themselves, then the teams will be booted from competition. The clubs have a responsibility to control their followers.
Quite recently, the prime minister ordered one of his MPs to remove graffiti from the walls of the PNP headquarters because constituents of the MP felt that it was OK, as long as they were protesting, to deface the walls. Leaders are to some extent responsible for the behaviour of their supporters. It is not any different in football competition at the community level.
Captain Burrell himself imposed heavy fines on the teams when their supporters clashed in a fracas at Harbour View recently. The message then was clear, control your supporters. Now the innocent is told that when those teams are playing they cannot see the game.
For the ardent football fan this is a slap in the face and is an insult to the intelligence of the sporting public. Supporters and spectators are just as important as the players, if not more so, and they should be treated with respect. Football was made for man, not man for football.
Imagine if you can, Manchester United playing against Arsenal without spectators or the World Cup without anyone watching.
The Olympics that we know today that started in 776 BC had rules that governed behaviour from those days, one of which was that "cities had to cease hostilities during the Games". Wars were halted to facilitate spectators going to the games.
Why can't we then in modern times put rules in place to control spectators by holding clubs responsible?
The JFF wants us to give support to football. We should not heed their plea unless we are allowed to watch all the stars, at all the games we choose, at the places we choose to watch them.
Punish the offenders and, if necessary, get rid of the offending teams. Football is bigger than any and every team.
Winston Bennett
2 Foster Davis Drive
Kingston 6
Winston Bennett
Karl |
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