| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Karl |
Posted - Oct 14 2006 : 10:25:20 PM
EDITORIAL: Strong foundation for football needed
published: Saturday | October 14, 2006
Crenston BoxHill's administration,with its penchant for the embarrassing gaffe, has hardly been the most imaginative or competent to have run Jamaican football.
Although, to be fair, the failures of the Boxhill team have been exacerbated by the behaviour of obstructionist opponents, intent on bludgeoning their way back to the leadership of the Jamaica Football Federation.
In the circumstance, therefore, we would not be surprised if Mr. Boxhill and his colleagues are more than a little bit delighted for having been able to entice that Mr. Fix-it of international football, the Serbian Bora Milutinovic, to be the coach of the Jamaican team.
Mr. Milutinovic's primary job, we expect, will be to guide Jamaica past the elimination stages to be among the nations at the final of the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.
If Mr. Milutinovic is successful, it will be the second time that Jamaica will reach this stage of the World Cup, having been taken to France in 1998 by the Brazilian, René Simoes. For Mr. Milutinovic it would be the sixth time, and the sixth team that he has taken to this height. His past record, therefore, by whatever measure, is phenomenal. To add Jamaica to that list, especially in the current circumstance of Jamaican football of division and dissension, would be nothing short of sensational.
Nobody, however, is suggesting that reaching this goal is beyond Mr. Milutinovic, especially if he is given the resources, which, we assume, Mr. Boxhill has a good idea from where it will come. For although the terms of Mr. Milutinovic's contract have not been made public, it is reasonable to believe that, in the context of Jamaica, he doesn't come cheap.
If either the government or corporate Jamaica, or both, have given Mr. Boxhill and the JFF an undertaking to meet the bills, we are happy for it. Our only issue is precisely what ought to be the mandate of Mr. Milutinovic and what will be the measure of success.
There is no question that there was great national fervour surrounding the campaign that led to France in 1998.
The programme demonstrated the capacity of sport, even for brief periods, to bridge social and political divisions and to create a great sense of oneness. Perhaps what was achieved during those years, and the pride that swelled when our team not only qualified and hit the field in France, was worth every penny that was spent on the programme.
Yet soon after, things disintegrated, the money dried up and Jamaica's football, the quality of the national leadership apart, has faltered since. One thing that has become clear in all this is that, even during the glory years, the underlying structure of football remained weak.
Maybe we can pull together decent national teams at varying age groups, but the foundation at the club, school and community levels is dodgy and in need of a grand overhaul.
We are not sure that Mr. Milutinovic is being asked to do any of this, or that it is his inclination to be a technical director of Jamaican football, in the fullest sense of the term. Yet, it would be a shame even as we make another run at the World Cup if we do not seek to put sustainable structures in place.
The opinions on this page, except for the above, do not necessarily reflect the views of The Gleaner. To respond to a Gleaner editorial, email us: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax: 922-6223. Responses should be no longer than 400 words. Not all responses will be published.
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