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Karl
Senior Member
USA
914 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 15 2002 : 11:38:23 AM
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JFF's "Crash and Burn response.
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Nemesis..
PM announces new fund to assist sports
Sat Jul 13 07:55:38 2002
68.50.206.42
PM announces new fund to assist sports
Observer Reporter
Saturday, July 13, 2002
PRIME Minister PJ Patterson has announced the establishment of a fund for sports, according to a release from the Office of the Prime Minister circulated yesterday.
Speaking to heads of sports associations yesterday at Jamaica House, the prime minister said the fund called CHASE -- which will also have a cultural, health, arts, and educational dimension -- will come from contributions from the two lottery companies operating in Jamaica.
In the new arrangement, Mr Patterson said sports will be allocated 40 per cent of the pool of funds. Twenty-five per cent will go to education, especially early childhood education, 20 per cent to health and 15 per cent to arts and culture.
Patterson, who was meeting with heads of sports associations, said his administration shared the concern of sporting bodies caused by the cut in funds from the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) which had its budget reduced by the Lottery Company of Jamaica.
The prime minister's announcement followed criticism from the president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF). Burrell told the Observer last week that the Jamaican Government had been tardy in moving to restore adequate funding to football and the wider sports sector.
Prior to that the JFF had announced drastic cut-backs in its national programmes because of a lack of money.
Patterson said yesterday that the government was treating the establishment of the new fund with urgency and that he had requested that the legislation needed to bring it into operation be dealt with speedily.
"I have asked that drafting of the regulations be done as a matter of urgency," the prime minister explained.
He gave the assurance to the sports organisations that the 40 per cent that sports will receive will be as much as they ever received from the SDF.
Patterson noted, however, that allocations should be made to sports bodies in proportion to their size and scope, adding that since it was public funds the associations would be held accountable by the government for the use of the funds
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wf
'Over to you, Capt. Burrell.'
Mon Jul 15 09:20:47 2002
162.83.180.244
-Sunday Gleaner letter-
JFF dilemma regrettable
THE EDITOR, Sir:
THE present financial dilemma in which the Jamaica Football Federation has found itself is rather
regrettable when viewed against the background of the tremendous strides football has taken over the
years, culminating in Jamaica's participation in the 1998 World Cup in France. Indeed, that was made
possible by financial contributions from the private sector, supported to a large extent by grants from the
Sports Development Foundation.
The news, therefore, of suspension of the programme as announced by the President of the Federation,
Captain Horace Burrell, has sent shock waves through the sporting fraternity and there seems to be little
hope of an early resumption, based on the feedback coming out of the West. The JFF has been the
beneficiary of substantial funding for the programme over the years, but (and I stand to be corrected), I
have never seen any published audited accounts and I wonder if there could be a change in attitude from
corporate Jamaica if some financial accounts are presented for public consumption.
It may not be too late, Capt. Burrell, to get the programme back on track, but you may need to convince
corporate Jamaica that funds entrusted to the programme are being well spent.
Over to you, Capt. Burrell.
I am, etc.,
VANDYKE L. McKENZIE, J.P
Regional Manager
NCB Jamaica Ltd
Harbour Street,
Montego Bay
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OTown:
"In This Judgment There Is No Partiality. . . ."
Monday, July 08, 2002
I am yet to hear of any movement on the part of the JFF to make any Financial Disclosure/Public Relations/Contingency strategy announcement to follow-up on last week's blockbuster negative announcements.
Maybe the JFF does not yet, have a comprehensive response but I sure hope the leaders are diligently working on one, which will earn them the trust of the public, motivate the football sector, and not just repeat harsh words for the government.
I hope they have the savvy to acknowledge the difficult economic challenges facing the government and the country at large, and as such, will not completely burn the bridge with this government.
I am also yet to hear of their overall assessment of the state of football from grass roots level for the very young, up through NPL and senior team.
With or without funds, every organization must develop two kinds of plans; the Needs Plan, and the Financially Feasible Plan.
The strategy to bridge both of these plans and how to identify and earn the confidence and partnership of investors and stakeholders alike is key.
The present time is the best time to act. Great warriors are determined at war-time, and so it is with great leaders. They are great leaders when they face, meet and overcome challenges in times of crisis.
The government is not completely off the hook either. It needs to clearly articulate the government's position regarding cutbacks, the competing and more critical priorities, and the conditions under which the funding of the JFF will be restored/increased.
In addition, the government must be very direct, open and unambiguous with its expectations of the JFF.
So, RBSC, ". . . arm in arms. . .we fight this little struggle. . .'cause that's the only way we can overcome our little trouble. . ."
Respek.
OTown - Reggae Boyz Supporterz
Email comments to: OTown@reggaeboyzsc.com
Editor's Note: While these reports are filled with correspondent's insight and expertise, they are based on the author's point of view and may contain speculation as well as fact. The views expressed by the author are not necessarily the views of The Reggae Boyz Supporterz Club.
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Karl: NONSENSE PRESS CONFERENCE!
Thursday, July 11, 2002
The JFF has held its press conference geared to stem the rising tide of dissatisfaction with its leadership.
What took place was a public relations exercise. The very leaders of the JFF who have been doing a poor job of managing said in effect, "WE ARE GREAT!"
They tried to reassure us that all is well with their management style.
Unfortunately, the actions of the JFF over the last few years prove other than the JFF's feel good conference.
The truth is, strip away our long known knowledge of past achievements and there is no substance to the JFF's pronouncements.
There was no roll out of plans to fund operations of a viable corporate JFF.
There was no roll out of plans geared to strengthen the JFF's management team.
There was not one plan, one idea, one hint of moving towards a perpetual self-sustaining forward looking JFF.
The fact is a careful look at the utterances of the JFF tells a story opposite of the one the JFF tried to unfold. The JFF says it is lobbying for handouts from the government. There is nothing creative or self-fulfilling about standing with hand out begging for largesse. It also takes no great amount of intellect to devise such a policy.
I am not saying Government assistance is not helpful. I am saying by its own action of doing for self, doing well for self, the JFF will build the credibility that will have the Government and other entities and persons running to offer help.
Then there is, to put it mildly, the misstatement by the JFF, during the press conference, and I quote, "The JFF currently has four teams in training." This after JFF President Burrell had canceled all training.
The statement given to media by the JFF further claims that, "It should be noted that careful planning and prudency are the contributing factors for the JFF to have been able to continue its operations for the last nine months, despite the many dislocations."
The questions which follow are – What planning? What prudency (sic)? What are the many dislocations? Legitimate questions for which no answers were provided.
I would, however, want the JFF to tell what were the plans to continuously fund a football program? If it is the JFF's contention that, in fact, there were plans an explanation of actions taken to realize that funding of our football would be helpful?
There is one thing the document does very well. It underscores the importance of football to the country.
It points out economic and social benefits that accrue. It is this very knowledge held by members of the JFF's managing team that should have emphasized the importance of the need to manage in a professional manner.
The JFF managers have made it known that they understand their responsibility to the Jamaican people. They have said so, in their own words.
These managers must now explain why they are not living up to that responsibility.
Captain Burrell must inform the Jamaican people why our football is in such a shambles?
If Captain Burrell cannot present the way towards a self-sufficient JFF, geared to the perpetual renewal of all resources and a continuous climb up the ladder of world football, what is his purpose?
If this press conference, this meeting of sheep, is all the present management team at the JFF has to offer, then mass resignations should be the order of the day.
If Captain Burrell cannot lay out a plan to incorporate needed expertise in the ranks of management to effect sound policies, what, then, is his purpose?
I contend there is no desire of reminders of past achievements. I know of those achievements. I reveled in the accomplishments. Praise was duly offer to the deserving.
The JFF's job is that of governance. The JFF is our government of football. The job of governments is to create the climate within which THE PEOPLE PROGRESS….CONTINUOUSLY!
The JFF's job is to create progress above and beyond past achievements. If it were not so - What’s the point?
NONSENSE PRESS CONFERENCE!
Where are the plans to improve our football, JFF?
Email comments to: Karl@reggaeboyzsc.com
Editor's Note: While these reports are filled with correspondent's insight and expertise, they are based on the author's point of view and may contain speculation as well as fact. The views expressed by the author are not necessarily the views of The Reggae Boyz Supporterz Club.
Karl |
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Karl
Senior Member
USA
914 Posts |
Posted - Jul 15 2002 : 11:50:46 AM
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Courtney adds insight!
Great work is going to have to be done.
Mon Jul 15 09:45:33 2002
66.205.24.3
CVM TV Polls last week had over 87 % of respondent stating that the JFF MISMANAGED it's fund as well as over 65% stating that the GOVT should not pump anymore money into the JFF.
For an Organization that was once the darling of Jamaicans and Burrel & Co being held aloft as super administrators quite a big fall in Confidence.
The Private Sector & the GOVT are not impressed as well.
They need to take a long look at what has transpired and not make the silly mistake of underestimating people's intelligence again. The biggest mistake would be to think that a few big internationals will fix this.
Bless
Courtney
Karl |
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Karl
Senior Member
USA
914 Posts |
Posted - Jul 15 2002 : 12:34:58 PM
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Very good.
Fri Jul 12 08:31:50 2002
66.205.24.5
Not a bad job of recounting the interview.
The issues that a lot of people have with Capt. Burrell is a bit different from yours.
1. KPMG did the audit, is that refuting the claim by Nodley's article ?? Did the Treasurer have any part to play in the proceedings. One would think that if he's appointed treasuer he has an accounting background. WHo better to work in tandem with the auditors. No one seems to remember Mesers Burrel or Reid being of an accounting background.
The Benefits to the Company's Treasurer being on spot is obvious .
If KPMG is employed by the JFF one could not reasonably expect them to go out revealing figures to the public. That would be a major breach on their part.
2. The Buliding Issue is one that will never die and while the Capt. Thought it prudent to have purchased same. The real question is has the same level of study gone into the actual running of the program. A great level of strategising must have gone on to secure to locate the building secure loans & negotiate lease mortgage whatever.
Has that level of expertise been allocated to the actual planning of OUR NATIONAL FOOTBALL PROGRAM ??
3. I'm dissapointed in the level of questioning by the hosts. Nodley's articile listed other grievances expressed by the unnamed executives.
a) The willingness to totally give up opportunities to earn funds soloely because the Capt. appears not to get his own way. I'm speaking specifically to the issue of TV revenue lost during the W/Cup qualifiers. A peanny earned is a penny earned. Business is negotiated not bullied. JFF requested x amount & the local people could not match it FIND THE MIDDLE GROUND.
There are other issues as well.
4. The Executive manadated that a PROPOSAL BE DONE & SENT TO THE GOVT & PRIVATE SECTOR.
Most business persons eyes opened wide at that statement.
HELLO, this was not done previously. So on what was the JFF expecting funds to be remitted ???
This statement alone admitted so much .
"Football is a business" a business man would have presented proposals ages ago instead of trying to embarasss both the private sector & govt. based on what was funds to be remitted to the JFF ??
To stop this being an epistle. Last one.
WHY HAVE THE LADIES TEAM BEEN SACRIFICED ??
No one can say they got the best support from the federation .
The Federation has people who handle the day to day operations.
WE KNEW OF THE TEAM'S SCHEDULE & THE FACT THAT WE HAD TO PLAY THE GAME.
WHY CALL TEAMS WILLY NILLY CUTTING INTO THE FUNDS WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN FOCUSSED ON THE WOMEN'S TEAM ??
Maybe it's never too late for a shower of rain , but thank the Lord that you have finally realised that we are not a source of amusement for ourselves . It's been said for YEARS lets hope your appeal does does the trick.
Bless
Courtney
Karl |
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Karl
Senior Member
USA
914 Posts |
Posted - Jul 25 2002 : 09:29:37 AM
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It seems like the Captain is having some difficulty...
Thu Jul 25 07:24:42 2002
208.138.28.46
...getting his message across. Up to last night, on Sports Commentary (TVJ), Oral Tracey appealed for more transparency from the JFF. You might remember that since the program was shut down due to a lack of finances, the Captain has stated on numerous occasions that the JFF has been the most transparent of all our local sporting bodies. He has reminded us that no less an auditing firm than KPMG has been contracted to do the federation's audits, which were supplied to all the media houses and its sponsors.
Well, the message seems to be getting no where, and one wonders why.
In the meantime, the JFF is continuing with its legal battle against the Gleaner and Nodley Wright. I reread the "Mutiny" article last night and found only one thing that was PERHAPS incorrect. Nodley described the JFF's financial situation as "insolvent". Well, let's look up the Oxford Dictionary definition of the word.
insolvent - adj. 1 unable to pay debts owed. 2 of or relating to bankruptcy.
Coming on the heels of the JFF's dramatic and indefinite shut down of most of its operations a few weeks back, a time when the Captain had a coach and a trainer resign due to salary issues, when he admitted that there was only a skeleton staff in place at the headquarters, to the point where some asked if he was thinking about renting out the empty offices, and when the women's team was sent packing from camp only days before their important qualifier against Puerto Rico, could "insolvent" be such a misleading term? Look again at definition 2 - OF OR RELATING TO BANKRUPTCY. Had Nodley described the JFF as bankrupt, then the Captain may have had a case, bankrupt being a more legal term. Lawyers on this Forum may correct me here.
The rest of Nodley's article was either raw facts or quotes. I see nothing to sue about.
Something tells me that it won't go to court. I don't think the Captain really wants to be interrogated and I think it would be a terrible waste of money, itself the subject of discussion in the coming years, especially if the JFF continues to have cash flow problems. An apology is what the JFF might push instead, but that would seriously raise doubts about, not just Nodley's, but the venerable Gleaner's credibility. If the Gleaner has any sense at all, it would not apologise, but instead get the Captain to drop the whole silly thing.
But the absolute worst part about all this is the Captain's trip to England, where he is said to be on some sort of a repair mission, since Nodley's article had done serious damage to the national program. Never mind that the JFF's action of shutting down the program could have really been the reason why the rest of the world wonders what is happening at 20 St. Lucia Cresecent.
Sure, Captain, Nodley's article destroyed Jamaica's football and Ahn's goal destroyed Italian football.
Mosiah
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Response by Govt., private sector member etc. on
