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Karl
Senior Member
USA
914 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 03 2006 : 6:13:04 PM
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PRESENTATION BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE JAMAICA FOOTBALL FEDERATION TO A PRESS BRIEFING
APRIL 3, 2006
20 ST. LUCIA CRESCENT
KINGSTON 5
DEVELOPMENTS RE THE NATIONAL PROGRAMME
LET ME BEGIN BY WELCOMING ALL PRESENT TO OUR OFFICES ONCE AGAIN, TO THE HOME OF THE JAMAICA’S FOOTBALL. I HOPE YOU WILL AGREE THAT IT IS LOOKING MUCH MORE LIKE A HOME.
IN WELCOMING YOU, IT IS APPROPRIATE THAT I TELL YOU THAT THE REFURBISHING OF THE EXTERIOR WALLS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, HAS PROVIDED A LIFT TO NOT ONLY OUR STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE DAY IN AND NIGHT OUT, BUT TO OUR VISITORS AND INDEED NEIGHBOURS, MANY OF WHOM HAVE CALLED TO COMMEND THE FEDERATION.
I CERTAINLY WILL NOT BELITTLE THIS. SOME MAY SEE IT AS A MERE SYMBOLIC UPGRADE, WITH VERY LITTLE TO DO WITH THE SPORT. HOWEVER, THE FACT IS THAT AS WE GO FORWARD INTO AN INCREASINGLY ACTIVE PERIOD, AS WE WILL ELABORATE LATER ON, WE EXPECT TO HAVE MORE AND MORE VISITORS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL COMMUNITY AND IT WILL BE GREAT TO ENTERTAIN THEM AND HAVE MEETINGS IN RESPECTABLE SURROUNDINGS DISPLAYING THE BEST TRADITIONS OF JAMAICA.
IN FACT AS SOON AS NEXT WEEK, FOR THE PERIOD APRIL 6-8, MR. HAROLD TAYLOR, THE FIFA DEVELOPMENT OFFICER WILL BE IN THE ISLAND AS PART OF A SURVEY BEING CONDUCTED BY THE FIFA ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN’S FOOTBALL IN THE CARIBBEAN. JAMAICA WILL BE USED AS THE PILOT CASE IN THIS STUDY.
I THINK PARTICULARLY THAT IN RESPECT OF THE FOOTBALL ACADEMY THAT WE ALSO EXPECT OVER THE COMING MONTHS TO BE ENTERTAINING GUESTS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL COMMUNITY AND CAN DO SO WITH MUCH MORE PRIDE.
LET ME THEREFORE USE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THANK SUPREMEVENTURES LIMTED, WRAY AND NEPHEW LIMITED, DIGICEL, WISYNCO GROUP THROUGH BIGGA/WATA AND ESPECIALLY, SHERWIN WILLIAMS AND ITS COLOURSCAPE BRAND FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE.
THE TOTAL VALUE OF THE SPONSORSHIP SUPPORT WAS FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND AND THE TOTAL COST OF THE REFURBISHING WAS FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
OVER THE COMING PERIOD WE HOPE TO CONCLUDE THE PROCESS OF APPLICATION THROUGH THE KSAC TO HAVE THE RESPECTIVE LOGOS DISPLAYED. WE ARE CAREFUL TO BE WORKING WITH THIS AUTHORITY AND ITS GUIDELINES, SITUATED AS WE ARE IN AN AREA WELL MONITORED.
I KNOW OUR SPONSORS UNDERSTAND AND AGREE WITH THIS APPROACH.
I INVITE YOU TO HAVE A PROPER VIEW AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO TAKE ALL THE PICTURES YOU WISH AT THE END OF THE PROCEEDINGS, BECAUSE TO BE FAIR THE PREVIOUS EXTERIOR DID RECEIVE ITS MORE THAN FAIR SHARE OF EXPOSURE.
TODAY WE WISH TO FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENTS WITH RESPECT TO THE NATIONAL PROGRAMME BEGINNING WITH UPCOMING GAMES AND TOURNAMENTS INCLUDING OUR NATIONAL TEAMS.
THE SQUAD FOR THE CENTRAL AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN QUALIFIERS WHICH WILL LEAVE THE ISLAND ON WEDNESDAY, 5TH, PULLS TOGETHER AN EXTREMELY TALENTED GROUP OF PLAYERS WHO HAVE REPRESENTED JAMAICA AT DIFFERING LEVELS OVER THE PAST THREE TO FIVE YEARS.
THIS SQUAD WILL FORM THE CORE OF OUR OLYMPIC SQUAD FOR 2008 AND HAVE BEEN TRAINING TOGETHER SINCE JANUARY 2006. YOU WILL RECALL THAT THEY TOOK PART IN A TWO (2) GAME FRIENDLY INTERNATIONAL TOUR IN BERMUDA IN FEBRUARY AS PART OF THEIR PREPARATION FOR THE CAC GAMES.
MANY OF THE PLAYERS HAVE BEEN PLAYING FOR THEIR PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS AND HAVE BEEN IN CAMP ALMOST ON A WEEKLY BASIS SINCE JANUARY.
WE ARE PRETTY CONFIDENT, THEREFORE WITH THEIR LEVEL OF PREPARATION AND EXPECT TO QUALIFY FOR THE CAC GAMES.
IF THIS HAPPENS THEN WE WILL FURTHER STRENGTHEN THE SQUAD FOR THE GAMES.
COACH DOWNSWELL WILL OF COURSE GIVE YOU THE FULL SQUAD AND I WANT TO NOTE THE INCLUSION OF SOME OF OUR OVERSEAS BASED PLAYERS IN JERMAINE HOLLIS, NATHAN KOO-BOOTHE, AKEEM PRIESTLY AND OBRIAN WHITE. NATHAN OF COURSE WAS WITH THE SQUAD IN BERMUDA.
WE WILL BE MISSING THE SERVICES OF STRIKER LUTON SHELTON WHO IS ACTUALLY NURSING AN INJURY IN SWEDEN IN HIS SHORT STINT WITH THE CLUB. HE HAS IMPRESSED TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY HAVE DECIDED TO NURSE HIM THROUGH THE INJURY INSTEAD OF SENDING HIM BACK HOME. BEFORE THE INJURY HE PLAYED TWO WARM-UP MATCHES AND SCORED IN ONE.
WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT WHEN LUTON BECOMES AVAILABLE THAT THE EXPERIENCE GAINED WILL REBOUND TO OUR BENEFIT FOR THE CAC GAMES AND INDEED THE OLYMPIC GAMES.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THEREFORE, OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS BEFORE THE OLYMPIC GAMNES, THESE PLAYERS WILL BE EXPOSED TO A VARYING NUMBER OF TOURNAMENTS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS AND WE EXPECT THAT ONCE THEY CONTINUE TO SHOW COMMITMENT AND WILLINGNESS TO WORK HARD, THERE WILL BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM EVEN LOOKING TOWARDS 2010.
JAMAICA HAS NEVER MEDALLED AT THE CAC GAMES AND THIS OF COURSE IS OUR ULTIMATE GOAL EVEN AS WE ARE AWARE THAT PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS LIKE THESE GAMES WILL BENEFIT THESE YOUNG PLAYERS TREMENDOUSLY.
WE ARE TREATING ALSO SERIOUSLY THE MATCH BETWEEN OUR SENIOR NATIONAL MEN’S TEAM AND THE USA MEN’S NATIONAL TEAM ON APRIL 11 IN NORTH CAROLINA.
AS YOU ARE AWARE THIS IS NOT A FIFA DATE SO WE WERE NOT ABLE TO GET A FULL STRENGTH SQUAD. POSSIBLE INCLUSIONS LIKE RICARDO GARDENER, RICARDO FULLER, MARLON KING AND JASON EUELL WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR VARYING REASONS ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTS AND TRAVEL.
WE HAVE HOWEVER BEEN ABLE TO INCLUDE NINE OVERSEAS BASED PLAYERS TO COMPLEMENT OUR INCREASINGLY EXPERINCED LOCAL BASED PLAYERS.
ONCE AGAIN THE TECHNICAL STAFF WILL BE ABLE TO LOOK AT ALL PLAYERS TO SEE THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE EXPERIENCE BEING GAINED OVERSEAS AND IN OUR LOCAL LEAGUES IS IMPACTING ON THEIR OVERALL GAME . THE TECHNICAL STAFF WILL ALSO ASSESS HOW THE PLAYERS PLAY AS AN EMERGING UNIT. THIS WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
THE USA TEAM IS IN A SIMILAR POSITION IN NOT HAVING ACCESS TO SOME OF THEIR KEY PLAYERS. BUT WE ARE AWARE THAT THEY HAVE BEEN BRUISED BY THEIR RECENT LOSS TO GERMANY AND WILL WANT TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION ON THE SOLD OUT HOME CROWD.
WE ARE FINALISING PLANS FOR THE NATIONAL SQUAD TO PLAY GHANA ON MAY 29TH IN THE UK. PLEASE NOTE THIS IS TO BE CONFIRMED.THIS TO BE FOLLOWED BY THE MAJOR ENCOUNTER AGAINST ENGLAND ON JUNE 3, TO BE FURTHER FOLLOWED BY HOME AND AWAY GAMES AGAINST CANADA.
OTHER GAMES WHICH WILL BE INTERSPERSED WITH THESE WILL BE THE SUBJECT OF OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS. SUFFICE TO SAY THAT WE ARE ENTERING A VERY ACTIVE PERIOD ALL-ROUND FOR THE NATIONAL TEAMS.
WE ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO DEFENDING OUR DIGICEL CARIBBEAN CHAMPIONS TROPHY AT THE END OF THIS YEAR.
ONE LAST ANNOUNCEMENT RE OUR NATIONAL PROGRAMME, AS YOU KNOW YOUTH COACH, MR. DAVID HUNT, HAS RECENTLY BEEN APPOINTED NATIONAL UNDER 17 COACH.
COACH HUNT HAS STARTED WEEK-END TRAINING CAMPS WITH AN UNDER 16 SQUAD WHO ARE PREPARING FOR THE CFU UNDER 16 CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE SUMMER.
AS PART OF THEIR PREPARATION A JAMAICAN UNDER-16 SQUAD WILL HAVE A TWO MATCH TOUR OF THE USA PLAYING AGAINST THE USA NATIONAL UNDER-16 TEAM ON MAY 11 AND MAY13.
ALL OF THE ABOVE ACTIVITIES INVOLVING THE UNDER 21 AS WELL AS THE SENIOR TEAM COULD BE DESCRIBED AS THE VERY EARLY STAGES OF OUR PREPARATION FOR 2010. I THEREFORE URGE THE PLAYERS, THOSE HERE AS WELL AS ALL, TO BEGIN TO SHOW THE QUALITIES THAT YOU KNOW WE ARE LOOKING FOR.
I ALSO WANT TO SEND OUT A CLEAR CALL TO SPONSORS. WE ARE AT WARMING UP STAGE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR POSITIVE RESPONSE TO OUR OVERTURES.
WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE MATCH AGAINST ENGLAND, I AM SURE THE MEDIA AND THE NATION WOULD WANT TO KNOW THAT PLANS ON ALL FRONTS ARE TAKING SHAPE.
WE HAVE MENTIONED THE PREPARATION ON THE TECHNICAL SIDE AS WE LOOK AT THE UPCOMING PERFORMANCES.
AS INDICATED EARLIER WE HAVE A VERY ACTIVE MARKETING COMMITTEE WHICH HAS BEEN SPEARHEADING THE COORDINATION OF VARYING COMMERCIAL AND OTHER ACTIVITIES WHICH WILL BE THE SUBJECT OF A SEPARATE PRESS BRIEFING.
WE CAN HOWEVER ADVISE THAT TICKETS FOR THE MATCH FOR INTERESTED JAMAICAN SUPPORTERS WILL BE ON SALE NO LATER THAN THE THIRD WEEK IN APRIL.
IN THE UK TICKETS TARGETTING JAMAICAN FOOTBALL SUPPORTERS, WILL BE ON SALE THROUGH JAMAICA NATIONAL BUILDING SOCIETY BRANCHES. TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT 20 JN LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE UK . THESE LOCATIONS ARE BASED IN THE UK TOWNS AND CITIES WITH THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATION OF JAMAICANS SUCH AS LONDON, BIRMINGHAM, MANCHESTER, LEEDS, BRISTOL, NOTTINGHAM AND LUTON.
IN JAMAICA TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE JFF. WE WISH TO CONFIRM HOWEVER THAT A PRESS BRIEFING TO DEAL WITH ALL AREAS INCLUDING ANNOUNCEMENTS OF SOME SIGNIFICANT PARTNERSHIPS WILL BE HELD.
I WISH YOU TO PERMIT ME TO SPEAK TO TWO OTHER ISSUES. FIRSTLY THE WRAY AND NEPHEW NATIONAL PREMIER LEAGUE AND IN PARTICULAR THE INTRODUCTION OF THE LEAGUE FORMAT FOR THE 2005-2006 SEASON.
AS IS NORMAL THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE WILL HAVE ITS REVIEW AT THE END OF THE SEASON AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT.
HOWEVER, LET ME STATE CATEGORICALLY THAT BASED ON ALL EVIDENCE AVAILABLE TO ME, I AM EXTREMELY PLEASED WITH THE DECISION AND I REPEAT EXTREMELY PLEASED.
WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS COMPETITION OF A HIGH QUALITY AND I WOULD SAY THAT IF THERE IS ANY CLUB ADMINISTRATION THAT IS NOT AWARE NOW THAT PRE-LEAGUE PREPARATION IS WHAT IS GOING TO MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE, THEN I WOULD INDEED BE DISAPPOINTED.
I MAKE REFERENCE TO THIS AT THIS POINT BECAUSE IT IS VERY RELATED TO OUR PLANS FOR THE NATIONAL PROGRAMME FOR THE UPCOMING PERIOD.
WE ALL KNOW THAT THE STRONGER OUR DOMESTIC LEAGUES ARE THE BETTER FOR THE NATIONAL PROGRAM. SO WITH THREE MORE ROUNDS TO GO WITH THE INTENSITY AT THE LEVEL IT IS, AS PRESIDENT WITHOUT OVER INFLUENCING THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE’S DELIBERATIONS, I STRONGLY URGE CLUBS TO STEP UP PREPARATION PLANS FOR THE 2006-2007 SEASON.
NO MORE MUST THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE COMPETITION BE USED FOR PREPARATION FOR SEMI-FINALS AND FINALS.
PLEASE BE CLEAR I AM NOT AT ALL SUGGESTING THAT THE LEAGUE FORMAT IS THE SOLUTION TO THE MYRIAD OF CHALLENGES FACING OUR LOCAL CLUBS. I KNOW THAT THERE ARE OTHER CRITICAL AREAS TO BE ADDRESSED AND THEREFORE I CHARGE THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE IN ITS REVIEW TO LOOK BROADLY AT ALL THE ATTENDANT ISSUES AND I CERTAINLY INVITE THOSE WITH IDEAS TO FEED THEM THROUGH THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE.
IN THE MEANTIME, I SAY, MAY THE MOST CONSISTENT, THE MOST COMPETITIVE, THE BEST TECHNICALLY PREPARED AND MENTALLY STRONGER CLUB, COMBINED NO DOUBT WITH A LITTLE LUCK, REAP THE BENEFITS OF ITS HARD WORK AND BE AN EXAMPLE TO THE OTHERS.
FINALLY, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ON THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL ACADEMYAND THE GOAL PROJECT, YOU WOULD VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE FEDERATION’S PLEASURE AT THE APPROVAL BY FIFA OF FUNDING FOR THE ACADEMY AT ITS NEW LOCATION.
THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT THE VISION OF THE ADMINISTRATION THAT OUR PLAYERS BE ACCORDED FACILITIES WITH THE LEAST DISTRACTION, WITH ACADEMIC OPPORTUNTIES CLOSE BY AND IN CLIMATIC CONDITIONS BEST SUITED FOR PREPARATION FOR INTERNATIONAL GAMES, HAS BEEN ACCEPTED.
WE HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH THE VENDOR AND NOW AWAIT CONFIRMATION FROM FIFA
THAT PAYMENT HAS BEEN FORWARDED TO THE VENDOR’S ACCOUNT.
LADIES OF GENTLEMEN, MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA, AS THE NATIONAL PROGRAMME ENTERS A HECTIC PERIOD, I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR USUAL SUPPORT, INCLUDING YOUR CRITICAL SUPPORT.
THANKS FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING.
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Karl |
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Karl
Senior Member
USA
914 Posts |
Posted - Apr 03 2006 : 6:14:48 PM
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April 3, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Below are the National Under-21 Team for the CAC Games Qualifiers in Suriname April 5 – 9 and the National Senior Team that will play against the USA in a Friendly International on April 11 in Cary, North Carolina.
National U-21 Team National Senior Team
Ralston Robinson Donovan Ricketts
Duwayne Kerr Shawn Sawyers
Jermaine Taylor Damion Stewart
Nicholy Finlayson Claude Davis
Adrian Reid Garfield Reid
Keneil Moodie Omar Daley
Shaun Francis Oneil Thompson
Mario Harrison Demar Stewart
Omroy Wilson Khari Stephenson
Jermaine Hollis Jermaine Johnson
Nathan Koo-Boothe Fabian Dawkins
Rafe Wolfe Jamal Campbell-Ryce
Obrian White Jason Morrison
Akeem Priestly Jermaine Hue
Richard West Teafore Bennett
Horace Howell Newton Sterling
Steven Morrissey Dane Richards
Carnell Leamond Ryan Johnson
Standby
Lance Dacosta, Ryan Thompson, Seon Givens, Dwayne Jumpp, Jeff Pearce
Contact: Wendell Downswell
469-0667
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DEVELOPMENTS RE THE NATIONAL PROGRAMME
