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Boxhill: Divisiveness major failure of JFF
By Ian Burnett Sport Editor
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Outgoing president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Crenston Boxhill, has cited divisiveness among the football fraternity as one of the major failures of his administration's four-year tenure.
Boxhill, who will relinquish office to former president Captain Horace Burrell at today's Voting Congress in Hanover, was reflecting on his reign as local football boss in an interview with the Sunday Observer yesterday.
"I. believe that football. is not just about the team on the field, but the team off the field as well, and I'm a strong believer that the stronger the team off the field, the better the team on the field will perform," he said.
He added: "Try as we did over the last four years, I was unable to put together the strongest, most unified team off the field, which of course, includes board members."
After the first year of Boxhill's administration, there was talk of a no-confidence motion being brought against him, but it failed to be mentioned at the Portland Congress. A year later at Munro, another no-confidence motion was brought against the administration, but it failed to get the required two-thirds majority.
And the period was plagued with resignations and reports of factions and even after Boxhill announced that he would not be seeking another term, there were calls for his immediate resignation.
But the divisiveness of the fraternity is not the only failing Boxhill cited. He mentioned the falloff of the senior team in recent time, the early exits of teams and the inability to secure enough practice games, as well as not being in office to open the Football Academy in Malvern, St Elizabeth.
"As it relates to the weaknesses, the fall-off of the senior team, especially over the past two months, is obviously something we're not really happy about," Boxhill said.
"The early exit of our senior teams from the last Digicel Cup, also the early exit of the Under-23s from the Olympics and the failure of the Under-17s to qualify after doing well up to that point, are also major disappointments.
"The inability, for various reasons, to get more practice games, especially at home, for all teams at all levels, would have made a huge difference," he said.
Regarding the Academy, he said: ". There has to be a balance. The fact that we were able to secure the piece of real estate at Malvern, including the location and the price, and the fact that it was approved by FIFA, I think was a very positive move and a significant achievement.
"Having said that. I'm disappointed that through no fault of ours. this administration was not able to see it open in the first phase, but whether there is going to be one Academy or more throughout the island, then I am certain that this Academy at Munro will play a very important part in Jamaica's football development."
Boxhill, who has had stints as head of three parish associations, as well as manager of the Reggae Boyz during the Road to France campaign, said this has been his most challenging task as an administrator.
"I've spent most of my life in football, especially at the administrative level, but the national level has posed most challenging so far, and this of course had been expected, because there is no comparison between a parish or regional interest and the national interest - being parish president and chairman of confederation.
"As challenging as the period was though, I think there were some things that I am pleased about, and of course, there are things that I wish had gone differently."
Among the triumphs of the Digicel Cup in 2005 and the historic silver medal achievement by the Under-20s at the Pan Am Games in Brazil in the summer, Boxhill said one of his proudest achievements is the fact that the football fraternity is now forced to focus more on the issue of youth development.
"In the past, focus has been on World Cup qualification and related issues. This has seen qualification at all levels, senior and youth. Because of the effort of this administration to focus on youth and the local talent development and building the sport from bottom up, there has been more national reflection on this. It is probably not a resolved issue, but it has certainly forced the country and stake holders to think," argued Boxhill.
"Progress has been made regarding the development of local talent. It has not necessarily been smooth and has not reached the pinnacle of World Cup qualification, but through a variety of policy initiatives, much of the best of our local talent has made significant strides. A number of senior players have received overseas contracts and most of these were exposed through the 2005 Digicel Cup and by extension the 2006 CONCACAF Gold Cup," continued Boxhill.
He said winning of the inaugural Digicel Cup, with a heavy bias of local talent and the historic achievement of the Under-20s at the Pan Am Games are probably the two most outstanding examples.
He added: "The improvement in recognition of women's football, this has been the scope of the focus of the development of the local talent, this did not happen by chance. This was a conscious policy.
"More people are now watching, more media interested, more sponsors are now on board and more players benefitted. Players have gotten scholarships and are now blazing a trail at overseas colleges and setting an example and offering hope for more local based players. Women's football received the most sponsorship ever," he reiterated.
He also highlighted the deepening of the sponsorship support, not only limited to the senior team, but for youth and women's segments of the sport, and also at the club level. "Sponsorship is also an indication of the popularity of the sport and the return the investors feel they can get and the level of confidence in the administration of the sport. Confidence is usually an indication of transparency.
"Also policy initiative involving the local premier league, including the formation of the Premier League Clubs' Association (PLCA), a development, which potentially over time, I think can help transform local football, the change in league system etc, will bring professionalism to the sport," he said.
By Ian Burnett Sport Editor
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Outgoing president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Crenston Boxhill, has cited divisiveness among the football fraternity as one of the major failures of his administration's four-year tenure.
Boxhill, who will relinquish office to former president Captain Horace Burrell at today's Voting Congress in Hanover, was reflecting on his reign as local football boss in an interview with the Sunday Observer yesterday.
"I. believe that football. is not just about the team on the field, but the team off the field as well, and I'm a strong believer that the stronger the team off the field, the better the team on the field will perform," he said.
He added: "Try as we did over the last four years, I was unable to put together the strongest, most unified team off the field, which of course, includes board members."
After the first year of Boxhill's administration, there was talk of a no-confidence motion being brought against him, but it failed to be mentioned at the Portland Congress. A year later at Munro, another no-confidence motion was brought against the administration, but it failed to get the required two-thirds majority.
And the period was plagued with resignations and reports of factions and even after Boxhill announced that he would not be seeking another term, there were calls for his immediate resignation.
But the divisiveness of the fraternity is not the only failing Boxhill cited. He mentioned the falloff of the senior team in recent time, the early exits of teams and the inability to secure enough practice games, as well as not being in office to open the Football Academy in Malvern, St Elizabeth.
"As it relates to the weaknesses, the fall-off of the senior team, especially over the past two months, is obviously something we're not really happy about," Boxhill said.
"The early exit of our senior teams from the last Digicel Cup, also the early exit of the Under-23s from the Olympics and the failure of the Under-17s to qualify after doing well up to that point, are also major disappointments.
"The inability, for various reasons, to get more practice games, especially at home, for all teams at all levels, would have made a huge difference," he said.
Regarding the Academy, he said: ". There has to be a balance. The fact that we were able to secure the piece of real estate at Malvern, including the location and the price, and the fact that it was approved by FIFA, I think was a very positive move and a significant achievement.
"Having said that. I'm disappointed that through no fault of ours. this administration was not able to see it open in the first phase, but whether there is going to be one Academy or more throughout the island, then I am certain that this Academy at Munro will play a very important part in Jamaica's football development."
Boxhill, who has had stints as head of three parish associations, as well as manager of the Reggae Boyz during the Road to France campaign, said this has been his most challenging task as an administrator.
"I've spent most of my life in football, especially at the administrative level, but the national level has posed most challenging so far, and this of course had been expected, because there is no comparison between a parish or regional interest and the national interest - being parish president and chairman of confederation.
"As challenging as the period was though, I think there were some things that I am pleased about, and of course, there are things that I wish had gone differently."
Among the triumphs of the Digicel Cup in 2005 and the historic silver medal achievement by the Under-20s at the Pan Am Games in Brazil in the summer, Boxhill said one of his proudest achievements is the fact that the football fraternity is now forced to focus more on the issue of youth development.
"In the past, focus has been on World Cup qualification and related issues. This has seen qualification at all levels, senior and youth. Because of the effort of this administration to focus on youth and the local talent development and building the sport from bottom up, there has been more national reflection on this. It is probably not a resolved issue, but it has certainly forced the country and stake holders to think," argued Boxhill.
"Progress has been made regarding the development of local talent. It has not necessarily been smooth and has not reached the pinnacle of World Cup qualification, but through a variety of policy initiatives, much of the best of our local talent has made significant strides. A number of senior players have received overseas contracts and most of these were exposed through the 2005 Digicel Cup and by extension the 2006 CONCACAF Gold Cup," continued Boxhill.
He said winning of the inaugural Digicel Cup, with a heavy bias of local talent and the historic achievement of the Under-20s at the Pan Am Games are probably the two most outstanding examples.
He added: "The improvement in recognition of women's football, this has been the scope of the focus of the development of the local talent, this did not happen by chance. This was a conscious policy.
"More people are now watching, more media interested, more sponsors are now on board and more players benefitted. Players have gotten scholarships and are now blazing a trail at overseas colleges and setting an example and offering hope for more local based players. Women's football received the most sponsorship ever," he reiterated.
He also highlighted the deepening of the sponsorship support, not only limited to the senior team, but for youth and women's segments of the sport, and also at the club level. "Sponsorship is also an indication of the popularity of the sport and the return the investors feel they can get and the level of confidence in the administration of the sport. Confidence is usually an indication of transparency.
"Also policy initiative involving the local premier league, including the formation of the Premier League Clubs' Association (PLCA), a development, which potentially over time, I think can help transform local football, the change in league system etc, will bring professionalism to the sport," he said.
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