Tweet
BACK HOME!
Several meetings dominate first day back for Capt Burrell and new executivesHoward Walker, Observer writer
howardh@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Captain Horace Burrell makes his way up the staircase to his office on the third floor of the Jamaica Football Federation's building in New Kingston yesterday. (Photo: Lionel Rookwood)
He exited his green BMW X-5 vehicle, put on his dark blue jacket and stepped boldly and proudly towards the glass door that welcomes everyone to the heart of Jamaica's football.
A young man rushed to open the door, Captain Horace Burrell greeted him, made a few more steps and he was back in his kingdom - the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) at approximately 9:30 am yesterday.
It has been four years since he last put a foot in the JFF building and his wait was over. He smiled. "It's like returning home." But immediately he got to work. "Actually there are several things to be done."
Captain Burrell, in his second stint as president of the JFF, strolled into his third floor office and immediately met with his new executives for approximately 45 minutes before addressing some anxious-looking staff members.
Outgoing general secretary, Burchell Gibson, was on hand to update new general secretary Horace Reid, before introducing the new executives to the staff.
However, Captain Burrell was not amused by what he said was the deteriorating state of the office furniture and that was one of his immediate priorities.
"We will have to do a considerable amount of refurbishing to bring back the office to look like how we left it four years ago.
I have seen where the office was allowed to run down and I believe everybody must be able to work, in at least a comfortable environment. So physically we will address that."
The president, with a hectic schedule for the day, said he will be meeting with technical director, Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic, and a review of his contract is on the agenda, as he had promised in an Observer exclusive in September.
"We will be meeting with the technical director, there we will examine his contract, but we will have more to say as soon as this process in completed.
"There is no secret that we have not been doing well and certainly every thing cannot be aimed at him, but when you have certain responsibilities and things go wrong, the blame will rest in your lap as coach. There is no taking away from that. We will be responsible too, in whatever we do," noted Captain Burrell.
JFF first vice-president, Dale Spencer, of Manchester, third vice-president, Raymond Anderson, treasurer Gary Sinclair (St Catherine), Howard McIntosh, former president Lincoln "Happy" Sutherland and Peter Prendergast were all at the office.
Coaches Patrick 'Jackie' Walters, senior women's coach Charles Edwards and National Under-17 female coach Junior Francis were also on hand to meet the president.
The first on the scene from the new slate was general secretary Horace Reid, who arrived at approximately 8:45 am. He resigned with immediate effect from his position with premier league outfit Portmore United to avoid a conflict of interest.
Said Reid: "It gives me an opportunity, I think, for everything again. It shouldn't be that difficult a challenge. Over the past four years, I have been on the outside and hopefully we can get cracking because there is a lot of work to be done.
"We have a wide range of meetings today. In the competitions' department we have to look at that with the staff and see how we can get the premier league restarted and see how we can attack those international dates we have this month. It pretty much will be a full day of activity," said Reid.
Full day is what Captain Burrell was expecting. A day which might last well into today just to get things back on track. "That's the life of football administrators and therefore we have no problem at all burning the lamp in order to put Jamaica's football back on track."
Several meetings dominate first day back for Capt Burrell and new executivesHoward Walker, Observer writer
howardh@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Captain Horace Burrell makes his way up the staircase to his office on the third floor of the Jamaica Football Federation's building in New Kingston yesterday. (Photo: Lionel Rookwood)
He exited his green BMW X-5 vehicle, put on his dark blue jacket and stepped boldly and proudly towards the glass door that welcomes everyone to the heart of Jamaica's football.
A young man rushed to open the door, Captain Horace Burrell greeted him, made a few more steps and he was back in his kingdom - the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) at approximately 9:30 am yesterday.
It has been four years since he last put a foot in the JFF building and his wait was over. He smiled. "It's like returning home." But immediately he got to work. "Actually there are several things to be done."
Captain Burrell, in his second stint as president of the JFF, strolled into his third floor office and immediately met with his new executives for approximately 45 minutes before addressing some anxious-looking staff members.
Outgoing general secretary, Burchell Gibson, was on hand to update new general secretary Horace Reid, before introducing the new executives to the staff.
However, Captain Burrell was not amused by what he said was the deteriorating state of the office furniture and that was one of his immediate priorities.
"We will have to do a considerable amount of refurbishing to bring back the office to look like how we left it four years ago.
I have seen where the office was allowed to run down and I believe everybody must be able to work, in at least a comfortable environment. So physically we will address that."
The president, with a hectic schedule for the day, said he will be meeting with technical director, Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic, and a review of his contract is on the agenda, as he had promised in an Observer exclusive in September.
"We will be meeting with the technical director, there we will examine his contract, but we will have more to say as soon as this process in completed.
"There is no secret that we have not been doing well and certainly every thing cannot be aimed at him, but when you have certain responsibilities and things go wrong, the blame will rest in your lap as coach. There is no taking away from that. We will be responsible too, in whatever we do," noted Captain Burrell.
JFF first vice-president, Dale Spencer, of Manchester, third vice-president, Raymond Anderson, treasurer Gary Sinclair (St Catherine), Howard McIntosh, former president Lincoln "Happy" Sutherland and Peter Prendergast were all at the office.
Coaches Patrick 'Jackie' Walters, senior women's coach Charles Edwards and National Under-17 female coach Junior Francis were also on hand to meet the president.
The first on the scene from the new slate was general secretary Horace Reid, who arrived at approximately 8:45 am. He resigned with immediate effect from his position with premier league outfit Portmore United to avoid a conflict of interest.
Said Reid: "It gives me an opportunity, I think, for everything again. It shouldn't be that difficult a challenge. Over the past four years, I have been on the outside and hopefully we can get cracking because there is a lot of work to be done.
"We have a wide range of meetings today. In the competitions' department we have to look at that with the staff and see how we can get the premier league restarted and see how we can attack those international dates we have this month. It pretty much will be a full day of activity," said Reid.
Full day is what Captain Burrell was expecting. A day which might last well into today just to get things back on track. "That's the life of football administrators and therefore we have no problem at all burning the lamp in order to put Jamaica's football back on track."