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Openness is the watchword, Captain Burrell
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Jamaican sport, as we have said before on a number of occasions in this space, would hardly be worth mentioning were it not for the hundreds of millions of dollars in support that flows annually from the government and the private sector.
All of which should mean that sporting bodies are accountable and transparent. Hence our disappointment over the refusal by new head of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Captain Horace Burrell to explain the reasons for dismissing the technical director for football, Mr Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic.
We are among those who welcome back the Captain as head of Jamaica's football and salute his phenomenal achievements that led us to an ulikely World Cup final in 1998. But while he has our support, it is not uncritical support.
Captain Burrell told journalists that Mr Milutinovic had been fired with immediate effect "for breach of contract". But while revealing that he and his administration had been guided by a lawyer in arriving at their decision, the Captain refused to explain further.
Said he: "I am not prepared to outline the details, as Mr Bora is a professional and being a senior football administrator and a professional myself, I think it would be inappropriate to divulge the reasons."
We beg to disagree with the good Captain. He may not be able to provide every last detail, but the Jamaican public, who ultimately, one way or the other, is required to cover the cost of Jamaica's football have a right to know - if only in broad terms - what the allegations are that have been brought against Mr Milutinovic. And we need to hear it from the JFF.
Of course, this inclination to secrecy did not start this week with the return to power - after four years - of Captain Burrell and his administration. There appears to be a feeling in the leadership of Jamaica's football that football business is private business. Or at best, that the public should be told only when it is expedient to do so.
For example, we still do not know what was the precise nature of the contract agreed with Mr Milutinovic. And while Jamaicans have heard in the media that his salary was in the region of US$1 million annually, they were never told by the JFF.
This newspaper believes it is appropriate to tell Captain Horace Burrell and his administration that we expect the public to be informed in far more detail of the reasons for terminating Mr Milutinovic's contract and what were the terms of that contract. Our position is not to be construed as defending the coach's honour or suggesting that he did a good job. That's not the point.
We also expect that the public will be informed in detail about the terms and conditions of the contract for the yet-to-be-named replacement coach, so long as any part of the salary package is covered by the public purse.
And Jamaicans will expect to be informed every step of the way as the drive begins to rebuild Jamaica's football. In any event, football will only success if it is built in partnership with the people.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Jamaican sport, as we have said before on a number of occasions in this space, would hardly be worth mentioning were it not for the hundreds of millions of dollars in support that flows annually from the government and the private sector.
All of which should mean that sporting bodies are accountable and transparent. Hence our disappointment over the refusal by new head of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Captain Horace Burrell to explain the reasons for dismissing the technical director for football, Mr Velibor 'Bora' Milutinovic.
We are among those who welcome back the Captain as head of Jamaica's football and salute his phenomenal achievements that led us to an ulikely World Cup final in 1998. But while he has our support, it is not uncritical support.
Captain Burrell told journalists that Mr Milutinovic had been fired with immediate effect "for breach of contract". But while revealing that he and his administration had been guided by a lawyer in arriving at their decision, the Captain refused to explain further.
Said he: "I am not prepared to outline the details, as Mr Bora is a professional and being a senior football administrator and a professional myself, I think it would be inappropriate to divulge the reasons."
We beg to disagree with the good Captain. He may not be able to provide every last detail, but the Jamaican public, who ultimately, one way or the other, is required to cover the cost of Jamaica's football have a right to know - if only in broad terms - what the allegations are that have been brought against Mr Milutinovic. And we need to hear it from the JFF.
Of course, this inclination to secrecy did not start this week with the return to power - after four years - of Captain Burrell and his administration. There appears to be a feeling in the leadership of Jamaica's football that football business is private business. Or at best, that the public should be told only when it is expedient to do so.
For example, we still do not know what was the precise nature of the contract agreed with Mr Milutinovic. And while Jamaicans have heard in the media that his salary was in the region of US$1 million annually, they were never told by the JFF.
This newspaper believes it is appropriate to tell Captain Horace Burrell and his administration that we expect the public to be informed in far more detail of the reasons for terminating Mr Milutinovic's contract and what were the terms of that contract. Our position is not to be construed as defending the coach's honour or suggesting that he did a good job. That's not the point.
We also expect that the public will be informed in detail about the terms and conditions of the contract for the yet-to-be-named replacement coach, so long as any part of the salary package is covered by the public purse.
And Jamaicans will expect to be informed every step of the way as the drive begins to rebuild Jamaica's football. In any event, football will only success if it is built in partnership with the people.
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