Lights back on for boyz

[Karl]

Lights back on for boyz
published: Saturday | November 24, 2007


LeVaughn Flynn, Staff Reporter

JFF President Captain Horace Burrell (second left), greets former JAAA president Pat Anderson on Wednesday evening.



AAH! IT was just what fervent football lovers have been waiting for - a reason worth spending $1,500 (or a nanny if you're feeling the economic crunch) to watch the Reggae Boyz ply their skills at home.

The football programme seemed to have inhaled a breath of life and the National Stadium was resuscitated as some of Jamaica's best Boyz came out to play.

The busy movement of gold jerseys and the vocal support of the crowd was reminiscent of the 'Road to France' campaign while giving hope that South Africa 2010 is a reality and not just an ancestral sentiment.
Frankly, none of the games were spectacular for the three participating teams, but that was of less importance compared to winning back the hearts of fans and whetting their appetite for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers next year.

The two victories over El Salvador (3-0) and Guatemala (2-0), the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) is hoping, would have struck a familiar chord with loyalists and wagonists alike that another glorious invasion of the World Cup finals is possible.

significant game for boyz
The games were particularly significant for youngsters Rudolph Austin, Demar Phillips and Dane Richards, as they look to earn their stripes, and less for the ageing Ian Goodison, who may have filled a few seats, but showed he isn't getting any quicker, particularly against 20-something attackers.

Austin scored the most impressive goal of the two games and Phillips and Richards' pace is sure to trouble a few CONCACAF defenders.

A match at 'The Office' is never ever just about football. Entertainment snapshots included Queen Ifrica, Busy Signal, Morgan Heritage, Richie Stephens and the ultra skilful juggling master Aquel Fonseca, the rasta version of Ronaldinho, or so they say.

So the groundwork has been laid. The National Stadium enjoyed at least a 50 per cent capacity for both games, the most it has been for an international football match in about three years and the nation feels like it is catching the football, bug once again.

All that is left is for the professor (or whoever it may be) to be appointed coach and for the JFF to meet its staggering budget for South Africa 2010.

Of course, a Reggae Boyz' rebirth would not be complete without the man responsible ensuring that you know he is responsible - Captain Horace Burrell. From taking over the post-match press conference to the grand reminders of just how much influence he has in international football circles, the omnipotent one hasn't missed a beat since returning to his throne at the JFF.

Yes captain, we see, and hear, you loud and clear.


Ricardo Fuller celebrates his goal against Guatemala on Wednesday night

Boy Luton Shelton (centre) congratulates teammate Ricardo Gardner after his first goal against El Salvador at the National Stadium last Sunday. Gardner, captain of the Jamaican team, scored twice in the 3-0 victory.

Minister of Education Andrew Holness (left) and the new woman in charge of sport, Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, take it easy at 'The Office'. - photos by Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

New West Indies skipper, Chris Gayle (right), and teammate Marlon Samuels cheer on the Boyz.

Recently retired national netball captain Elaine Davis wouldn't let a foot injury stop her from supporting the Jamaica team.

It may have been damp. but the fans turned out in force on Wednesday night to cheer on the Boyz against Guatemala

Tiger was back on hand to cheer on the Boyz

Above: Cricket great Courtney Walsh was an avid spectator in the stands.

[Muadib]

Imagine trying to defend BoxHill.. pom-poms and all..

Maybe that will jolt you.

[Karl]

Ricketts hails dawn of a new era
published: Saturday | November 24, 2007


Keisha Hill, Staff Reporter

JAMAICA CAPTAIN Donovan Ricketts lauded the public after the team's 2-0 victory over Guatemala on Wednesday and promised better things to come.

"This is a renaissance in the Reggae Boyz era," goalkeeper Ricketts said. "Captain Burrell has come on board with a grand design. He is like the architect and this is just the initial phase of what hopefully will be our qualification for South Africa 2010," he said.

Visiting president of the Cayman Islands Football Association, Jeffrey Webb, congratulated the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) on behalf of the Caribbean and the region for returning top-flight football to the National Stadium.

"What I saw on the field tonight was passion displayed by the players who really wanted to play for Jamaica. For me it is a change to what we have seen here in the past as vision and leadership were lacking," Webb said.

"The JFF now has good leadership and I am sure that the Reggae Boyz will continue to go from strength to strength," he said.

The president of the JFF, Horace Burrell, also expressed similar sentiments in strengthening the JFF's commitment to improving the level of football in Jamaica.

"The new board of the JFF will be meeting shortly, and we will look at the way forward. What is for sure is that we will do everything that is humanly possible to keep this team very active," Burrell said.
"We will not allow any of the FIFA dates to pass by and not have a friendly international lined up. The players and staff have given their commitment and together we intend to move this programme at a pace that is just incredible," he said.

[Brush]

Could someone explain to me why Jamaica(reggaeBoyz) have a tiger as its mascot? Were there tigers in Jamaica at some period that I don't know about? Why not a crocodile? The crocodile, if I am not mistaken, is part of our Coat of Arms. This may seem petty but it has annoyed me and the crocodiles since the 98 campaign. I think we should correct this injustice, crocodiles all over Jamaica are incense by the tiger's lofty position in a country that it's foreign to.

Over to you Captain.

[Assasin]

simply, the tiger sold himself. not many people in Jamaica interested to be a Mascot.

[Mosiah]

The mascot should have been a lion (or croc), what with all our Rasta influences "lion of Judah", etc. But they made T&T get that. sigh

[Muadib]

During the Boxhill term.. the mascot should have been a spider... Bre Anancy styleee..

[Brush]

During the Boxhill term.. the mascot should have been a spider... Bre Anancy styleee..

So true! They conned an entire nation.

[Assasin]

bwoy you funny nuh rathid.

[Baddaz]

everytime i see this mascot tiger it irks me... hated it from it first appeared... which idiot chose the tiger for a mascot... it should be scrapped immediately... furda de suit look ole and decrepid... new era, new mascot... sinting indigenous to jamaica...

[Brush]

everytime i see this mascot tiger it irks me... hated it from it first appeared... which idiot chose the tiger for a mascot... it should be scrapped immediately... furda de suit look ole and decrepid... new era, new mascot... sinting indigenous to jamaica...

Exactly! Also, this could be a great marketing scheme for the JFF. Retiring or firing the tiger on national television and sounding the alarm for "sinting indigenous to Jamaica".

[Gamma]

england have lions? wales have dragons?

[OJ]

Old Reggae Boyz back René's return

Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer

Former national technical director René Simoes celebrating [COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]Jamaica's[/COLOR][/COLOR] qualification for France at the National Stadium in November 1997. - file
With confirmation coming via the way of a Brazilian newspaper that René Simoes, the man responsible for guiding Jamaica to their historic participation in the 1998 [COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]World [COLOR=blue ! important]Cup [/COLOR][COLOR=blue ! important]finals[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR], will be returning to reclaim that post, at least two members of that team feel that it is a good idea.
The position of technical director became vacant with the dismissal of Serbian Bora Milutinovic, who was sent packing shortly after the return of Captain Horace Burrell to the position of Jamaica [COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]Football[/COLOR][/COLOR] Federation (JFF) president.
'Football messiah'
Warren Barrett, the man who kept goal and captained the team has given the thumbs-up to the little Brazilian who was hailed as the 'football messiah'.
Barrett, now 37 and long retired from the international game, said: "Yes, his return would definitely be a good move. He has already done the job by qualifying us for the World Cup and I think he can do it again.
"I am sure that with all the necessary support of the players I think we will definitely have a chance of making it again," said Barrett, of the country's prospects for the 2010 edition of the World Cup to be held in [COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]South [COLOR=blue ! important]Africa[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR].
Like Barrett, forward Paul Hall, who joined the team in the final stages of the qualifiers and helped to push the country successfully over the hump, believes that re-employing Simoes is a right move.
"I think it will be a good thing because he has taken us there before and he understands the country and the region. He knows most of CONCACAF so that will be nothing strange to him," said Hall who joined the team along with his then [COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]Portsmouth[/COLOR][/COLOR] teammates Fitzroy Simpson and Deon Burton.
"If he (Simoes) can manage to get the team back in the frame of mind to the one we had then, then nothing can stop us repeating the feat. I have played on a number of teams in my 19 years as a professional and that Jamaica team was the most one-track minded team I have been in," added Hall who is now with [COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]Walsall[/COLOR][/COLOR], his 10th club.
Simoes, Hall said, had a way of getting into the players' heads and convincing them that they could achieve.
Confident
"We were so confident we expected to eat our food for want of a better way of expressing it and we also expected to go into other people's houses and eat their food too. We were so focused on what we had to achieve, there was a such a strong bond, " he continued.
But while endorsing the return of the man who first arrived in Jamaica to coach just under 13 years ago, Hall admitted that he could face a challenge this time around with the national football set-up being almost the opposite of what Simoes first experienced.
"The major difference this time around is that maybe only one player from that squad, Ricardo Gardner, will play a significant role in the qualifiers this time around and when we (the first of the England-based players) came in there were not many professionals playing abroad or who had played abroad besides Peter Cargill and one or two others," he said.
Communication
The task Simoes will face according to Hall is how to communicate with this new breed of Jamaica national representatives.
"Most of the players were based at home. Now the situation is the opposite where most of the players are playing abroad and are earning good money, are millionaires or are on their way to being millionaires. Communicating with them will be totally different from then. They will have to be treated differently."
As to the adjustment in behaviour that will have to be made, Barrett believes the onus will be more on the players than the coach.
"The adjustment will not be with the coach. It is mostly with the players. Then (before the 1998 World Cup) the players lived and trained together for the better part of four years. now the players will be coming from different clubs in Europe and the [COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important]United[/COLOR][/COLOR] Sates so I think it is up to them and how hungry they are.
"They are earning big bucks in these leagues so it will probably be how motivated they are to represent their country," Barrett said.

Warren Barrett - file

[Brush]

england have lions? wales have dragons?

Point taken. Well Maudib anancy mascot sounds like a good one. But what are the prospects of Boxhill working for Burrell? The administration would save big with regards to designing and material because Boxhill would not need a costume.

[Karl]

Exactly! Also, this could be a great marketing scheme for the JFF. Retiring or firing the tiger on national television and sounding the alarm for "sinting indigenous to Jamaica".

Well I do not love the Tiger...
...but, no Mongoose...pleeeeeeeeeeease?