Burrell remains inspired despite huge JFF debts
BY PAUL A REID Observer writer
reidp@jamaicaobserver.com
LITTLE LONDON, Westmoreland — Despite being faced with debts inherited from the previous administration, president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Captain Burrell Horace, says he has no regrets in returning to helm the of the nation’s football.
Burrell, who was re-elected unopposed as president of the JFF at last November's Voting Congress held in Negril, said rather than looking at the various unexpected hurdles as setbacks, he prefers to regard them as challenges.
“Absolutely not. I don't regard it (debts) as a setback, I regard it as a challenge to be overcome,” a confident Burrell told Sporting World at Thursday's launch of the Westmoreland Football Association's Captain's Bakery Major League at the Bay Road Sports Complex in Little London.
This week it was revealed that the JFF had been sued by a Kingston hotel for over $1 million in unpaid bills dating back to 2006. This follows earlier reports that the JFF owes the English FA over £137,000 from tickets that were allocated to the local Federation for a friendly match in London between the two countries last year. These are just recent additions to the body’s mounting debt, most of which was incurred during the Crenston Boxhill-led administration.
“I am prepared to continue to work very, very hard with the team that I have to overcome the challenges. These challenges are not insurmountable but what I would not like to see is a repeat of this happening to any sporting organisation in Jamaica, cricket or football,” said the CFU senior vicepresident.
He did not miss a chance to lash out against the Boxhill administration. “I believe that when administrators go forward to lead they should have the capacity to lead. If they don't they should do the honourable thing and step down. What happened to football was a type of leadership that was allowed to continue until the whole thing was almost eroded,” Burrell charged.
The way forward, he said, was through hard work by his team and trying to pay off the debts from proceeds coming from friendly internationals.
“I have a group of committed people working with me and we will come together and plan the way forward,” he said. “We are planning a number of friendly international games and we will use some of the proceeds to offset some of the huge debts that we now face, so we have plans.”
BY PAUL A REID Observer writer
reidp@jamaicaobserver.com
LITTLE LONDON, Westmoreland — Despite being faced with debts inherited from the previous administration, president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Captain Burrell Horace, says he has no regrets in returning to helm the of the nation’s football.
Burrell, who was re-elected unopposed as president of the JFF at last November's Voting Congress held in Negril, said rather than looking at the various unexpected hurdles as setbacks, he prefers to regard them as challenges.
“Absolutely not. I don't regard it (debts) as a setback, I regard it as a challenge to be overcome,” a confident Burrell told Sporting World at Thursday's launch of the Westmoreland Football Association's Captain's Bakery Major League at the Bay Road Sports Complex in Little London.
This week it was revealed that the JFF had been sued by a Kingston hotel for over $1 million in unpaid bills dating back to 2006. This follows earlier reports that the JFF owes the English FA over £137,000 from tickets that were allocated to the local Federation for a friendly match in London between the two countries last year. These are just recent additions to the body’s mounting debt, most of which was incurred during the Crenston Boxhill-led administration.
“I am prepared to continue to work very, very hard with the team that I have to overcome the challenges. These challenges are not insurmountable but what I would not like to see is a repeat of this happening to any sporting organisation in Jamaica, cricket or football,” said the CFU senior vicepresident.
He did not miss a chance to lash out against the Boxhill administration. “I believe that when administrators go forward to lead they should have the capacity to lead. If they don't they should do the honourable thing and step down. What happened to football was a type of leadership that was allowed to continue until the whole thing was almost eroded,” Burrell charged.
The way forward, he said, was through hard work by his team and trying to pay off the debts from proceeds coming from friendly internationals.
“I have a group of committed people working with me and we will come together and plan the way forward,” he said. “We are planning a number of friendly international games and we will use some of the proceeds to offset some of the huge debts that we now face, so we have plans.”
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