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Shame on the St James FA
Western Bureau
The conspicuous absence of members of the St James Football Association at Sunday's funeral service for former female football star Bernadette "Lorraine" Mairs was quite embarrassing and I totally support those persons who were fuming about it.
Personally, I found it downright insulting, if not disrespectful, to the memory of one, who had the enviable twin distinction of being the first St James woman to represent Jamaica in football and the first Jamaican woman to play semi-professional football overseas.
In addition to her personal prowess on the football field, Mairs was also a source of inspiration and a role model to many of the region's female footballers, who are now parading their skills in club football as well as on the national team. In addition, her friendly disposition endeared her to many.
Show their last respect
To compound the embarrassing absence of the St James FA at the funeral, some of the footballers, who turned up to show their last respect, had to leave hurriedly to participate in a Captain's Bakery Super League double-header at Jarrett Park, which many persons felt should have been postponed to allow the players, some of whom played with Mairs in Business House football, to attend the funeral.
Personally, I believe the playing of the double-header at Jarrett Park while the funeral service was taking place at the nearby King's Seventh-Day Adventist Church, in Mt Salem, was downright wrong and insensitive. Mairs was not just another female footballer; she was one who represented Jamaica for 10 years.
A tribute
While the top leadership of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) was also missing, unlike the St James FA, the federation's boss captain Horace Burrell took time out to send a tribute, which was read on his behalf by Elaine Walker-Brown, the head of the national women's football programme.
It was good to see the Hanover FA, through its president Ms Lorraine Scringer and the Trelawny FA, through vice president Marline Brown and general secretary Carol Gentles, in attendance and reading tributes on behalf of their respective parishes. That was the kind of respect many were expecting to see from the St James FA.
Of note was the fact that many former and current national players to include assistant coach of the Reggae Boyz Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore, ace striker Paul 'Tegat' Davis and Cassman 'Jazbo' Williams were in attendance alongside other renowned sports personalities such as top umpire Steve Bucknor and Texchus Nembhard, the head of the Western Referees Group.
Special mention
Special mention must also be made of the female footballers from AC Milan, the national women's team and the Trelawny Women's team, who journeyed to Montego Bay
to join their Untouchables FC counterparts in a grand show of respect to Mairs. The Montego Bay Boys Club Band, which led a musical procession from the church to the Pye River Cemetery, also added a classy touch to the service.
While some people may be of the view that I am making a favourite past-time out of bashing the St James FA, in this instance, I am sure they should be able to see the justification. Mairs was not only born in Montego Bay, she honed her skills on the playing fields across the parish and clearly belongs more to St James than any other parish.
The obvious slighting of Mairs by the St James FA also brings into focus the association's failure to put something tangible in place to perpetuate the memories of the late Winston 'Twinny Bug' Anglin and Steve 'Shorty' Malcolm, who, like Mairs, gave distinguished service to Jamaica and brought much pride to St James. I am still waiting to see a trophy or a competition in her honour.
Western Bureau
The conspicuous absence of members of the St James Football Association at Sunday's funeral service for former female football star Bernadette "Lorraine" Mairs was quite embarrassing and I totally support those persons who were fuming about it.
Personally, I found it downright insulting, if not disrespectful, to the memory of one, who had the enviable twin distinction of being the first St James woman to represent Jamaica in football and the first Jamaican woman to play semi-professional football overseas.
In addition to her personal prowess on the football field, Mairs was also a source of inspiration and a role model to many of the region's female footballers, who are now parading their skills in club football as well as on the national team. In addition, her friendly disposition endeared her to many.
Show their last respect
To compound the embarrassing absence of the St James FA at the funeral, some of the footballers, who turned up to show their last respect, had to leave hurriedly to participate in a Captain's Bakery Super League double-header at Jarrett Park, which many persons felt should have been postponed to allow the players, some of whom played with Mairs in Business House football, to attend the funeral.
Personally, I believe the playing of the double-header at Jarrett Park while the funeral service was taking place at the nearby King's Seventh-Day Adventist Church, in Mt Salem, was downright wrong and insensitive. Mairs was not just another female footballer; she was one who represented Jamaica for 10 years.
A tribute
While the top leadership of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) was also missing, unlike the St James FA, the federation's boss captain Horace Burrell took time out to send a tribute, which was read on his behalf by Elaine Walker-Brown, the head of the national women's football programme.
It was good to see the Hanover FA, through its president Ms Lorraine Scringer and the Trelawny FA, through vice president Marline Brown and general secretary Carol Gentles, in attendance and reading tributes on behalf of their respective parishes. That was the kind of respect many were expecting to see from the St James FA.
Of note was the fact that many former and current national players to include assistant coach of the Reggae Boyz Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore, ace striker Paul 'Tegat' Davis and Cassman 'Jazbo' Williams were in attendance alongside other renowned sports personalities such as top umpire Steve Bucknor and Texchus Nembhard, the head of the Western Referees Group.
Special mention
Special mention must also be made of the female footballers from AC Milan, the national women's team and the Trelawny Women's team, who journeyed to Montego Bay
to join their Untouchables FC counterparts in a grand show of respect to Mairs. The Montego Bay Boys Club Band, which led a musical procession from the church to the Pye River Cemetery, also added a classy touch to the service.
While some people may be of the view that I am making a favourite past-time out of bashing the St James FA, in this instance, I am sure they should be able to see the justification. Mairs was not only born in Montego Bay, she honed her skills on the playing fields across the parish and clearly belongs more to St James than any other parish.
The obvious slighting of Mairs by the St James FA also brings into focus the association's failure to put something tangible in place to perpetuate the memories of the late Winston 'Twinny Bug' Anglin and Steve 'Shorty' Malcolm, who, like Mairs, gave distinguished service to Jamaica and brought much pride to St James. I am still waiting to see a trophy or a competition in her honour.
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