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Football row still brewing between JFF, KSAFA
By Howard Walker, Observer staff reporter walkerh@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
KSAFA member Ansel Lee (foreground) scrutinises the JFF press release outside of the local governing body's headquarters yesterday, while the meeting was still in progress. (Photo: Jermaine Barnaby)
The referees sponsorship saga between the ruling Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and one of its affiliates, the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA), seems far from resolved, despite a near seven-hour meeting at the JFF headquarters yesterday.
A press statement issued late last evening by the JFF while the meeting was still in progress, ordered the KSAFA to resume all competitions with immediate effect. It also said that KSAFA had apologised for misleading the country and had withdrawn a letter dated June 1, 2009 which claimed that the agreement with their sponsors Claro covered referees fees and uniforms.
But at the end of the meeting it was not clear whether the KSAFA executives were about to comply with the directives of the local governing body, as after refusing public comments, they headed off to a meeting.
The statement from the JFF further stated:
"Additionally KSAFA apologised to the Board of Directors and the nation for public utterance in the electronic and print media which have brought the game into disrepute," the statement added.
KSAFA president Rudolph Speid leaves the JFF offices following yesterday's near seven-hour meeting with the local governing body. (Photo: Jermaine Barnaby)
At approximately 8:30 pm, KSAFA president Rudolph Speid emerged from the JFF offices but was in no mood to speak to the media.
"No comment, no comment," said Speid before speeding away in his vehicle. It was the same negative response from his first vice-president Stephen Bell.
But while the meeting was in progress, a 20-member strong KSAFA supporters group was outside the JFF offices venting their anger at the local governing body, shouting: "Claro, Claro, it nah go so".
"Burrell tek football to a big back yard thing, like when you have a tenement yard and you a send you youth go a school and them grudge you, say you a send him go a good school," one irate supporter said.
"That's why the man try to vote him out wa day and Jack Warner a behave them way dey and Burrell a carry it come a Jamaica. But it nah go work," he added.
Moments later Captain Horace Burrell exited the office and when quizzed as to the outcome, he referred the media to the press release.
"The press release is quite clear. We had a meeting as a family and at the end of it we are still a family," insisted Burrell.
When quizzed by reporters as to the FIFA regulation which KSAFA was using as their main weapon, which states that "a sponsor advertising on the shirts of match officials shall be permitted only if it does not create a conflict of interest with the advertising worn by either of the two teams participating. In the event of such a conflict, the match officials shall not bear any sponsor advertising".
The JFF boss was dismissive. "You are not to speak about a subject that you are not fully understanding of. You have to fully understand the context of how these things are made. These regulations have to be properly interpreted. I will not even want to raise that subject. But rest assured the JFF has taken the correct measure in this matter."
KSAFA was directed to restart all competitions with immediate effect using referee gear prescribed by JFF, which is the Digicel-sponsored uniforms which are at the heart of this saga. The Board also reiterated the point that referees are affiliated to the national body and not to any parish association.
Football row still brewing between JFF, KSAFA
By Howard Walker, Observer staff reporter walkerh@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
KSAFA member Ansel Lee (foreground) scrutinises the JFF press release outside of the local governing body's headquarters yesterday, while the meeting was still in progress. (Photo: Jermaine Barnaby)
The referees sponsorship saga between the ruling Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and one of its affiliates, the Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA), seems far from resolved, despite a near seven-hour meeting at the JFF headquarters yesterday.
A press statement issued late last evening by the JFF while the meeting was still in progress, ordered the KSAFA to resume all competitions with immediate effect. It also said that KSAFA had apologised for misleading the country and had withdrawn a letter dated June 1, 2009 which claimed that the agreement with their sponsors Claro covered referees fees and uniforms.
But at the end of the meeting it was not clear whether the KSAFA executives were about to comply with the directives of the local governing body, as after refusing public comments, they headed off to a meeting.
The statement from the JFF further stated:
"Additionally KSAFA apologised to the Board of Directors and the nation for public utterance in the electronic and print media which have brought the game into disrepute," the statement added.
KSAFA president Rudolph Speid leaves the JFF offices following yesterday's near seven-hour meeting with the local governing body. (Photo: Jermaine Barnaby)
At approximately 8:30 pm, KSAFA president Rudolph Speid emerged from the JFF offices but was in no mood to speak to the media.
"No comment, no comment," said Speid before speeding away in his vehicle. It was the same negative response from his first vice-president Stephen Bell.
But while the meeting was in progress, a 20-member strong KSAFA supporters group was outside the JFF offices venting their anger at the local governing body, shouting: "Claro, Claro, it nah go so".
"Burrell tek football to a big back yard thing, like when you have a tenement yard and you a send you youth go a school and them grudge you, say you a send him go a good school," one irate supporter said.
"That's why the man try to vote him out wa day and Jack Warner a behave them way dey and Burrell a carry it come a Jamaica. But it nah go work," he added.
Moments later Captain Horace Burrell exited the office and when quizzed as to the outcome, he referred the media to the press release.
"The press release is quite clear. We had a meeting as a family and at the end of it we are still a family," insisted Burrell.
When quizzed by reporters as to the FIFA regulation which KSAFA was using as their main weapon, which states that "a sponsor advertising on the shirts of match officials shall be permitted only if it does not create a conflict of interest with the advertising worn by either of the two teams participating. In the event of such a conflict, the match officials shall not bear any sponsor advertising".
The JFF boss was dismissive. "You are not to speak about a subject that you are not fully understanding of. You have to fully understand the context of how these things are made. These regulations have to be properly interpreted. I will not even want to raise that subject. But rest assured the JFF has taken the correct measure in this matter."
KSAFA was directed to restart all competitions with immediate effect using referee gear prescribed by JFF, which is the Digicel-sponsored uniforms which are at the heart of this saga. The Board also reiterated the point that referees are affiliated to the national body and not to any parish association.
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