RBSC

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

We fail to make use of our Experience - Russell Bell

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • We fail to make use of our Experience - Russell Bell

    We fail to make use of our experience (Football)
    by Russell Bell


    March , 2009
    Today, I want to speak a little about the spirit of my brother Jackie but more about
    the role he would want me to play this evening in making this address. First,
    however, I must thank you all here as you continue to honour his memory and,
    more generally, the memory of the six Bell brothers (Jackie, Vernon, Russell,
    Howard, Neville and Douglas) who have represented this country at football.
    Three personal qualities separated Jackie from the mass of his peers. First, he was
    a passionate fighter for what he loved and believed in. Secondly, he was incurably
    infected with an unconditional love for football - one that made him cut short a potentially outstanding academic career. Thirdly, he was determined to make a
    living through his involvement in football and more generally sports.
    Two Basic Points
    This evening, I think, that he would want me to share two basic points with you.
    The first is that, for too long now, in the preparation of our national teams, we
    have not been using our experience to our advantage. In fact, one could say
    that we seem to be trying to re-invent the wheel.
    Where is the evidence for this? In such a short presentation, I cannot go into the
    details as I would like but let us look at a few facts in the history of our national
    preparation programme.
    Jamaica’s Peformance against Mexico.
    Date The Game The score 28 March 1963 (Concacaf Finals – El Salvador) Mexico vs Jamaica 8 – 0 7th May 1965 (Mexico, World Cup Eliminations) Mexico vs Jamaica 8 – 0 Comments from the players
    The climate affected us.
    Comments from the head of the delegation to Mexico, Norman Hill:
    “Jamaica needed more time to get acclimatized… International football is war...
    Jamaica need to change their outlook on football; the experience gained on this
    tour will contribute a lot to the development of the game to good international
    standards”
    Comments from coach Jorge Penna
    “The experience has done the team well, now they know what it is like to play in
    the world cup.”
    TEN YEARS LATER
    Date: The Game: The Score: April 7, 1975 Mexico vs Jamaica 8 – 0 Comments from the players
    The climate affected us.
    Comments from manager George Prescod
    “Our players (need) …to show a little more self discipline. The JFF will have to
    take a long look at doing some re-structuring of the squad in the light of the lessons
    learnt on this tour”
    Comments from coach Otmar Calder
    “The boys have learnt a lot from the exposure...the team has learned a lot as to
    what is needed in international competition.”
    TWENTY-TWO YEARS LATER
    Date The Game
    The Score
    April 13, 1997 Mexico vs Jamaica 6 – 0 The Headline of the April 14 1997 Gleaner report of the match said it all.
    Jamaica Thrashed 6 – 0 in World Cup Qualifier
    MASSACRE I
    MEXICO
    According to the Gleaner report:
    Coach Simoes blamed the loss on “instructions not being followed and the
    experience of the Mexicans”
    The facts noted above are not the only ones that could be used to demonstrate our
    insufficient use of our experience. We could also give examples of our
    experiences with foreign national coaches conducting coaching clinics, or local
    coaches forming coaches associations, or the formation of a domestic professional
    league, and more and we would see the same pattern – insufficient use of or
    learning from our experiences.
    Why are we not learning from our experience?
    The explanation for this can be dealt with at different levels and from different
    perspectives. One important reason for this consistent repeating of failures,
    however, is the fact that the Jamaicans who have the experience of these events
    and who have the required expertise to avoid their recurrence, have not been
    involved in any meaningful and decisive way in these programmes. The coaches
    in charge, whether they are foreign nationals or Jamaicans, if they do not have the
    experience will all start over from the foot of the learning curve .
    This is certainly an important reason for our excellent Under 20 squad’s failure to
    qualify in the recent world cup qualifying tournament that we were apparently
    destined to win.

    Of course, this begs the question, why are the Jamaicans with proven expertise
    shunned? - a question which needs to be answered but one which will require a
    much longer time and a different audience to be addressed properly.

    Resource Allocation
    The second basic point that I would like to share with you is that we need to ensure
    that the same resources are made available to the coaches of our national teams
    regardless of who they are, Jamaican or non-Jamaican.
    Even though many of us think that the disparity in treatment between Jamaican and
    non-Jamaican coaches is a recent occurrence, it is a long-standing problem and, in
    fact, is much less of a problem today than it was in previous years. Let us look at
    this situation in a historical context.

    Political independence in August 1962 was an important milestone for Jamaicans
    as a nation as it brought political freedom from the British colonial empire. It had,
    however, a special significance for the Jamaican sporting fraternity in general and
    football fraternity in particular.
    The completion of our first and only National Stadium coincided with political
    independence and for the first time we hosted an international Games when the IX
    Central American and Caribbean Games were held in Kingston between August 15
    and August 28, 1962.

    The organizers of the Games gave the Jamaica Football Association (the
    forerunner to the Jamaica Football Federation) a gift as they employed, for the first
    time, a foreign national, Brazilian Jorge Penna, as coach of our team for these
    Games.
    Jackie, by the way, played in every game in this tournament.
    After these Games, the JFA, for the first time, made contact with organized
    international football. That is, Jamaica, for the first time, started to participate
    consistently in the CAC Games, the Pan AM Games and the CONCACAF/World
    Cup eliminations. Jackie was a member of the first team in the new era of
    international football.

    After the IX CAC Games, Penna’s contract was not renewed by the JFA whose
    official explanation was that his inability to speak English was too great a
    hindrance to have him continue, as, among other things, he could not impart his
    knowledge to local coaches. A more popular view, however, was that Penna
    would tolerate absolute no intervention in his programme. In fact, Neville
    Glanville, who represented Jamaica under Penna told me that once the Prime
    Minister of Jamaica came to the dressing room just before a game to speak with the
    players and Penna refused to allow him entry.

    Haitian professional footballer, Antoine Tassy, replaced Penna as the coach of the
    national football team. After spending a year with the national teams, differences
    emerged with the JFA, and he was asked to leave in March 1964. Penna was
    recalled in January 1965 and remained for just under three years as the coach of
    our national teams.

    With Penna at the helm, the preparation of our national team went to a new level.
    For the first time the national team was consistently involved in friendly international matches our national players were treated as celebrities our national players were housed together for weeks (at Newcastle and elsewhere) employers of national players were told that representing their country )should be given priority over performing their duties at work – hence, players were expected to get time off with pay when preparing to represent
    the country the government, through the Minister of Development and Welfare, Mr.
    Edward Seaga, actively supported the programme financially and otherwise.
    Then Penna left. In this period, the USA was starting a professional soccer league
    and, with Penna leaving, the bulk of our players left Jamaica in search of
    employment in this league.

    George Thompson
    A Jamaican who had played under Penna and who had been very successful with a
    schoolboy football team, the legendary 1965 KC team led by Trevor ‘Jumpy’
    Harris, was appointed coach. Thompson met a listless JFF. Here is a glimpse at
    how George was treated.
    ♦ for a long time the national team was allowed to use the Stadium field only
    once per week
    ♦ George had to write personally to friends and businessmen seeking
    assistance in diet and housing for some players
    ♦ George and his squad had to organize a party in order to pay for weight
    training sessions
    ♦ on one occasion the national squad was locked inside the stadium and had to
    climb the walls to get out
    ♦ the JFF decided to play all their home matches away even though the record
    clearly showed that we did significantly better at home
    And we could add more to this but the point should be clear.
    So with a weakened player base with little or no financial or moral support, George
    T, as he was affectionately called, was asked to prepare a national team for the
    same level competition as Penna. To be accurate, one must add here that George T
    himself had a reluctance to use overseas players who had expressed a willingness
    to return to the national squad.

    Yet, it was under George T that Jamaica was to beat Mexico for the first time when
    on 7 May 1972 at the National Stadium we won 1-0 through a Leonard Mason
    goal. And it was under George T that we drew with a West Germany team that
    included seven players who played on the winning 1972 West Germany World
    Cup team.
    It is important to note that George T’s experience was only one of several cases
    where Jamaican technical football personnel have excelled despite limited support
    and resources. Time allows me to mention only a few.
    1- On February 23 1963, Jamaica beat Haiti for the first time in 10 years, under
    coaches Jamaican Leighton Duncan and Derrick Tomkinson again, like
    George T, with minimal support. A victory against Haiti had eluded Jorge
    Penna in 1962 where the teams met several times.
    2- Neville Glanville and Bradley Stewart’s national juvenile squad of 1979/80
    is considered by many to be one of the best-prepared teams ever to leave
    Jamaica. In a tournament in which teams from Trinidad, Canada and the
    USA came for advice from our coaches, Jamaica outdid their opponents but
    did not qualify for two main reasons. First, blatantly corrupt refereeing and
    a heat wave in Texas that forced the coaching panel to be overly cautious in
    fear of potential harm to players. The preparation of this team was a truly
    national effort. Bradley and Neville drew on the expertise of several
    Jamaicans in designing a programme that saw every player except one
    having pulse rates in the 40s. These Jamaicans included Jamaica’s first
    sprint world record holder, Dennis Johnson, Dr. Herb Elliot, Foggy
    Burrowes, Dr. Winston Dawes, Dr. Paul Wright and others.


    Support for this tournament came from the efforts of the coaching and
    management staff as no funds were available from the government. Grace
    Kennedy made a significant input in the preparation of this team.
    In fact, it is generally felt by those in the know that the unconscionable
    expulsion of Jamaica from the World Cup a few years later under the guise
    of Jamaica failing to pay FIFA dues was based on a fear of the Jamaica team
    that was phenomenal in this tournament. The fact was that FIFA actually
    owed the JFF more money than the registration fee and this should have
    been used to cover the payment they required.

    3- Several outstanding national players were introduced to the game formally
    as youngsters by Trevor ‘Jumpy’ Harris. After winning the Major League as
    player/coach at Harbour View Trevor made a conscious decision to focus on
    the primary and prep school players. From Trevor’s work at Vaz Prep, and
    as coach of both All Primary and All Prep teams came players like Sean
    Frazer, Andre Virtue, Jamal Greene, Wolde Harris (Trevor’s son), Akeem
    Priestley, Howard Wong, Fabian Davis, Tyrone Marshall and several others.
    All of this was achieved thorough Trevor’s personal effort.
    4 - Lebert Halliman, has a track record of excellence in coaching not only
    locally but in his first assignment as national youth coach he won the
    Caribbean leg of the qualifying round of the world cup in. Those who know
    Halliman know that he is indeed a knowledgeable and tactically sound
    coach. Yet he was removed from the post of national coach.

    So, as I mentioned earlier, the disparity in the treatment of coaches that we now see
    is a truly longstanding problem. And, while it is in fact not as bad today as it was
    in the past, there is an urgent need to level the playfield for all coaches of our
    national team as was displayed in the recent world cup eliminations where Bradley
    and Theodore outdid Simoes but certainly were not treated and remunerated in the
    same way – not to mention that they were replaced by John Barnes, someone
    whom I respect, but who has little experience at this level.

    Why then are those with expertise marginalized or not involved?
    There are two popular explanations given for this. One is that those in the private
    sector who are willing to put funds in football have a bias against Jamaican
    coaches. Assuming that this is true, I would strongly suggest that we provide
    comparative statistics to these individuals showing the performance of Jamaican vs
    non-Jamaican coaches. I also think that we need to provide the same level of
    public relations or hype for all coaches. On what basis do we label one coach
    Professor while another with similar training and experience has no label?

    My feeling is that no one would prefer a weak coach to a strong coach, no matter
    his nationality. Maybe I am naive, but I cannot see someone refusing to fund a
    national football programme in which a coach of proven worth is in charge but at
    the same time giving money to a programme in which a less knowledgeable and
    experienced coach is at the helm.
    The second popular explanation given for the marginalization or exclusion of
    Jamaican expertise is that the politics of the sport requires suboptimal resource
    allocation. That is, affiliate clubs and associations do not vote based on an
    objective analysis of the situation and what is best for the sport as a whole but on
    how they can benefit from the measures proposed. This, of course, is an issue that
    requires much more time than a brief presentation can afford. I would suggest,
    however, that, if this is true, then the Executive Committee of the JFF such address
    it as a matter of urgency. So too, should all Executive Committees of all the
    affiliates of the JFF.
    While these two explanations are the more popular ones, there are others that we
    do not have the time to discuss.
    Summary
    In summary, those of us who are aware of the history of this great sport in Jamaica
    recognize the obvious advances that have occurred in the sport since 1962 when
    we entered the organized international arena for the first time. We, however,
    believe that non-technical barriers are now preventing the country from realizing
    its full potential. One of the more pressing barriers is the consistent failure to use
    our experience in preparing for new tournament, hence our perpetual talk of ‘now
    we know…” or “now we have the experience” after we have been eliminated.
    A second barrier is the failure to make resources available to our national coaches
    on a consistent basis regardless of their nationality.
    In 1991, in the editorial of Issue #5 of the Sports Focus magazine, I wrote:
    “If we improve in quantity and quality on the success ingredients which were
    present for the Shell Caribbean Cup, then just as the Cameroon did for Africa at
    - 14 -
    the recent World Cup, Jamaica will bring glory to Caribbean football in the not
    too far future.”
    Jamaica went to the World Cup Finals in 1998.
    Today, I make a similar claim. If we level the playfield for all coaches and fully
    utilize the expertise of Jamaican coaches of proven worth to manage the technical
    development of our players, not only will our faces be seen more in the developed
    leagues all over the world but our country will join Mexico and become one of the
    dominant teams in the CONCACAF region.
    Jamaica has a history of exceptional talent, with players like Fairy-Boots Alcock,
    Clarence Passalaigue, Gerry Alexander (who captained both the West Indies
    cricket and football teams), Noel Hall, Karl Largie, Lindy Delapenha, Anthony
    Hill, Syddie Bartlett, Allan Cole, Tony Keyes, Trevor Harris, Dago Gordon,
    Lennie Hyde, Neville Oxford, Bingi Blair, Johnny Barnes, Derrick Dennicer,
    Dennis Stylo Ewbanks, Andy Williams, Ali Rose, Steve Green, Paul Young,
    Kemal Malcolm, Shamar Shelton, Alan Ottey, and many others.

    As far as I am aware, Jamaica is the only country in the region in which the
    Brazilians have offered football contract to players. Coach Penna acknowledged
    our outstanding talent; in a FIFA magazine, coach Simoes said that even in relation
    to Brazil, Jamaican players were talented.
    It is up to us, the leaders and those who have the experience and the expertise to
    come together and guide our talented youth to their rightful place in international
    football, sooner rather than later.

    Again, congratulations to all award winners. On behalf of the six Bell brothers, led
    by Jackie, I wish you all continued success. Thank you very much.
    Russell Bell


    Boxes For Sponsors/ADs Boxes For Sponsors/ADs Boxes For Sponsors/ADs Boxes For Sponsors/ADs
    Jamaica you mite get a Petroleum well with
    United Oil by 1.31.26;You also has a NNPC option with the Abuja accord from 2022.What
    happens then I don't know.A Petrol Well is
    Probably forthcoming...

  • #2
    This is a great article , I read every words of it .
    Jamaica you mite get a Petroleum well with
    United Oil by 1.31.26;You also has a NNPC option with the Abuja accord from 2022.What
    happens then I don't know.A Petrol Well is
    Probably forthcoming...

    Comment


    • #3
      How often are you going to post this?
      ...still...good interesting 'talk' by Russell!

      A bet Willi a guh seh, im di guh a good school?
      "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

      Comment


      • #4
        My issue stems from here:
        Jamaica has a history of exceptional talent, with players like Fairy-Boots Alcock,
        Clarence Passalaigue, Gerry Alexander (who captained both the West Indies
        cricket and football teams), Noel Hall, Karl Largie, Lindy Delapenha, Anthony
        Hill, Syddie Bartlett, Allan Cole, Tony Keyes, Trevor Harris, Dago Gordon,
        Lennie Hyde, Neville Oxford, Bingi Blair, Johnny Barnes, Derrick Dennicer,
        Dennis Stylo Ewbanks, Andy Williams, Ali Rose, Steve Green, Paul Young,
        Kemal Malcolm, Shamar Shelton, Alan Ottey, and many others.

        When brasil or Arg speaks of their great players; You hear pele, garrincha,Ronaldo- Diego, Pasarella (respectively). I would like to ask Mr. Bell what has Dago Gordon et al done for Ja at the WC, hence I can consider them great. He can also refer me to tapes if he wishes.

        BTW all his borthers including himself made the Ja team; they were that good that no one, no matter what could beat them for a spot? Ronaldo, Romario has brothers I'm sure.


        Comment


        • #5
          Jawge, good teams make it to the World Cup, not good players. Good players only happen to be on those good teams. Your argument seem to suggest that anyone who has not played in the World Cup cannot be considered a great player.

          Consider this. If Pele were born in Jamaica and played when those guys named in the article were playing, chances are, Pele may not have graced the world stage. The same can be said of Maradona and other greats as you may call them.

          You need to start facing facts. None of those players you named as greats were able to do it alone. They were added to good teams and helped toake them better. Again my point, making it to the WC should not be the sole criteria in determining if a player was great.
          "Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing. And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb. And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance." ~ Kahlil Gibran

          Comment


          • #6
            Not only that but great teams have great systems , great systems have great support and great support comes from great fans base , great fan base come from great football cultures.

            Jamaica at that time had only great players.

            Jawge only see the glass half full , well a drop in the bucket and expect miracles.Granted the nepotistic arguement is taken although the point wasnt so well made.
            THERE IS ONLY ONE ONANDI LOWE!

            "Good things come out of the garrisons" after his daughter won the 100m Gold For Jamaica.


            "It therefore is useless and pointless, unless it is for share malice and victimisation to arrest and charge a 92-year-old man for such a simple offence. There is nothing morally wrong with this man smoking a spliff; the only thing wrong is that it is still on the law books," said Chevannes.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Tilla View Post
              Jawge, good teams make it to the World Cup, not good players. Good players only happen to be on those good teams. Your argument seem to suggest that anyone who has not played in the World Cup cannot be considered a great player.

              Consider this. If Pele were born in Jamaica and played when those guys named in the article were playing, chances are, Pele may not have graced the world stage. The same can be said of Maradona and other greats as you may call them.

              You need to start facing facts. None of those players you named as greats were able to do it alone. They were added to good teams and helped toake them better. Again my point, making it to the WC should not be the sole criteria in determining if a player was great.
              Tilla on TEAM!
              Forward Tilla! - TEAM!

              ...and for Jawge: The man speaks truth!
              "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

              Comment


              • #8
                Thanks Tilla. I stand corrected: Can you now go on to explain what were the methods used to determine the players listed below greatness or excpetional talent? Thanks.

                Jamaica has a history of exceptional talent, with players like Fairy-Boots Alcock,
                Clarence Passalaigue, Gerry Alexander (who captained both the West Indies
                cricket and football teams), Noel Hall, Karl Largie, Lindy Delapenha, Anthony
                Hill, Syddie Bartlett, Allan Cole, Tony Keyes, Trevor Harris, Dago Gordon,
                Lennie Hyde, Neville Oxford, Bingi Blair, Johnny Barnes, Derrick Dennicer,
                Dennis Stylo Ewbanks, Andy Williams, Ali Rose, Steve Green, Paul Young,
                Kemal Malcolm, Shamar Shelton, Alan Ottey, and many others.

                Comment


                • #9
                  which one of them scored two goals in a world cup match?!?


                  BLACK LIVES MATTER

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    No, wi not going there Tilla say dat nuh count; when it comes on to WC is TEAM (Karl thing is contagious) .

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      yes the greatest footballer the caribbean has ever produced!!!!






                      scored 2 goals on a less than ordinary team at the time.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Oh no; that was TEAM effort. He was part of a "great" team. Yuh waan know exceptional talent? see Bell's list (granted most of those players all played together at one point).

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          mi nuh sure bout bell list. atall!


                          BLACK LIVES MATTER

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Boss ah it wi get fi werk wid so wi ah go werk wid it Cyaan wait fi Tilla come school mi though (good ting mi ah di Eternal Learner)

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Jawge View Post
                              Thanks Tilla. I stand corrected: Can you now go on to explain what were the methods used to determine the players listed below greatness or excpetional talent? Thanks.

                              Jamaica has a history of exceptional talent, with players like Fairy-Boots Alcock,
                              Clarence Passalaigue, Gerry Alexander (who captained both the West Indies
                              cricket and football teams), Noel Hall, Karl Largie, Lindy Delapenha, Anthony
                              Hill, Syddie Bartlett, Allan Cole, Tony Keyes, Trevor Harris, Dago Gordon,
                              Lennie Hyde, Neville Oxford, Bingi Blair, Johnny Barnes, Derrick Dennicer,
                              Dennis Stylo Ewbanks, Andy Williams, Ali Rose, Steve Green, Paul Young,
                              Kemal Malcolm, Shamar Shelton, Alan Ottey, and many others.
                              Jawge, it besides the point the method used to select players on that list. I am not making a point in support of players on any list. As others have added (see X), if we had the systems as some of those countries, maybe our teams would have made it to the World Cup too.

                              Again, I am not trying to support the writer's position on everyone on that list (please do not miss the point). What I am saying is that playing in or scoring in a World Cup should not be the sole criterion in determining that a player is great. This has been your position all along and it is flawed.
                              "Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing. And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb. And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance." ~ Kahlil Gibran

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X