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JFF must shape up or ship out
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Western Bureau:
At the 1998 edition of the FIFA World Cup in France, Jamaica had easily the proudest moment in our football history when midfield maestro Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore scored twice to give the Reggae Boyz a 2-1 win over fellow debutants Japan.
However, while Jamaica's football has been like Cinderella without her dancing shoes since that very special moment in France, the Japanese, whom we defeated then, have pretty much changed gear and has improved so much that they have participated in all three tournaments that have been staged since France 98.
Last week showed a comparison between the current state of both Jamaica's and Japan's football. While the Japanese were successfully battling their way into the Round of 16 at the 2010 World Cup, our top local newspaper - The Star - was carrying the following headline, 'JFF OWES MILLIONS FOR LIGHT', basically summing up the sorry state of Jamaica's football.
While it is most embarrassing to watch as Jamaica's football continues to make the news for the wrong reasons, that scenario pales in comparison to the alleged statement by JFF's general secretary Horace Reid, in which he was quoted as saying, "Unless there is substantial help from the Government, we will not qualify for the World Cup in 2014."
As one who has long lost faith in the capacity of the current JFF leadership to move Jamaica's football forward, I can't say I am surprised by what Reid was quoted as saying. In fact, I think it is bit of a warning to those who, either through blind faith or just patriotism, think the Reggae Boyz will qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil to be cautious with their optimism.
It would appear that Reid believes that a generous injection of cash is what the JFF needs to qualify for 2014 tournament. However, regardless of what gives the general secretary that belief, I think is badly flawed. In fact, in light of the JFF's lack of vitality and viability, I think it would be a colossal error for the Government to keep dumping money into the JFF.
serious work
Within recent days, I spent a lot of time researching Japan's football to familiarise myself with what they have been doing to improve since that debut performance in France 1998. What I have discovered is that a lot of serious work has gone into strengthening their overall programme, which now features a professional league, which is attracting renowned international stars.
As I look at Japan's progress against our lack of effort, I can't help but wonder how backyard, even archaic, our football would have been had it not been for the good work of the Inter-Secondary School Sports Association (ISSA), which continues to function as our only nursery of note with its annual Manning and daCosta Cup competitions.
It should also be noted that even when ISSA unearth the young talents, many a gifted youngster, especially those in parishes without Digicel Premier League (DPL) representation, still fall by the wayside as the JFF has allowed many of the parish associations, which should be helping them, to become almost useless.
As I have stated above, I believe the current JFF has outlived its usefulness and has become more of a liability than an asset. It would therefore be a monumental act of injustice if, when it comes to giving financial assistance, the Government still continues to massage the egos of those running our football while dishing out pittance to progressive forward-thinking organisations like the JNA (Jamaica Netball Association).
I believe the time has come for government sponsors and all those who really care about Jamaica's football to give the current JFF an ultimatum to either shape up or ship out. It cannot be desirable to see the personalities around the game getting larger than life while our football continues to be the subject of constant ridicule.
Feel free to send your feedback to adrianfrater@hotmail.com.
<
Western Bureau:
At the 1998 edition of the FIFA World Cup in France, Jamaica had easily the proudest moment in our football history when midfield maestro Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore scored twice to give the Reggae Boyz a 2-1 win over fellow debutants Japan.
However, while Jamaica's football has been like Cinderella without her dancing shoes since that very special moment in France, the Japanese, whom we defeated then, have pretty much changed gear and has improved so much that they have participated in all three tournaments that have been staged since France 98.
Last week showed a comparison between the current state of both Jamaica's and Japan's football. While the Japanese were successfully battling their way into the Round of 16 at the 2010 World Cup, our top local newspaper - The Star - was carrying the following headline, 'JFF OWES MILLIONS FOR LIGHT', basically summing up the sorry state of Jamaica's football.
While it is most embarrassing to watch as Jamaica's football continues to make the news for the wrong reasons, that scenario pales in comparison to the alleged statement by JFF's general secretary Horace Reid, in which he was quoted as saying, "Unless there is substantial help from the Government, we will not qualify for the World Cup in 2014."
As one who has long lost faith in the capacity of the current JFF leadership to move Jamaica's football forward, I can't say I am surprised by what Reid was quoted as saying. In fact, I think it is bit of a warning to those who, either through blind faith or just patriotism, think the Reggae Boyz will qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil to be cautious with their optimism.
It would appear that Reid believes that a generous injection of cash is what the JFF needs to qualify for 2014 tournament. However, regardless of what gives the general secretary that belief, I think is badly flawed. In fact, in light of the JFF's lack of vitality and viability, I think it would be a colossal error for the Government to keep dumping money into the JFF.
serious work
Within recent days, I spent a lot of time researching Japan's football to familiarise myself with what they have been doing to improve since that debut performance in France 1998. What I have discovered is that a lot of serious work has gone into strengthening their overall programme, which now features a professional league, which is attracting renowned international stars.
As I look at Japan's progress against our lack of effort, I can't help but wonder how backyard, even archaic, our football would have been had it not been for the good work of the Inter-Secondary School Sports Association (ISSA), which continues to function as our only nursery of note with its annual Manning and daCosta Cup competitions.
It should also be noted that even when ISSA unearth the young talents, many a gifted youngster, especially those in parishes without Digicel Premier League (DPL) representation, still fall by the wayside as the JFF has allowed many of the parish associations, which should be helping them, to become almost useless.
As I have stated above, I believe the current JFF has outlived its usefulness and has become more of a liability than an asset. It would therefore be a monumental act of injustice if, when it comes to giving financial assistance, the Government still continues to massage the egos of those running our football while dishing out pittance to progressive forward-thinking organisations like the JNA (Jamaica Netball Association).
I believe the time has come for government sponsors and all those who really care about Jamaica's football to give the current JFF an ultimatum to either shape up or ship out. It cannot be desirable to see the personalities around the game getting larger than life while our football continues to be the subject of constant ridicule.
Feel free to send your feedback to adrianfrater@hotmail.com.
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