FIFA ban Burrell

[Skeng DX]

Burrell: I accept FIFA ban

President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Captain Horace Burrell says he will accept the decision by FIFA to ban him from football for six months.

In a statement, Captain Burrell said he understood that 'FIFA needs to put an end to individual wrong-doing'.

"Even if some of the sanctions are very severe, I understand that FIFA needs to put an end to individual wrong-doing and bad practice if the evidence proves that individuals have engaged in reprehensible conduct," the statement said.

Captain Burrell was banned along with a number of other Caribbean Football Union officials (CFU) for "apparent violations of the Code of Ethics connected to the investigation of the cases related to the special meeting of the CFU held in Trinidad & Tobago on 10 and 11 May 2011."

FIFA says three months of Burrell's ban from all football duty will be deferred for a probationary period of two years.

Captain Burrell said that the ban was 'painful'.

"As for the sanction I have suffered in the process – the FIFA Ethics Committee suspended me from football activities for a period of three months – they are harsh and painful for me personally, but I will not appeal the decision, considering the relative levity of the sanction and the cause for which it was handed down," he said.

Burrell also defended his decision of not co-operating with FIFA investigators.

"My initial decision not to co-operate with the foreign investigators, was an error on my part.

Those of us who live the Caribbean reality will understand my reluctance, while people who are unfamiliar with our Caribbean history will take offence – which is what happened, and for which I now suffer the consequences."

Burell, who has to step down for the next three months, says if he is asked to resign from the presidency of the JFF he will.

"If the JFF requests that I step down from the JFF Presidency altogether, and despite the sanction which is limited to three months, instead of passing on the baton to my first deputy for the duration of my FIFA suspension, I shall abide by what the majority of the JFF decides. I have no reason to doubt that I shall be readmitted to my present FIFA functions after the three-months suspension has been served," he said.

[Skeng DX]

See the full text of Captain Horace Burrell's statement belo

Today, the FIFA Ethics Committee suspended a number of Caribbean Football Union officials as a result of a probe into events that occurred in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago on May 11, 2011.

Even if some of the sanctions are very severe, I understand that FIFA needs to put an end to individual wrong-doing and bad practice if the evidence proves that individuals have engaged in reprehensible conduct.

As for the sanction I have suffered in the process – the FIFA Ethics Committee suspended me from football activities for a period of three months – they are harsh and painful for me personally, but I will not appeal the decision, considering the relative levity of the sanction and the cause for which it was handed down.

My initial decision not to co-operate with the foreign investigators, was an error on my part. Those of us who live the Caribbean reality will understand my reluctance, while people who are unfamiliar with our Caribbean history will take offence – which is what happened, and for which I now suffer the consequences.

A majority of the Caribbean football officials who had participated at the CFU meeting in Port of Spain had objected to the initial interviews being conducted outside of the Caribbean. This was consequent to the many statements emanating from the different sides and the lack of clarity on how the investigations were to be conducted. The outcry against that original procedure was such that the venue was eventually changed and hearings were set for the Caribbean, in Nassau, Bahamas.

Looking back, I have tried to see the reasoning behind the original approach, as it was put forward to us by CONCACAF and FIFA, and despite the fact that I have now suffered the consequences for my original assessment, I maintain that it was the right thing to do to protest against the fact that CFU members were ordered territory outside of the Caribbean to be questioned and testify. I accept that I possibly decided to co-operate with the investigation too late but that was my decision at the time and I stand by it while accepting the sanction which resulted from my lack of cooperation in the initial phase of the investigation.

As a consequence of the FIFA Ethics Committee ruling, I will step down from the JFF Presidency and my CFU position for the next three-months.

If the JFF requests that I step down from the JFF Presidency altogether, and despite the sanction which is limited to three months, instead of passing on the baton to my first deputy for the duration of my FIFA suspension, I shall abide by what the majority of the JFF decides. I have no reason to doubt that I shall be readmitted to my present FIFA functions after the three-months suspension has been served.

editorial@gleanerjm.com

[Skeng DX]

Seaga: Burrell should talk

Edward Seaga the chairman of the Professional Football Association of Jamaica is demanding that Captain Horace Burrell make a statement after he was banned today from football by FIFA.

Captain Burrell was banned for six months.

The FIFA Ethics Committee announced the ban today after meeting for three days to weigh evidence of Caribbean Football Union (CFU) members allegedly accepting US$40,000 cash payment from Bin Hammam in May.

The Qatari official Mohamed bin Hamam had made a campaign visit to Trinidad and Tobago, to woo voters during his challenge to FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

Bin Hammam was banned for life by FIFA in July.

FIFA says Burrell will only have to serve three months of his six-month ban unless he commits another offence in the next two years.

Chairman of the Professional Football Association of Jamaica, Edward Seaga says Burrell must now decide if he will still run for the Caribbean Football Union presidency next month.

Seaga, who is also a former prime minister of Jamaica, says Captain Burrell must now decide if he should resign as JFF’s president.

Meanwhile, Tony James – one of the three persons nominated to challenge Captain Burrell for the top football post in the Caribbean Football Union, says the ban has nothing to do with corruption.

The CFU post became vacant after the resignation of Trinidad’s Austin ‘Jack’ Warner.

Warner resigned from all his football positions on June 20 following his suspension by the world football governing body, stemming from bribery allegations surrounding the FIFA elections.

This week a video recording emerged implicating Warner in the bribery allegations.

melton.williams@gleanerjm.com

[Mosiah]

Not true! Me and Burrell patched up our differences years ago!

[Karl]

No need to go on, matter of fact you should never have started..

Happy to hear you have awaken to those mentioned above and the many other ways we - benefited during the "Jack" era

- Do I hear you counting 1, 2, 3...FIFA Centers of Excellence in the CFU region...????

- Do I hear you counting 1, 2... number of FIFA age-group play-off tournaments in the region since the coming of the "Jack" era?

...do I hear you speaking of/counting the number of times priceless world awareness activities...football activities have been held in our CFU region the "Jack" ear?

...e.g. What were the figures being banded about on this site as that gained by the country as a result of the increased qualifying spots for the FIFA World Cup and the resulting world exposure Jamaica gained?

I think it is nonsense to run from facts!
...but then that may be just me????

[Jangle]

Mr. Barrister, an opportunity awaits you sir.

[Karl]

...and why not?

[Gamma]

for clarity ... is who a powder blazer?

[Sickko]

Dont be mistaken, I only read the last line of your lengthy missive and no intention of reading past the first two lines of this one..