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Jamaica-born England football legend John Barnes (left), CONCACAF and CFU president Austin 'Jack' Warner, and Kieran Foley (right), head of sponsorship at Digicel Group, stand together in front of a table with the Digicel Caribbean Cup at a press conference to announce Digicel Group's four-year extended sponsorship of the regional competition at the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan, New York, last week. - Contributed
Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor
JAMAICA-BORN England football legend John Barnes has said that lack of forward planning has contributed to this country's inability to qualify for another senior World Cup finals since the Reggae Boyz made their debut at France '98.
Barnes, who left St. George's College in his early teens for England, made the comments to mirror the benefits of sponsorship at the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan, New York, last Friday,where Digicel signed a four-year deal with the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) to extend its sponsorship of the Digicel Caribbean Cup to 2011.
He also said national and regional players who get the chance to play in England need to show discipline and dedication to grasp the opportunity.
During the 1998 World Cup campaign, the national senior football team received unprecedented levels of support in cash and kind from sponsors and patrons in the form of full stadiums, on the way to completing its successful mission.
"Look at the level of involvement from corporate Jamaica to ensure that they had an opportunity and got to the World Cup in 1998, it just seemed that after the euphoria of qualifying they felt well, we've done it once now, that's it, we've achieved what we wanted to achieve, we've achieved our ambition, so let's step back," reasoned Barnes.
"Had they continued that involvement with Jamaican football, I believe Jamaica would have continued to grow and continued to develop and would have qualified for the World Cup since, which I call a short term-ism."
Bigger star
Predominantly a left-footed dribbler, Barnes, a former Watford and Liverpool giant who graduated into a bigger star at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico when he led an England fightback against Argentina - when Diego Maradona scored the 'Hand of God' and 'Goal of the Century' for a 2-1 victory for the South Americans - says there needs to be a long-term approach.
"If they look long term and see the power of football and the power of involvement of some other corporations all over the world and the benefit that it actually brings, sponsors, economically, socially in the people, empower the people that they really could have continued their involvement and the national team would have continued to grow.
"That is really why I would really like to commend Digicel because I'm sure that Digicel looks after its customers and sees the responsibility to give something back, and I would urge other companies to do the same," hesaid.
In lieu of the social factor, Barnes says the Government also has a part to play because wherever you go, even in the streets or war-torn countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan, football is being played and has a huge influence on the people.
"In Baghdad and Afghanistan you see kids and men playing football on the streets," noted Barnes. "That is the power of football, from a social, economic and political point of view. So it is really the responsibility of governments to get involved in whatever way they can because it can empower - regardless of what's going on in their lives."
Opportunity
Regarding the issue of players transferring to professional clubs in England, Barnes pointed out that not only Jamaicans, but other Caribbean and African nationals should make full use of the opportunity through their own commitment.
"Not just Jamaicans, Caribbeans, developing footballing countries, Africans, so-called Third World footballing countries, because the talent has always been there, they've always had the talent, but what they have to focus on is dedication and discipline and organisation," said Barnes, with some amount of passion.
"You will never lose your God-given talent or ability. You go and see kids in the street playing because they have the ability. But do they have the temperament and the desire and the discipline?" he queried.
"There have always been obstacles in the way - be it political, racial, geographical. There are obstacles to overcome and it's only the strong who have that desire and will (who will achieve) because, of course, that's the perfect opportunity for us to say 'why we can't achieve is because they're keeping us out'.
"I feel very strongly about it because I don't believe that should be the case. It's amazing that people who have been brothers for hundreds of years are now being told that because you're not from Europe you cannot now come to the motherland if you like," Barnes pointed out, while explaining how people from former British colonies arenow being affected by the 75 per cent caps ruling, as opposed to some European countries which, he noted, were former enemies of England, the poorest of them, historically for a thousand years - who they'd been fighting against in Europe, were not faced with similar situations.
Concluding, he added: "So once again, this is an obstacle but it's not insurmountable, and in many respects this should make you even more determined, because when you look at football, or any sport, or any walk of life, the character of the person is when things are not going well. That is where I use my old team as an example. In Liverpool, when they were down 3-0 two years to AC Milan, which was a better team than them, which has more quality than them, how did they come back?" Barnes asked rhetorically.
"They came back because of their dedication and their discipline and their belief, not because of their quality."
Jamaica Gleaner