Observer West Column-
Football must be able to do better than Boxhill and Burrell
Crenston Boxhill's announcement that he is not seeking re-election to the post of president of the Jamaica Football Federation at the November Voting Congress to be held in Hanover took many including myself as a surprise.
Certainly a number of those who supported his presidency and the advancement of democracy in sports in the country would have hoped he would have at least put up a fight.
If we are to believe what we heard from former General Secretary Horace Reid, then the president did not have much of a choice as he was not nominated on at least three of the parish affiliates.
Even while Reid was making his statements t the press we were hearing from the present General Secretary that the JFF was still to receive at least half of the nominations that were due in by the first week of September.
If what Reid says is true and we have not hard anything contrary form the JFF, then it would be a damning rejection of the Boxhill presidency, four years after he swept into office promising top take Jamaica's football to further heights.
Lest we forget Boxhill's taking over the office of the head honcho in the JFF did not come by stealth of subterfuge but on a level playing field after the previous administration had failed to capitalise on the success of qualifying three teams to FIFA tournaments between 1998 and 2000.
Most pro-Horace Burrell supporters tend not to discuss post 1998, instead electing to live in the period between 1994 and 1998 when Jamaica's football was at its highest.
None also wants to talk about the $60 million debt that was inherited by the Boxhill administration, with about 25 percent being owed to the former boss.
Before you start thinking this column is about supporting Boxhill, it is not.
As I have said before and will continue to say, the future of the most popular sport in Jamaica CANNOT be dependent on the ambitions of two individuals.
In addition to our success in the sporting arena, Jamaica has been known to produce some world classed sports administrators.
Jamaica has two representatives on the FINA executive including its president Molly Rhone and in track and field we have produced administrators and officials who have earned global accolades.
Just recently, Chris Dehring completed an 11 year journey when the ICC Cricket World Cup ended, sure football can do better than just Burrell and Boxhill.
Football must be able to do better than Boxhill and Burrell
Crenston Boxhill's announcement that he is not seeking re-election to the post of president of the Jamaica Football Federation at the November Voting Congress to be held in Hanover took many including myself as a surprise.
Certainly a number of those who supported his presidency and the advancement of democracy in sports in the country would have hoped he would have at least put up a fight.
If we are to believe what we heard from former General Secretary Horace Reid, then the president did not have much of a choice as he was not nominated on at least three of the parish affiliates.
Even while Reid was making his statements t the press we were hearing from the present General Secretary that the JFF was still to receive at least half of the nominations that were due in by the first week of September.
If what Reid says is true and we have not hard anything contrary form the JFF, then it would be a damning rejection of the Boxhill presidency, four years after he swept into office promising top take Jamaica's football to further heights.
Lest we forget Boxhill's taking over the office of the head honcho in the JFF did not come by stealth of subterfuge but on a level playing field after the previous administration had failed to capitalise on the success of qualifying three teams to FIFA tournaments between 1998 and 2000.
Most pro-Horace Burrell supporters tend not to discuss post 1998, instead electing to live in the period between 1994 and 1998 when Jamaica's football was at its highest.
None also wants to talk about the $60 million debt that was inherited by the Boxhill administration, with about 25 percent being owed to the former boss.
Before you start thinking this column is about supporting Boxhill, it is not.
As I have said before and will continue to say, the future of the most popular sport in Jamaica CANNOT be dependent on the ambitions of two individuals.
In addition to our success in the sporting arena, Jamaica has been known to produce some world classed sports administrators.
Jamaica has two representatives on the FINA executive including its president Molly Rhone and in track and field we have produced administrators and officials who have earned global accolades.
Just recently, Chris Dehring completed an 11 year journey when the ICC Cricket World Cup ended, sure football can do better than just Burrell and Boxhill.
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