Omissions from Jamaica's football greats
published: Friday | November 28, 2003
THE EDITOR, Sir:
ALLOW ME to expose two noticeable omissions from the recent honouring of past Jamaican football greats, and the dramatic JFF elections that led to the ouster of Captain Burrell's entrenched administration.
In the first instance, it was wonderful that the vanquished Burrell's administration paid long overdue patronage to the outstanding players, coaches, administrators, and referees of the past. However, it must have been an omission in the referee category that perhaps the most outstanding referee that Jamaica has ever produced, John "Bulla John" Richards was not so honoured.
Also, while the elections of the new JFF officers were certified as democratic and fair by impartial sources, the voices of two of the most important variables of the game, the players and the coaches, were not heard.
The failure to bestow deserving posthumous recognition on "Bulla John" presents a golden opportunity for President Boxhill and the new JFF administration to correct this glaring anomaly. And, the fact that the players and the coaches were omitted from the election process presents another opportunity for President Boxhill to level the playing field by encouraging both players and coaches to form their respective Associations.
A Players Association and a Coaches Association are both necessary components of any meaningful attempt to introduce professional football to Jamaica. The Coaches Association, in particular, will ensure that the youths of the game are being guided by properly trained and qualified individuals, and also ensure that all coaching vacancies, at all levels, are filled by licensed members of a Jamaica Football Coaches Association.
