Adrian Frater, News Editor

WESTERN BUREAU:

EVERTON TOMLINSON, who has served as chairman for the Jamaica Football Federation's Western Confederation (JFFWC) for the better part of the past decade, is poised to return unopposed at the confederation's upcoming general meeting.

When nominations for the various executive positions closed on Monday for the general meeting, which is slated for Friday, November 31, the only position that had more than one nomination was the position of chairman, which had nominations for Tomlinson and the St. James FA President Orville Powell.

"We have received nomination for chairman for Mr. Tomlinson and Mr. Powell," said the JFF's executive officer Lorraine Scringer, the confederation's outgoing general secretary. "All that is left now is for us to decide on a venue for the meeting."

However, when Powell, who had intimated that he would only consider the job if he was nominated unopposed, was informed of the candidacy of Tomlinson, he immediately announced that he would be withdrawing his candidacy.

"This confederation has been divided for too long and if I can't get the support of all four parishes then I am not interested," said Powell. "If it now means that Everton (Tomlinson) is the sole candidate then so be it."

The full slate of candidates now reads: chairman - Everton Tomlinson (Westmoreland), vice-chairman - Craig Oates (Hanover), general secretary - Carol Gentles (Trelawny), assistant secretary - Copeland Bailey (Westmoreland) and treasurer - Sheridan Samuels (Hanover).

Infighting may continue

With no representative from St. James, arguably the strongest and most organised of the four western parishes, on the proposed new executive, indications are the infighting, which has plagued the confederation in recent years, is likely to continue.

"The confederation is being plagued with irregularities but our call for probity is being resisted by two of the parishes," said a St. James FA official who asked not to be identified. "Personally, we prefer to stay on the outside with our integrity."

During the life of the outgoing administration, the confederation suffered a major body blow when former treasurer Mark Calvin was implicated in the fraudulent withdrawal of funds from the Western Referees Group. In his subsequent letter of resignation, he admitted his guilt and promised to refund the money.