Tony James: A love affair with football that got deeper with time

MANDEVILLE:TONY James' office on Caledonia Road in Mandeville is virtually a shrine to his family's football legacy.

Photos dating back to his early days at Jamaica college, the rich history of Los Perfectos Football Club, the Cornwall County Lions and his other family members playing in various local and international competitions are everywhere.

For weeks since news broke of his interest in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) top job, James had been content with cursory comments to the press. That was until now.

The pouring rain outside provided the perfect backdrop as James opens up about his journey in the sport and his personal life.

"I was born in Manchester, but my family is from south St Elizabeth," he declares.

James straddles many lanes simultaneously, being a family man, a successful hotelier, real estate developer and horse breeder. However, his first and true love was clearly none of those pursuits, rather, an affair with football that began in high school and has never waned.

How did he become involved in football?

"Boarding school at Jamaica College inculcated in me the ability to see anything from the perspective of sports, and I have taken that with me throughout life," he said. "I was also inspired by my cousin, Alvin 'Silver Ticks' James, who was the best left back in schoolboy football history. Through Alvin, I developed an early appreciation for football, and became a formidable player in my time."

family support

He attributes his early success in the sport to family support, as "all my brothers and children played Manning or daCosta Cup football and am proud to say four of my nieces played women's football at the international level."

James went on: "My proudest moment in football came in the 1968 season of the Manning Cup, when I was the leading goalscorer in the Manning Cup and Jamaica College lifted the trophy."

These early success translated into an undying love for the sport, and when he returned home from high school and joined the family business he also devoted a considerable amount of time playing and later leading Los Perfectos football club.

It was this early push that led James to serve the Manchester Football Association before moving on to serve a seven-year stint at the Jamaica Football Association (JFF).

"I think I was a unifying president," he said of his JFF presidency. "During my time, we were able to develop the foundations which led to Jamaica qualifying for the '98 World Cup. it was from our county teams that the core of the squad emerged," he pointed out. "We also won the Shell Cup and laid good foundations for professional development of the sport."

service record

His football service record reads like an honour roll, including JFF president, executive committee member of CONCACAF and CFU, match commissioner for FIFA and CONCACAF, as wells as the longest-standing member of the FIFA Youth Committee. James was also inducted into the CONCACAF Hall of Fame in 2009, an honour he counts among his most prized.

The question of his sudden interest in the CFU's top job has reverberated around the Caribbean, with various commentators advancing various theories. The question was put directly to James.

"I bring to the table Caribbean unity, experience, transparency, as well as a development programme for smaller countries. I have genuine love for the sport and believe I have much to give back to the region," he reasoned.

"The truth is that while Caribbean football has grown over the years, we have also missed several opportunities, and I know I have what it takes. Until we get professional football on track we are only operating on one leg of our potential in this region."

He continued: "Due to the challenges of funding, smaller islands are at a disadvantage in CFU, and I aim to find a model which we, the Caribbean, can all plug into so the target is on grass-roots football.

"I am just a committed footballer who aims to serve the Caribbean. I owe my entire development to football and want to give back," he said with a smile.