By Paul A. Reid, Staff Reporter
Newly-elected president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Crenston Boxhill, is being congratulated by secretary of the Clarendon Football Association Serryrona Campbell, after yesterday's election of executive members held at the Starfish Hotel in Trelawny. - Patrick Campbell/Freelance Photographer
WESTERN BUREAU:
CRENSTON BOXHILL was yesterday elected the new president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), defeating Captain Horace Burrell 54 votes to 49 at the Congress held at the Starfish Resort in Trelawny.
Votes were cast by 104 delegates, and when the 53rd and clinching vote for Boxhill was announced close to 2:00 p.m., loud cheers went up from the scores of delegates and onlookers. One ballot was spoilt.
The results not only marked the emergence of a new JFF president, but also the end of Burrell's nine-year hold on the national presidency.
A victorious Boxhill jumped to his feet while Burrell sat passively to the left of the platform. The delegates inside the Great Hall celebrated the results with hugs and high fives.
FESTIVE MOOD
The mood at Starfish was festive from early in the day. In addition to the delegates, observers and officials, scores of football enthusiasts, including a large contingent from central Jamaica, came to witness the proceedings.
Dozens of persons jockeyed for the best vantage points to see into the Great Hall through the wall-length glass doors.
In his presentation before the start of the voting, Burrell reminded the delegates of his achievements in the nine years he held the position, and with the aid of a video presentation, showed highlights of his tenure, including the qualification of national teams to three world championships between 1998 and 2000.
"Having gone to the World Cup (in France in 1998), there is no time to look back; it is time to march forward," he urged delegates.
However, the die might already have been cast when Boxhill led a group of nearly 50 delegates who had stayed at a nearby hotel into the venue just before the start of the proceedings.
Boxhill's entire slate also swept the election for the other five positions. Only George Evans of St. James faced the voters as the other challengers withdrew.
Evans beat incumbent Raymond Anderson of St. Mary for the first vice presidency 59-42. Two delegates had abstained from voting while another ballot was spoilt.
Linnell McLean, the president of the Trelawny Football Associa-tion and ex-officio director in the previous administration, was elected second vice-president after the incumbent Lincoln 'Happy' Sutherland, the St. Catherine FA president, withdrew. Patrick Roberts of the Kingston and St. Andrew FA (KSAFA) is the new third vice-president, as Dale Spencer, the president of the Manchester FA, did not face the voters; while Carlton Barclay is the new treasurer as Allan Morrison also declined to face the voters.
Anthony Hewitt, the president of the St. Thomas FA, was the only nominee for the post of ex-officio director.
In his acceptance speech, Mr. Boxhill said his team had never doubted they would come out on top and that he was preparing for the time when he would assume the position.
He said that from the time they left their base at a Montego Bay hotel with 49 delegates he knew they had it in the bag.
The time for celebrations were short, however, as he said there would be "no long extended honeymoon as come (Monday morning) at 9:00 a.m. we will be at work at St. Lucia Avenue."
He urged the 104 delegates to "forget who you voted for, the elections are over, it is now time to build the sport."
He thanked the outgoing president for having "laid the platform for us to take the baton and to take Jamaica's football to the other level. I am certain that captain's work over the years has made the job a little bit easier for us."
The task now, he said, was to make the sport a more inclusive one for all the partners.
A disappointed Burrell told reporters after the voting that he was surprised by the results, and said he might have been misled by people who promised to vote for him. He, however, accepted defeat graciously.
"I will admit that I am surprised by the margin of victory because I thought I had the majority of the support based on what the delegates had said. But, as it has turned out I wasn't told the truth but I guess this is life and we have to move on."
He said however that his career in football administration was by no means at an end. "What is for sure is that my football involvement will not stop as I am vice-president of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), a member of the Disciplinary Committee of FIFA, (the sports world ruling body) and the head of the Disciplinary Committee of CONCACAF, so I will be very busy but not in Jamaica and I do look forward to continuing at those other levels as my continuance does not depend on my being president of the JFF."
He was a bit vague in his response to questions regarding his involvement in Jamaica's football in the near future but said his love for his country overrode everything else, and would do whatever he could.
