Ainsley Walters, Staff Reporter
BOXHILL
THE TOP brass of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) is reporting rumours of a no-confidence vote, the second such alleged move against the two-year-old administration led by president Crenston Boxhill.
The arguments are circulating less than a month ahead of the JFF's annual Congress.
Boxhill, the dark horse, who upstaged Captain Horace Burrell in a close November 2003 election for presidency of the JFF, yesterday said he has been hearing talks of a no-confidence vote being hatched for the January 15 Congress.
"I've heard the talks but nobody is going to come to you," he said. "I've been hearing those talks for the past couple days, the last week or so," Boxhill added.
George Evans, first vice-president of the JFF, echoed Boxhill's allegations and, similar to his president, could not say from where the threat would come.
"There is talk about a no-confidence vote just as there was in Portland this time last year," he noted.
"I have no idea what the grounds or reasons are," Evans said. "I can only assume it was those who did not support the administration elected two years ago. I've only heard the rumours, I don't know who the players are."
However, Boxhill has openly stated on numerous occasions that his administration was being undermined by former president Burrell.
Boxhill's last allegation came after Jamaica passed up a friendly international against Bahrain in Kingston following strong criticism from CONCACAF president Jack Warner, whose native country, Trinidad and Tobago, was due to play a crucial World Cup qualifying play-off match against the Asians in Port of Spain.
Burrell, now a senior vice-president of the Caribbean Football Union and a member of FIFA's disciplinary committee, has been spreading his Captain's Bakery sponsorship cash to almost a half of the island's parish football associations.
Contacted yesterday, Burrell said he was busy seeing to the opening of his new bakery and grill in Portmore and could not discuss football matters.
Last November, rumours of a no-confidence vote against Boxhill were rife ahead of the JFF Congress, but no such move was made at the Congress held in Portland.
YOUTH LEVEL PROGRESS
Boxhill yesterday defended his administration, pointing to its progress at the youth level but admitted pundits could be disgruntled with the senior team's failure to qualify for the 2006 World Cup.
"Most people are happy with what's happening at the youth level," he said. "We're Under-15 champions and the girls won the Under-20 title for the very first time, plus we're Digicel Cup champions," the JFF president pointed out.
"We've won quite a few titles in one year but the fact that the national senior team has not played in Jamaica for a while might not sit well with some people," he admitted, pointing to when the Reggae Boyz last played a friendly international, away in England, last October.
"People would like to see more of the senior team but apart from the FIFA-designated dates, we won't be able to get our best players from abroad," he said.
"Our fans are very sensitive and, if you play outside the FIFA date, to bring a good team to Jamaica, even without top players, it would come at a decent cost. If our top players are not available that would make it a risky venture."
Boxhill agreed the euphoria accompanying Trinidad and Tobago's qualification for Germany 2006 could be hurting Jamaican pundits.
"It's possible. We started out with a good chance," he said. "We qualified in 1998 but didn't qualify for 2002," he added.
"We didn't qualify this time around and it's just for us to build a solid enough foundation to launch for 2010."
