Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer
AFTER ACCEPTING the congratulations of his well-wishers at the yesterday's non-voting congress of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), president Crenston Boxhill immediately indicated that he would extend the olive branch to his opposers who failed to unseat him with a no-confidence vote.
The motion for no confidence, which required a vote of 70 to be successful, was defeated 53-51.
"I think it is now time for some healing to take place and for all of us to work towards the development of football which I believe is the interest of everybody. Some people will have differences and as such take different roads to achieve their ends but at the same time it is the sport that should benefit," said Boxhill,who described the events leading up to the raising of the motion and the motion itself as foolishness.
That issue he repeated had nothing to do with football but the selfish interests of a specific group. He was careful to add that while he was prepared to extend the hand of peace it would not be all-embracing.
THE CONCLUSION
"Having said that though after two years I have come to the conclusion that there are some who have no intention of accepting it (the olive branch) and those will have to make way for others who want to work to the attainment of the common objective which is the development of our football," added the man who assumed his position in November 2003 after defeating the then president Captain Horace Burrell.
Yesterday's attempted vote of no-confidence marked the second occasion in which attempts were made to remove him with the former army man. Last year's attempt failed to materialise.
"This was not a fight between Boxhill and Burrell, it was a fight between Burrell and football and football won," a composed Boxhill said.
According to Boxhill, the campaign to remove him involved great expenses and the fact that it failed was a signal to him that he was doing some things right.
"Money is very important. It is almost impossible to live without it and not everything in life can be bought and today's result was testimony to that," added Boxhill, who also expressed the wish that with the defeat of the vote, his administration will now be allowed to do their job without roadblocks being put in their way.
