Adrian Frater, News Editor

Burchell Gibson

Western Bureau:

Reacting to the criticism being levelled against the current Jamaica Football Federation's (JFF) administration, general secretary Burchell Gibson said that contrary to what is being said, the federation was conducting its affairs in a prudent manner and achieving success.

Seeming to be particularly peeved by recent statements attributed to Horace Reid, the general secretary under the previous administration, Gibson, who was the guest-speaker at Thursday night's Sandals/St. James FA Division One presentation ceremony, outlined a range of areas in which he said the current administration had attained success.

"It is vision and commitment to develop that has led to the immense progress of women's football in the country and the respect among the most advanced teams internationally for our female footballers," said Gibson. "It is out of this commitment that saw women's football at the national level attract sponsorship only dreamed of and never achieved before."

Some of the other area of success outlined by Gibson included:

Jamaica winning the inaugural Caribbean Youth Tournament in 2005.

The comprehensive plans for the football academy at Munro.

The unprecedented level of sponsorship the federation has been able to attract.

Jamaica winning the 2005 Digicel Cup with primarily home-based players.

Jamaica's qualification for the 2007 Pan Am Games in Brazil.

In speaking to the current administration's plans for the football academy, Gibson said the academy at Munro would host four training fields instead of the one and half that was proposed by the previous administration. He also noted that the facility would be owned by the federation and not leased.

In speaking to the whole matter of the non-staging of international games at the national stadium, Gibson said it was a decision partially borne out of financial concerns which, according to him, the administration has explained.

Financial prudency

"The records indicated that most games are operated at a loss so financial prudence is the order of the day when you are choked by debt," said Gibson. "Games away have allowed for some financial stability that in turn has permitted all the above achievements to have been possible."

Outlining that homes games will soon return to the National Stadium, Gibson said the main focus of the current administration is to qualify a team for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa which, he said, will be very special because of the role Jamaica played in the struggle to end apartheid.

"The federation knows that this one is special. South Africa is special to the Jamaican people," said Gibson. "We know the history, the connection related to the ant-apartheid struggle and the role that our past leaders played in the struggle."

While he believes the current administration is doing well, Gibson that for us to get to South Africa in 2010, greater support will be needed from entities such as: Government, the private sector, the diaspora, the African continent, fans from across the country, the media and all those who are committed to the development of Jamaica's football.