Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

BURRELL

THE JAMAICA Football Federation (JFF) has continued to maintain an eerie silence as it relates to the final results of the parish association candidate nominations.

It was expected that with the nomination deadline for the positions of president, first to third vice-president and treasurer expiring at 5:00 p.m. yesterday, the results would have been made known to the public. However, not so, says JFF general secretary Burchell Gibson.

"I won't be releasing the results to any media house," Gibson told The Gleaner.

"There will be a meeting on Sunday and I won't release the information unless instructed by the executive. I can't distribute the information just willy-nilly," he said.

In August, days after the nomina-tions for the positions became open, Gibson said in an interview that only 50 per cent of the parish associations had submitted their nominations.

Top spot

The general secretary was then taken to task by former JFF general secretary Horace Reid, who claimed Gibson was being less than truthful in the matter as 11 of the 13 parish associations had submitted their nominations two days after the nominations were opened.

It had been hoped that Gibson, who previously explained that he would be unable to comment on the matter until nominations closed yesterday, would have been able to set the record straight on the matter.

Initially, the race for local football's top spot was expected to be between incumbent president Crenston Boxhill and his predecessor, Burrell.

However, Boxhill pulled out of the race claiming an uneven playing field and an undermining of his association as primary reasons for not contesting the election.

Neutral

According to a release sub-sequently sent out by Reid, 11 of the 13 parish associations had already nominated Burrell. With the JFF laws stating that Boxhill would have to be nominated by at least three parish associations, a challenge would have been an impossibility at the November 4 voting congress.

When the Kingston and St. Andrew Football Association opted to remain neutral, that ended speculation of a challenge by its president, Stewart Stephenson.

Now it seems Burrell will be unchallenged for the position of president at the November elections.

However the issue is now known for certain by the JFF, it is yet to be confirmed or denied.